Emily meets Caleb, Caleb meets Iris, and a broken world feels better.
Agoraphobic Caleb Reed is about to step outside for the first time in seven years, meet indie filmmaker Iris Elliott…and “definitely” not give his heart away. It’s all because of the notes, the weird and wonderful notes he keeps finding on his front porch, notes signed by someone claiming to be long dead poet Emily Dickinson. Caleb’s parents think he’s losing his mind, but he knows they’re wrong. Something’s going on outside – something strange, something terrifying …something beautiful.
PUBLISHER: MyMilou Press
PAGES: 222
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I received this novel from the author and, as always and forever and ever, that did not affect my opinions about this novel.
Caleb Reed has not been out of his house in seven years. Ever since the death of his sister, Caleb has preferred to stay inside and stay “safe”. His parents don’t know how to deal with their odd son and think he ought to be sent to the nearby mental institution. Iris Elliot, however, finds Caleb Reed intriguing. An aspiring filmmaker, Iris sets her sights on Caleb as her next documentary’s main subject. When a series of strange letters addressed to Caleb begin appearing, Caleb finds himself in the midst of an unexplainable and fantastic mystery. Alongside Iris, Caleb begins to emerge from his very sheltered life while trying to get to the bottom of the purpose of the letters.
MORAL RATING:
G: Squeaky clean fun for the whole fam 😉
THE GOOD:
I’m really happy I had the chance to read this novel! Although it says that it is a YA novel, I’d put it more in the genre of children’s literature. It was a unique read and I absolutely adored the way that Marestaing incorporated Emily Dickinson and her lost poems! She’s one of my favorite poets. The writing was good and the pacing of the novel kept me interested and turning pages. Also, I was initially scared that Iris was just going to use Caleb to make herself famous with her documentary. But, alas, she actually ended up helping draw Caleb out of his introverted shell. There were a lot of good, solid moral values in this novel and Iris and Caleb were well-written, enjoyable characters. The ending (no spoilers!) was wonderful, too.
THE BAD:
Some aspects of this novel seemed a bit cliché and cheesy. One aspect that annoyed me were the parents. They were over-exaggerated and didn’t have much depth to them (even though they weren’t a main focus of the novel).
THE SOUNDTRACK:
If you know me, you know my love for James Morrison runs deep. Way TOO deep, but that’s another matter. I think this song really echoes the lessons that Caleb walks away with.
THE VERDICT:
I’d give this novel 3 hearts! It was intriguing and fun. Plus, for all the parents out there, it was a clean read with many positive and encouraging messages.
"I Think I'm Obsessed" 