Careful (The Careful, Quiet, Invisible Series, #1)

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Careful (The Careful, Quiet, Invisible #1)

by Isobella Jade (Goodreads Author)

3.5 of 5 stars 3.50 · rating details · 20 ratings · 16 reviews

"I couldn’t feel my arms or legs. My neck, my hair, my stomach—they weren’t mine anymore."

If you lived in Willow Ridge, a town based on Jade’s hometown called Liverpool in Central New York, you’d know of Estella Montclair. Estella is one of the top high school sprinters around and she’s in the newspaper all the time.

After Estella Montclair is killed in a texting and drivin...more

Paperback, 292 pages

Published July 26th 2012 by Gamine Press

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Dec 30, 2012 Preet rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is one of those difficult reviews because story was emotional, but it honestly fell short of what I wanted it to be. Estella loses her life tragically in an accident and has a lot to deal with as a spirit. I completely understood her pain and the way she conveyed things, but I just kept wanting to have something more.

Though the story was enjoyable, I always felt like I was waiting for something to happen in the story. I was continuously waiting for that moment where the story would take off...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-to-z-challenge

Careful is the story of Estella, a young girl who loses her life by a car accident just when she is beginning to experience it. She dies suddenly leaving many unsaid words and leaving many possibilities behind. She was a smart athlete, full of promise and looking towards a brilliant future.

When she dies she never says goodbye and she (as a spirit) keeps experiencing everyday with the people she loves. This reading show us how she tries to deal with it all and how her loved ones try to come to te...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Stephanie Ward rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

'Careful' is the first book in a young adult series that follows Estella, who just happens to be dead. During a typical day in winter, Estella is in a car accident where the other driver was texting and driving. She was killed instantly. Instead of going into "the light," Estella decides that she's not done on Earth quite yet and now exists as spirit as she watches the effects her death has on those she holds most dear.

This novel is a well written story that deals with serious topics in today's...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-must-reads, arc-books, sep-2012, ya-bound-blog-tours

Careful is one of those books you read and it stays with you forever. I am so thankful I was able to read an ARC copy and be a part of this tour by YA Bound. I have to say that as a mother of a soon to be teen it scares me how people text and drive. People don't understand the danger that comes from doing that. Careful takes us into the life of Estella Montclair who is killed by a person texting and driving.

The only thing is is that Estella is not totally dead. Her spirit lives on and she goes...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Savannah (Books With Bite) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Another heartfelt story sure to make you see things differently, Careful takes a dive into what it's like for those you love left behind after your death.

What I really enjoyed most about this book is the different perspective. After Estella's unexpected death, she dwindles with the living seeing the aftermath of her death. This part I loved. Watching Estellas parents grieve, the fights in school with her friends and watching her crush fade away, all makes for a great story. The emotions swirled...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Catie Taylor rated it 3 of 5 stars

Alright, I'll admit it, I have definitely been guilty of distracted driving. No, I don't text and drive, but I do things like mess with the radio, rummage through CDs and gawk at people walking their dogs. Like most of us who have been driving for awhile, I've had some near misses with other people's bumpers. I'm usually a great driver but it's those little mistakes and distractions that can change someone's life forever, or end it. One of the biggest distractions for young people (really all pe...more Alright, I'll admit it, I have definitely been guilty of distracted driving. No, I don't text and drive, but I do things like mess with the radio, rummage through CDs and gawk at people walking their dogs. Like most of us who have been driving for awhile, I've had some near misses with other people's bumpers. I'm usually a great driver but it's those little mistakes and distractions that can change someone's life forever, or end it. One of the biggest distractions for young people (really all people) these days is texting while driving. It may only take a few seconds to check that message but those few seconds can mean everything.

Estella's life is pretty great. She has awesome friends, colleges are lining up to recruit her and she's going to prom with super-cute Phoenix. All of that changes when her teammate Heidi blows through a red light while texting and kills her. Estella's body may be gone but her spirit stays behind. We follow Estella as she witnesses the devastation left behind after her death.

LIKES:

The Message: I know we all get tired of hearing it. There are commercials, print ads, even Oprah has a campaign against texting and driving. But the message is so important that we have to pay attention and the more it's drummed into our heads the better. Every time I get into a car in front of my mom she still tells me to "be careful", I'm sure she always will, and even though I roll my eyes and assure her that I'm perfectly capable of operating a motor vehicle, it still makes me think about safety in that moment and I do pay closer attention. So yes, Mom, I'm listening. This book really makes you think about how your choices impact others, especially when you're driving a motorized killing machine.
The Empathy Factor: We get to know Estella's family and friends through their grief. This makes the book all the more powerful and it really helps the reader to understand and empathize with the characters. This also helps the author illustrate her point very nicely.
POV: Just as we get to know the secondary characters in their grief, we get to know Estella in death, rather than life. Watching Estella come to grips with her feelings of anger and loss is incredibly gripping and certainly makes the story more interesting and poignant.
DISLIKES:

Repetition: The story itself can get a bit repetitive in parts and I feel like the book didn't need to be as long as it is to get the point across.
Dialogue: Some of the dialogue (particularly with the parents right after Estella's death) is a bit stilted and lackluster. This certainly isn't true for the entire book, but it does distract in places.

This book's message is so important that I think every new driver should read it. When we go about our lives we don't think about how the smallest things can have such a huge impact. Even with a few flaws this book has a powerful message that cannot be overstated.(less)

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Sep 18, 2012 Atmika rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, blog-tour, deals-with-death

I am going to recommend this book to every teenager and Young-Adult out there. You should read it. The book contains some messages that are important.
It's a book about losing a loved one and surviving thereafter. I felt the pain and loss in each and every line. The book is really well written. Life is so unpredictable. It's scary, isn't it?
Death is particularly hard on the people left behind. This book made me cry, made me think about life and death. We take so many things for granted and there...more I am going to recommend this book to every teenager and Young-Adult out there. You should read it. The book contains some messages that are important.
It's a book about losing a loved one and surviving thereafter. I felt the pain and loss in each and every line. The book is really well written. Life is so unpredictable. It's scary, isn't it?
Death is particularly hard on the people left behind. This book made me cry, made me think about life and death. We take so many things for granted and there are so many things in our lives we just don't appreciate enough. Books like this help to put things in perspective.

"Being in the right place at the right time could work for you or against you".

The beginning of the book is really good. It engrossed me and I couldn't stop reading. The plot of the book is a little like that of The Lovely Bones and If I stay.
The best think about the book is that it's realistic. You feel connected to Estelle. Her pain, her confusion, anger it all makes sense and I think all the characters are well developed. I liked her friends. To know their story and read how they coped with their best friend's death was heart wrenching.
They didn't deserve the hate or anger directed towards them by Gwen and Sonia, friend's of Heidi who caused the accident that killed Estella. These three characters were mean and horrible. And it was uncomfortable to read what they did to Jett and Zara. I can't believe they had no remorse and it all happened in school. How?
I do have few issues with the book. Firstly, with Estella's character. She confused me. I did not understand why she was doing certain things. Especially when she watched her friends being intimate with their boyfriends. I mean, who does that? She actually watched and described everything and it just seemed wrong. She should have turned away. I also didn't like Phoenix much. He was sweet but he should have stood up for the girls. He should have done something.
The writing is really good but I think there are just too many issues dealt with in one book.
The way the girls honor Estella was beautiful. Their friendship is beautiful and I am glad I read this book. (less)

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Sep 20, 2012 Ivana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tour

Careful is one of those books that will have you in tears (or at least with a lump in your throat) by page 15. While I did expect a lot of emotion, given the topic that Isobella writes about, still there's no preparing for what Careful has to offer.

First of all, a lot of heart. Jade wrote Careful after the loss of her father, and it shows on every page. She raises all the questions that we ask ourselves after losing someone dear and wonderfully captures the plethora of emotions. When Estella die...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Chrissy (The Every Free Chance Reader) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-on-blog

Did I enjoy this book: For the most part, I did enjoy this book. There were parts that made me very uncomfortable but the book had some very good messages throughout. Messages that young adults can take away and put to good use. Messages that teach that revenge is never the answer and bullying is not acceptable.

Careful was well written. I found the beginning to be sad and haunting. It drew me in to the book. The great part about this book is that it gives you something to think about. You think...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Serenity rated it 3 of 5 stars

Estella is all gushy about Phoenix and how he asked her out to the prom. She gushes how much she likes him, how cute he is, and just how perfect they can be together. So she and her friends are out prom dress shopping, with each one of them looking just amazing. They all just enjoyed looking at themselves and having a good time. Now all sold on dresses Estella stands there thinking about how fast their time has flown by, and how she wished to relive it over and over again. So they buy the dress...more Estella is all gushy about Phoenix and how he asked her out to the prom. She gushes how much she likes him, how cute he is, and just how perfect they can be together. So she and her friends are out prom dress shopping, with each one of them looking just amazing. They all just enjoyed looking at themselves and having a good time. Now all sold on dresses Estella stands there thinking about how fast their time has flown by, and how she wished to relive it over and over again. So they buy the dresses and head out to their cars and rive home. With all of them having their own plans for the weekend. Estella is driving home, with the memory of them dress shopping is the last she will have of them all together. She is driving down the road when she spots Heidi driving ahead. Heidi had trouble in her life being in foster care and all, but now she isn't so bad after being adopted and turning a new leaf. She is also a star in track like Estella. What she didn't expect was how their world would collide. Heidi's phone buzzed and she went to look at it, only looking down a second to make sure her text was okay. Heidi then looked up only to hit the breaks hard and run a red light and into the side of Estella's car. Heidi was bruised and damaged, her shopping bags thrown from the back, other than that he was fine. As for Estella, her car had been completely damaged, her dress and belongings thrown together, and if only she didnt forget her phone or bought the bra, she would have been past the intersection, before Heidi even went by. Even though she told Phoenix yes, she wouldn't get the chance, for Estella couldn't be saved. Estella now just a chill in the air looks around the wreck and then heads to find her mother. The police had call her parents and explained what happened, and after one of them came to identify, they went home and sat around looking lost. Some time goes by before her mother goes to bed, then the autopsy results came back and was told Estella died instantly. Heidi's parents were in shock and couldn't believe their daughter had caused this, and believed that the intersection caused it, even though everyone knew it wasn't dangerous in their city. Heidi's mental state afterward just went downhill. So from Estella's perspective, she saw Heidi get her wish ans go sent to the town over to get treated in seclusion for a bit. Estella thinks about things. About how she started running and that she lived in the lower part of the city until her dad's business flew up and they moved into a bigger house. How all the coaches she had helped her over the years, and training with her dad in the mornings. She spots Evan her older brother sitting on the couch. They never really talked much and lately they were even further apart. Evan now called people and did errands for his mother, while helping her dad with the arrangements. Realizing things now her mother breaks down. She showers a number of times a day, cries, paces, and just lost. Her parents struggle and soon her name won't appear on TV anymore, lately it's all about texting and teen driving. It was hard for them to turn on the TV. Phoenix saw the news and paper clippings and Estella wondered what he thought. The rest of Estella's friends all stayed home on the weekend. Her friends went to start the first week of school without her. Everything seemed so different. With Heidi gone it was like two people died. Heidi's friends all said it wasn't her fault, but Estella's friends all back her up and say it was Heidi's fault. Another thing was Jackson started some rumors with his friends, that Heidi went after Estella in a rage because she was flirting with him. Phoenix had just about enough of Jackson's lies and finally attacks Jackson, fighting to defend Estella. Saturday came and her funeral started and went along just how it should. After it was over and they had seen her casket go into the ground they all went home. Days went by and Estella continued to watch and follow her friends. As the book gets to the end, time has gone by and it's now a month since her death. All her friends got tattoos in memory or her and even Phoenix still cared so much. Estella has to most amazing friends and lives each day with them. This book is just another reminder of how life is something to love and not waste. This was a really good and heartfelt story even if it is a sad story. (less)

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Oct 03, 2012 Nick rated it 3 of 5 stars

If you know me, then you definitely know how much I appreciate reading books that deal with emotionally tough subjects. This was my main reason for choosing to participate in this blog tour. Books like Careful are the hardest to review for me because I tend to give too much importance to the emotional impact it has on me than other aspects of the book.

Careful tells the story of Estella who is excited to be going to prom with the guy she has had a huge crush on since forever. On the day she goes...more
If you know me, then you definitely know how much I appreciate reading books that deal with emotionally tough subjects. This was my main reason for choosing to participate in this blog tour. Books like Careful are the hardest to review for me because I tend to give too much importance to the emotional impact it has on me than other aspects of the book.

Careful tells the story of Estella who is excited to be going to prom with the guy she has had a huge crush on since forever. On the day she goes off to shop for prom dresses with her closest friends, Estella is killed in a texting and driving accident. She might have died, but her soul is very much alive, wandering ...

The characters in the book felt very much realistic to me. The sufferings and pain of every single one of them completely tore my heart. I think the author did a great job at really capturing the characteristics and personalities of each and every one of the individuals depicted in the story. While I was fond of mostly all the characters, the character that I truly felt bad for was Estella. My heart broke into pieces whenever she described her sadness. The intensity of her emotions really hit me hard. Moreover, I couldn't help but sympathize with her. I honestly can't imagine what she might have been going through during such a difficult phase. Her friends were also a great set of characters. Through Estella's eyes, the reader got to see how much her friends were mourning her. The death of a friend is never easy to deal with, so their pain was very much understandable.

While I did really enjoy the characters in the book, I had a few issues with how the book was written. Now, Careful wasn't a bad book, but it could have been a lot better than it was. I think my very first problem with this book was the "telling" rather than "showing". I honestly don't like when descriptions are minimal in books. There was something missing from Careful to make me feel like I was drowning in the story. However, I did enjoy the emotional depth the book possessed and the important and beautiful message it spreads. That along with the beautifully-crafted characters made the book for me.

Overall, Careful was a nice quick read. I doubt it will appeal to a lot of readers, but if you're looking for a book that sends out a lovely but important message, then Careful is a great book for you!(less)

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Sep 19, 2012 Debbie (at) I Heart YA Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tours-books

Careful was not what I expected. I have to admit, Isobella Jade gave me a few goose bumps reading Estella’s story. Even though this novel is supernatural, it also has an underlining reality of truth to the story. One that brought tears to my eyes for Estella. This had me thinking about how dangerous texting and driving really, really is.

If only Estella wouldn't have forgot her cell phone in the store where her and three of her girlfriends—Zara, Eva, and Jett, just bought their prom dresses, whi...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Megan (Bookworm in Love) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

[Originally posted on Bookworm in Love

Well, I received this for the Careful blog tour, in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, my honest opinion was that I didn't like it very much. The story was definitely thought-provoking and sad, but it was also pretty creepy. Not in the sense that it scared me or anything, but in the fact that Estella went around and watched her friends all the time (and by all the time I do mean all the time, no matter what they were doing). And she had so much ha...more [Originally posted on Bookworm in Love

Well, I received this for the Careful blog tour, in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, my honest opinion was that I didn't like it very much. The story was definitely thought-provoking and sad, but it was also pretty creepy. Not in the sense that it scared me or anything, but in the fact that Estella went around and watched her friends all the time (and by all the time I do mean all the time, no matter what they were doing). And she had so much hate for the girl who hit her, and it was just really depressing.

So, it starts off with Estella and her friends all having a great time prom dress shopping, and then Estella gets in a car accident and dies. After her death, the entire book is pretty much about her going around watching her friends and family and desperately wanting to be missed. Her friends all deal with their grief in different ways, and do end up channeling it into something good in Estella's memory, so that was sweet. But overall, I thought there was way too much drama (as in the friends of the girl who hit Estella and lived hate Estella's friends, and tell everyone that the crash was Estella's fault despite what the crash actually showed. that sort of thing). And the author delved into every controversial issue out there (suicide, eating disorders, teenage fighting, teenage relationships, texting and driving, familial problems; you name it, it's probably in here) and that kinda bugged me. I just sort of thought that she should have just picked one and wrote about it instead of a whole bunch and threw them in there. And the ending was very abrupt and there wasn't really any closure for anyone... so yeah.

I didn't mind the characters, but I didn't really get attached to them. I felt bad for Eva (one of Estella's best friends) often, because her life wasn't great, but it didn't worry me too much. And I had NO IDEA what Estella had seen in Phoenix (her pre-death crush), because he was just kind of bland. And almost every guy in the book was a jerk.

The cover represents the book really well, though! So, there's a plus.

I hate to say this (especially since this is for a blog tour!), but Careful just wasn't the book for me. If you enjoyed Elsewhere (which, I did enjoy, ironically) this has a similar feel and idea of death. I feel like this book was written as a message book (what with all the issues Estella's friends had), and I just don't love those. Even though the book is about a girl basically haunting her friends, this is a contemporary, and there may be (?) some romance in the later books, depending on how Ms. Jade decides to play this, but I'm not sure. So, for me, I give Careful 2 mustaches.(less)

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Aug 09, 2012 Isabel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow! What a powerful book! The death of a teenager by texting and driving is tragic but Isobella Jade gets us involved in the lives of Estella and her family and friends in a caring and interesting way. Teens and their loved ones should read this book and tell their friends about it!

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Sep 22, 2012 Kissed by Ink rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ink-to-review, blog-tour

My review will be posted tomorrow during the book tour at http://kissedbyink.com

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Sep 16, 2012 Christy (Love of Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Will review for blog tour

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About Isobella Jade

Isobella Jade is an author, petite model and a wizard of self-promotion. Her modeling memoir Almost 5'4" is her personal memoir about being a shorter-than-average model in NYC, the ins and outs and highs and lows of striving to beat the odds. Her graphic novel Model Life was released in November 2009 and Short Stuff is her collection of on-the-job experiences that took place after Almost 5'4" and...more

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Model Life: The Journey of a Pint-Size Fashion Warrior

Almost 5' 4": Confessions of an Unconventional Model

Short Stuff: On the Job with an X-Small Model

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Careful (The Careful, Quiet, Invisible #1)

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