Tuesday Oldie: The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden by Jessica Sorensen

So as you guys know, I just moved here. And that means my old blog now lies abandoned... alongside all my old reviews. But because I feel like some of them don't deserve such an awful treatment, I'm going to slowly move my favorite reviews here, especially if my opinion differs than Megs. (though some editing may occur, as I'm a little OCD about my reviews, and the older they originally are, the more likely I am to have things I want to rephrase). 

The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen 
Series: The Coincidence #1
Source: Bought Paperback (after reading kindle)
Publisher: Forever
Publication Date: August 6th 2013
Age Genre: New Adult
Originally Published: Dec 27, 2012

For Kayden, suffering in silence was the only way to survive. If he was lucky, he could keep his head down, do as he was told, and make it through the day. But one night it seemed like his luck-and his life-might finally end... until an angel named Callie appeared just in time to rescue him.
Callie has never believed in luck. Not since her twelfth birthday when everything was taken from her. After the worst was over, she locked up her feelings and vowed never to tell anyone what happened. Now, six years later, she continues to struggle with the painful secret that threatens to consume her.
When fate lands Kayden and Callie at the same college, Kayden is determined to get to know the beautiful girl who changed his destiny. Quiet and reserved, Callie still fears letting anyone else into her world. But Kayden is certain that Callie has come back into his life for a reason. And the more he tries to be a part of her life, the more he realizes that, this time, it's Callie who needs to be saved...

If you hop by the original review, you'd see I gave this book 5 stars when I originally read it, which is a significant change from the three displayed here. The truth is, I debated writing this review. I haven't re-read this book, but my feelings of it have considerably changed, once the shock of the ending wore off.

The alarming drop of rating also has to do with the fact I've read many NA books since this one. And I've come to realize... this is not one of the best ones I've read. It's not even close to top ten.

When I first read it, I wasn't used to books dealing with abuse, with the worst kind of human nature. Book where the heroine and hero did not win, were not saved, but lost and got lost in the clatter. The kind of plot where two broken people try to ducktape the broken pieces with each other to create a whole.

And still, it did not move me, unlike other books later on the road. In my review, I tried to excuse the lack of response. I told the readers I couldn't allow myself to connect fully so I wouldn't get hurt. Took the blame on myself, instead of saying - this book just didn't work for me on the emotional level. I even said I did manage to connect later on. And while, yes, I warmed to the characters, I never shed a tear for them. Never felt that tug that let's me know I'm with them, 100%

My whole review back then was a huge cover up, steaming from the fact I wasn't comfortable with not agreeing with the majority at the time, especially considering I just couldn't point my fingers on why I wasn't agreeing with them. I just... wasn't as impressed. I was shocked witless by the ending those.

By all accounts, I should've loved the book. It had good characters.

Callie is a sweet and innocent girl, who only allows those she trusts to see those parts of hers, too afraid and closed off after what has been done to her. For the rest of the world she is a freak, an "anorectic devil worshiper".

Kayden is numb inside, maintaining the facade of the perfect, laid-back jock. The only thing he knows how to deal with is pain. But honestly, he wants to be needed. Needs to be wanted.

Seth is Callie's best friend. He knows her secret, and has a few of his own as well. He was probably my favorite character in the book.

Luke is Kayden's best friend, and he's another great character, accepting Kayden as he is and later on embracing Seth and Callie.

It had a sweet romance, that doesn't develop overnight, but took time and effort on both sides to create. A healing kind of romance. They made me grin despite the horribleness that is their lives, and they had a lot of chemistry.

It had a killer ending.

I mean, seriously. How could Sorensen close the book on that note? It gave me an effing heart attack! But I did think it was kind of bloody brilliant, though I've read this type of endings since then.
The crazy reaction I had to the ending was what made me 5 star the book, even though I planned to give it four stars. (Funny how that works... from four to five to three...)

I will probably never read book two, even though at the time I thought I desperately needed it. I don't feel compelled or interested in it. Maybe one day I'll convince myself to read it just for the sake of crossing it off my lists, but...

   Nitzan★