Skip to main content

Review: Charlie, Presumed Dead by Anne Heltzel



Blurb from Goodreads:
In Paris, family and friends gather to mourn the tragic passing of Charlie Price—young, handsome, charming, a world-traveler—who is presumed dead after an explosion. Authorities find only a bloodied jacket, ID’d as Charlie’s. At the funeral, two teens who are perfect strangers, Lena Whitney and Aubrey Boroughs, make another shocking discovery: they have both been dating Charlie, both think Charlie loved them and them alone, and there is a lot they didn’t know about their boyfriend. Over the next week, a mind-bending trip unfolds: first in London—then in Mumbai, Kerala, and Bangkok, the girls go in search of Charlie. Is he still alive? What did their love for him even mean? The truth is out there, but soon it becomes clear that the girls are harboring secrets of their own. 

No one knows whom to trust in this thrilling tale of suspense and deception.

My Review:
This is a new to me author and I liked her writing style in this book.  The pace was good and the descriptions were good but I feel like the character development could use some work, especially Charlie.  He is the glue for all of the characters in the book and his motivation is severely lacking -- presumably to be explained more in a second book?  People will love and/or hate the ending -- it is a big cliffhanger and I hate not knowing that a book is not standalone when I read it.  That being said, I loved the ending because I never could have predicted it and it left me reeling a bit.  My favorite parts of this book, without giving anything away, are definitely the snippets of the different cities to which Lena and Aubrey travel as well as their unique love/hate relationship.  I liked Aubrey immediately and began to like Lena more as the book progressed -- definitely a unique read!!

I would recommend this to NA fans but it is definitely more of a thriller/mystery than a romance.  It is a puzzle and most of the book you are definitely wondering what is going on -- the ending was awesome but there HAS to be a second book, I hope!  Charlie, Presumed Dead came out this week, and you can purchase HERE!
It is no secret that I was questioning things with Charlie; but I couldn't tell anyone.  None of my old friends from Liberty -- the school I attended before we moved to the eastern side of the city during my junior year -- kept in touch after I left.  The couple of casual friends I made didn't understand why I'd date someone who didn't live right there, who couldn't make out in my parents' family room or the hub of a station wagon at the drive-in, who couldn't split a six-pack in the dark corners of someone's unfinished basement.  My parents disapproved of the way I hopped on flights and trains, single-handedly (in their minds alone) sustaining the financial models of Amtrak and Southwest, industries designed (again, just in their minds) to capitalize on Before Sunrise moments.  Industries I bought into with babysitting money alone.  They called my bluff, and I couldn't bear to admit that they were right.  It was all for nothing.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I love this trope, sub-genre, setting: My Best Friend's Brother/My Brother's Best Friend

I Love This Trope, Sub-Genre, Setting is a new feature on my blog in which I discuss a trope, sub-genre or setting that I love and tell you about books that are shining examples of said trope, sub-genre or setting.  Feel free to play along and please let me know about your favorite books in this realm and whether you like this trope, sub-genre and/or setting as much as I do! Today I am spotlighting the trope of:  My Best Friend's Brother/My Brother's Best Friend , which I would define as any book where the heroine either has a crush on or falls for her brother's best friend or her best friend's brother. I have to confess that I love this trope in nearly all of its iterations!  I have a younger brother so I never got to crush on any of his friends but it's fun reading about that and it's equally as fun as reading about falling for your best friend's brother -- instant sisters!  I know there are a ton

Conversations With Myself (& Hopefully You): ARC Greed

This discussion is inspired by my feelings lately when reading and reviewing ARCs versus the feelings I had when I requested those same ARCs: ARC GREED ARC greed -- have we all experienced this?  What I even mean by this term is that I sometimes feel overwhelmed when looking at Netgalley and Edelweiss and  I sometimes over-request, if only because I can!  I get greedy when I see all the new and shiny ARCs available and I will sometimes request things that have even a hint of interest for me, not necessarily focusing only on those books that I really, really want.  The problem with this over-requesting and with getting greedy with requesting (and receiving) ARCs is when it comes time to read and review these ARCs.  Last month and this month, I have looked at my ARCs with a release date in each respective month and I just haven't wanted to read any of them.  I need to start asking myself -- If I was immediately approved for this ARC, would I read it right thi

Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases For the Rest of 2015

Top Ten Tuesday  is hosted by the fab ladies at  The Broke and the Bookish ! What books are you anticipating for the rest of this year?