Paula Garner

This book totally took me by surprise.
To be honest, I had tried to read it a few weeks before but I just couldn't get into it. After checking out some other reviews, I figured it was just me and shelved it for a short bit-promising myself I would try again later. A couple weeks later, I picked the book back up and gave it another go. I loved it.
Relative Strangers is one of those books that allows you to so easily fall in love with the characters and become completely immersed in an interesting story. Jules, her friends, her family(s)... every character is interesting in their own right and has their own special quirks.
Even though the situation Jules finds herself in is beyond complex, you can't help but want her to find that sense of belonging and love. And while Jules' mother is rather disappointing in so many moments but my heart truly felt for her because she felt so authentic. As for Luke, I get Jules' feelings - one moment I adored him and in the next... well, no spoilers.
I really loved this book and could not put it down. I breezed through this fun, often-times emotional, exciting read in just a day. Loved it.

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This book totally took me by surprise.
To be honest, I had tried to read it a few weeks before but I just couldn't get into it. After checking out some other reviews, I figured it was just me and shelved it for a short bit-promising myself I would try again later. A couple weeks later, I picked the book back up and gave it another go. I loved it.
Relative Strangers is one of those books that allows you to so easily fall in love with the characters and become completely immersed in an interesting story. Jules, her friends, her family(s)... every character is interesting in their own right and has their own special quirks.
Even though the situation Jules finds herself in is beyond complex, you can't help but want her to find that sense of belonging and love. And while Jules' mother is rather disappointing in so many moments but my heart truly felt for her because she felt so authentic. As for Luke, I get Jules' feelings - one moment I adored him and in the next... well, no spoilers.
I really loved this book and could not put it down. I breezed through this fun, often-times emotional, exciting read in just a day. Loved it.

… (more)

If you read the description of this book and get all excited by the potential lady loving lady vibe, do not pick up this book. I feel like I've been queer-baited into reading this, and it made me super angry.

Yes, one of the girls does fall for the other, but it is not reciprocated and she has her heart broken. Poor little lesbian with her misplaced affections. I felt like there was so much build up to this as a storyline, but the author backed down within the last 50 pages.

I gave two stars because I did enjoy the writing and the storytelling and I absolutely loved Sam as a character. Mental and physical disabilities were portrayed really well and I was impressed by that. The queer-baiting is something I just couldn't get over, though.… (more)

Sam doesn't fit in at school. She spends most of her time trying to live with and accommodate her mom's OCD, and the rest of the time pretending she's a robot to avoid thinking about her dad, who left five years ago to move to London. Her only real outlet is occasional video games with her friend Will. Popular, pretty Zoe has lots of friends and a great boyfriend, and gets good grades and starring roles in the school plays. But her life is falling apart at home as she and her family struggle to deal with her mom's cancer and her disabled brother Jonah -- and as she struggles to find her identity as someone who was adopted. When the two girls forge an unlikely friendship over texts, they create an escape called Starworld, and they start to realize that they understand each other in a way they've never experience before.

I started out liking this book and ended up unable to put it down in the last half -- I even sacrificed some sleep! Sam and Zoe felt very real and I felt for them as they navigated some really tough situations. I wasn't expecting to get so attached, but I was crying on and off throughout the second half. Recommended! 4 stars.… (more)