Mrs. ReaderPants's Reviews > Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe

Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe by Shelley Coriell

by
4141951
's review
Jan 08, 12

bookshelves: read-in-2012, net-galley
Read from January 07 to 08, 2012


More reviews at http://readerpants.blogspot.com.

WHAT I LIKED: A cute, fun little read. I'm not gushing with tears glittering in my eyes as I do with some books, but I will definitely recommend it to my middle school girls. While Chloe can be annoyingly pert at times, her voice is genuine and many readers will relate to her. Even better, Chloe knows she talks too much and that it irritates people sometimes. I like that even though she is a talk radio host, Chloe learns that great friends are also great listeners.

I really love Duncan's character. Incredibly hard-working and aloof, Duncan's life is spiraling nearly out of control. He sleeps through first period and has difficulty opening up to other people, but when readers find out what he is dealing with at home, his behavior makes complete sense.

Love the relationships between Chloe and the adults in her life, particularly her grandmother and the two sisters who own Dos Hermanas Mexican Restaurant. The grandmother's Brad Pitt obsession is especially cute.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: It's kind of hard to picture a hot boy wearing scarves. Maybe that's just not the fashion here in Texas, but every time I read about his wearing frayed scarves, my mental picture of Duncan got a little sillier. I kept picturing a nerdy, high school version of Steven Tyler. Not exactly the sexy character Chloe makes him out to be.

I would have liked to have seen the radio station characters fleshed out a bit more. Pregnant Haley's story seems especially interesting and sad. What's her story? Why doesn't Chloe reach out to her more? She clearly needs someone to talk to. Also, Clementine is supposed to be a high school junior, but for awhile there, I thought she was an adult helping out with the station. Her voice and behavior make her seem so OLD, but readers really never discover why she behaves that way. Does she also have some junk going on at home? Is her story lying in a heap somewhere on the editor's floor?

THE BOTTOM LINE: While not the most profound or important book I've ever read, Welcome, Caller is a cute read with a sweet little romance and a positive message about becoming a better friend. Well-paced with an interesting character mix, this one will be easy to sell to middle school girls who love fun, funny chick lit.

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