Kylie's charmed by A Little Something Different
By Sandy Hall
Published on August 26th 2014
Published by Swoon Reads
Source: Publisher
Published by Swoon Reads
Source: Publisher
The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common—they believe that Gabe and Lea should get together. Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese food, and hang out in the same places. Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and despite their initial mutual crush, it looks like they are never going to work things out. But somehow even when nothing is going on, something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at Starbucks watch their relationship like a TV show. Their bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically seats them together. Even the squirrel who lives on the college green believes in their relationship.
Surely Gabe and Lea will figure out that they are meant to be together....
A light and quick read, A Little Something Different instantly had me charmed, just like the effect Lea had on Gabe. Our two lovers were fascinated with each other from the start, but neither said anything for a while. Just like in real life, their personalities and assumptions made by their friends stopped them from making any immediate moves. What first attracted me to this book was how real it seemed; two college kids falling in love, yet not knowing what to do about it. Everyone around them noticed that they belonged together, even though some wanted them for themselves. It was almost fate.
Now we've all heard this all-too-familiar love story many times, but what made it unique was the use of 14 different viewpoints. It’s a fine line between making something relatable and making it interesting and captivating. Sandy Hall does a great job of taking that line and fraying it. In a good way, believe me. There were so many awesome firsts in this book. First times for me like reading from a squirrel’s POV, and first times for the characters like being a college student being set up by a professor.
This book flowed very nicely, despite the varying perspectives. Hall ventured out to do something not many other authors do, having different perspectives every page. All the characters were so different, but they all shared love for the two main characters. Brotherly love, romantic love, friendly love, parental love…the list could go on forever.
I will definitely read this book many more times over the years. Even though it was comical and fluffy, its meaning and effect definitely changes each time I read it. When I’m in college it will mean everything, ten years later it will just be a beach read. No matter, it has a great moral in the end.
