Saturday, June 8, 2013

ARC Review & Finished Copy Giveaway: Charm and Strange by Stephanie Kuehn


Title: Charm and Strange

Author: Stephanie Kuehn

Rating: 4 Stars

Release Date: June 11th, 2013

Frankly speaking, I am at a loss for words when it comes to Charm and Strange. On one hand, I think this book is brilliant. Its narrator is unreliable and by the end, you are just as shocked and confused and he himself is, I suspect, if not more. Furthermore, the ambiguous ending had my mind reeling with its realistic quality and the lack of romance was surprisingly refreshing. I have never seen the issue this book tackles expressed in this way before – or even thought to see it expressed this way, really – which makes Charm and Strange easily the most original and creative debut I've probably ever read.

On the other hand, though, I have to admit to being slightly disappointed by the time this book neared the end. For chapters upon chapters, I was hooked, chilled to the bone and achingly afraid that my eyes were about to burst any time into the tears I could just feel in the back of my eyes, pushing against my skull, but they never came. Somehow, the transition between the two parts of this book – “Before” which makes up roughly 85% of the novel and “After” which makes up the ending - was too jarring and that last 15%, though still very good, was not what I expected. I wanted something to simply drive all that feeling home, despite my fear of it because I was so emotionally attached to this, but it didn't. Instead, that last part felt like an objective description of events instead of the intense psychological probing the first part of this book had been.

And yet, I am in utter awe of Kuehn's ability. Charm and Strange follows the story of Win, a teenage boy who believes he may be a wolf. As Win’s story unravels, every chapter alternates between the present and a collection of past memories. At first, these memories seem disjointed and out of place, but as the novel continues, the harsh reality of the pages hit you in the gut. It is intense. It is scary. It is life. Kuehn is one of those few authors who is able to transition from past to present seamlessly and this only adds to the depth and beauty of her debut. From the beginning, she sets a dark tone, one that inspires curiosity, but also caution. And yet, despite this latter emotion, Kuehn ensures that her readers are well and truly sucked into her tale. I have never had a family like that of Win, never known anything in my life that is similar to his experiences, and yet it felt like I had. It felt like I had this older brother, this younger sister, these three cousins...it felt so real. And it is this ability of hers, to mold the uncertain past into a palpable reality that renders this novel so brilliant. If, like me, you ache for books to make you truly feel emotion, Kuehn is one of the few authors who succeeds extraordinarily well.

Honestly, I am so, so impressed. Charm and Strange may not have been everything I wanted from it, but I went into it with high expectations, not knowing if this was contemporary or paranormal or something in-between, and it delivered. At this point, despite the ambiguity of my review (you will thank me later, I promise you), I can only tell you this: read it.

International Giveaway! 
6/8-6/22

I was lucky enough to receive a finished copy of this novel before the publication date from the kind people over at St. Martin's Press and although I absolutely LOVE this book, I really want other readers to have the opportunity to discover it as well - and soon! Hence, the giveaway. I know I don't do a lot of these, which is why I've made the giveaway international. As always, please don't cheat - I do actually check the entries - and GOOD LUCK! :)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

16 comments:

  1. You made this sound more than awesome! I haven't heard of this book before but now it goes straight on my to-read list. It sounds really amazing. Thanks for the giveaway :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm so utterly intrigued by this book. I kind of love that you can't quite put your finger on what defines it, or that maybe it's defined by it's unreliability. I'm also a big fan of open endings, though I'm sorry to see it was this ending bit that disappointed you somewhat. I really don't know what to think of this one, but that's precisely what makes me want to read it. Thanks for sharing, Keertana!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Heidi, what really makes this book so hard to define is the plot twist at the end. I didn't want to give anything away and even after the reveal is...well...revealed, the book still remains so ambiguous and different from everything else out there. I did enjoy the ending, though I wanted a bit more from it after the emotional beginning. I am really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this one! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. You have certainly made me more then a little bit curious. This is the first I have heard of this book actually.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm glad you liked it, and that your review is spoiler free! Thank you for the international giveaway :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. So this is not a fantasy book? But the guy thinks he's a wolf? That makes this book sound VERY intriguing! Another one I'd not heard of, but it's definitely on my radar now. I am hesitant about a lot of flashbacks, though so that makes me nervous. But I love an unreliable narrator and when you get pieces of things that don't make sense until BAM! later in the story.

    ReplyDelete
  7. What the heck do you think you'd do if you thought you might be a wolf? I have to say the cover reminds me an awful lot of a painting I saw once in highschool...that I had to redo for an art class except the bodies were in the trees not at the base. It definitely sounds interesting so I'm in.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I wasn't sure about this one so I didn't order it. I couldn't tell what he thought he was. I thought maybe a psychopath. Glad to know it's something different. I seem to comment right underneath your comment on a lot of the same blogs so I thought I'd come check out your blog. Glad I did so I could read about this book. LOVE your review!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I can't wait to read this. Nice review!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am quite intrigued by this book. Superficially, that cover is just stunning. The "Before" and "After" portions of the novel sound a little different; personally I like to be kept in the moment with the books I read, and that's too bad you felt as though the transition between them was lacking. And yet...this novel sounds so incredibly different from what I regularly read about in the YA literary marketplace, so that's bound to get my attention. And despite your reservations, for you to give it 4 stars means that you really did like it overall, and I tend to trust your reviews here. So I think I will have to give this one a chance! Lovely review, Keertana!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Your review made me want to have a copy of this book. Nice review! :D

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love th idea of win thinking he is a wolf, and the chapters alternating with present and memories. I loved the review and so the book

    ReplyDelete
  13. I thought it was a good review - short but comprehensive. Also, I've heard great things about the book, so I can't wait to read it.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wow, a great review, makes even me want to read the book, even though it's not really my cup of tea. I don't like books that make me cry because then I'm sad for days, constantly thinking about the book and everybody keeps asking me if I'm depressed.

    Inx from Inklings of two Booklings

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ooooh it intrigues me even more when reviews are ambigious and I really want to read this one now. First of all, love the cover. Secondly, that premise! And your review just tops it all. Wonderfully spoken! Thank you so much for offering the giveaway, Keertana!

    ReplyDelete

I love hearing from my readers and I read, reply, and appreciate every one of the comments I receive!(: If you're a fellow blogger, please leave a link to your blog - I'd love to drop by!

Unfortunately, this is now an award-free blog. I simply do not have the time to respond and forward on the award, but I truly appreciate the nomination regardless.