As I read Charlotte, I was immediately struck with how familiar and relatable the character was to me as a reader.  I identified with her fears and concerns as she started college, though I found her boy troubles to be a bit ponderous.  Her agonizing over Paul, jealousy of Jason, and quick kiss with Riley seemed a bit close to the soap opera, but, thankfully, there is a good deal more to this story than simply boys—there are literary references (got a few titles to add to my list!), political musings/references, and some cultural discourse.

Even though Charlotte has a strong voice, it slipped once or twice into a rant about diets.  I whole heartedly agreed with what the character said, but at the same time, I also found that it severed my connection to her world.  I’m not sure how rants are supposed to appear in the diary/blog format, but it just didn’t sound like Charlotte when I read those parts.

Overall, the writing is good both grammatically and stylistically.  The author can paint some gorgeous pictures in the mind’s eye with sentences such as these:

"It was rapidly getting dark, the sunset a bloody, bruised palette of dark purples and grays." 

It was a pleasure to read that and similar gems.

However, I did find the flashbacks in the beginning (where she explored the beginning of her relationship with Paul) a little stalling, but they didn’t bother me too much. 

The voice/style reminded me of the Time Traveler’s Wife:  it drew me in as a reader and made me feel intimately acquainted with Charlotte herself.  There was a closeness to the writing—it felt warm and familiar and comfortable.

Overall, reading Charlotte was a very pleasant story.  I had not intended to read all of Charlotte in one sitting (in fact, I had plans to watch Smallville instead), but I found it too enjoyable to put it away.  I suppose that’s an informal way of saying that I found it worth the time.

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The fictional blog diary “Charlotte” is a quiet, introspective look at life through the eyes of a college-bound girl as she finishes high school.

I’ve never read a blog diary, or written one, so I’m not sure whether “Charlotte” is a good representation or not.  The entries start right after her [more . . .]

"Charlotte" is distinguished by a casual and carefree reportage of life and love, with unexpected lyrical and philosophic gems scattered into the writing.  I’ve read all the reviews on WFG and I am in total disagreement with Gavin’s harsh criticism. 

My response to Gavin.  Not all fiction follows a simple formula [more . . .]

This is so uncannily like real life that it could be thought of as an autobiography or a diary, yet it has something about it that for me labels it fiction: the author assembles the material in a deliberate fashion. The phrases, conversation and descriptions are put together in such a way as to move the reader. It isn’t a [more . . .]

I hate diaries.  I’ve never been able to keep one.  So I may not be the best person to review a blog that reads like a diary, but is in fact fiction.  That’s me, acknowledging my own bias as a reader.

However, I love fiction.  It’s part of my leisure time, [more . . .]