Awakening Foster Kelly
4/5
()
About this ebook
If only a pile of wayward curls and the inability to stay on her feet were seventeen year-old Foster Kelly’s most pressing concerns. Unfortunately, stubborn hair and clumsiness are just the tip of it. At the age of five when Foster is told, “You don’t belong here,” it was only a mistake, but the result is one broken heart. These four carelessly spoken words have shaped and shadowed Foster, and now—a senior at Shorecliffs High-school—she seeks the wallflower’s existence, denying herself the most casual of friendships, much too afraid that someone will see what she believes is certain: she does not belong anywhere—or with anyone.
This reality would continue to suit her just fine; however . . . Love has a long-standing history of undoing broken hearts.
Like a comet, an unexpected arrival knocks Foster out of the crowded, starry sky, sending her directly into the limelight. Exposed and afraid, she will attempt to regain anonymity; but it isn't so easy now that someone is watching. He pursues this shy enigma, confronting Foster’s deepest fears head-on, and in the process falls wholly and completely in love with her. But there is something he is not saying . . . a secret capable of certain ruin. Either he will break her heart once and for all, or he will heal it.
In the end, though, it is Foster who must decide if she is worth mending.
Cara Rosalie Olsen
CARA ROSALIE OLSEN resides in sunny Southern California, where she lives with her very patient husband, Michael, and their spoiled pooch, Annabella. A product of a relatively normal childhood - whatever that means - Olsen recalls "Life had this relentlessly boorish way of reminding me I was wonky and unapproved. Regardless of status or gene pool, there is nothing simple or easy about growing up. Life doesn't play favorites or carry biases; it's the pits for everyone. But rather than constantly falling into the pit, often I chose to climb down willingly, lining the bottom with a soft place to land. That place is where I became a reader, and today, a writer."Throughout high school Olsen struggled with subjects Math and Science, but excelled at the arts, written and performed, often finding a kindred spirit in those teaching Creative Writing and English Literature. What began with an ardency for language soon developed into a burgeoning desire to create. This yearning took shape in the form of poetry and short story fiction, both of which have been featured in print and online publications. Olsen's debut novel, Awakening Foster Kelly is the result of a four-year project born on a whim and sustained by its characters' tenacity and their refusal to give the author a minute to herself. "In the beginning, getting them to talk was like trying to light a wet match. So, we had several long, sometimes combative conversations. I told them that unless they started holding up their end of the deal, I would have no choice but to fill in the blanks with whatever scraps came to mind. It wasn't very long before I started showing up to find that everyone was already seated and waiting for me. We talked. I drank coffee. It was bliss."Currently Olsen is in the last stages of editing her second book, My Friend Sue, which is scheduled to be released in the Spring of 14. Cara considers herself incredibly blessed to be able to do what she loves most. However . . . if she wasn't a full-time writer, she would have liked to join the cast of Saturday Night Live, or, taken over as CEO of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.For more information, please visit CaraRosalieOlsen.com & AwakeningFosterKelly.com
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Reviews for Awakening Foster Kelly
7 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wow...Just wow. Beautiful story. Will absolutely be watching for more from this author.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This book was given to me by the author through Ethereal Book Reviews(-Guest Reviewer Program)
3 stars
I have to say this was a long book, an unnecessarily long book. I would be reading and my eyes would wonder off the page and then I would have my own daydreams. It kind of reminded me of how use to try and I mean try to study for biology when I was in high school (that was so long ago, oh how I don’t miss it). The same bloody thing would happen. I would read a whole page and not know what in flaming hell I just read.
This wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t really all that good either.
Foster would explain every little damn thing. I couldn’t follow the dialog because she would analyze it for like two pages and then I would forget what the hell the was said in the first place. There was no proper flow for most of it. At the times that there was some pretty good dialog, I would get into the story, because it flowed.
I’m not going to lie, I did speed read a lot throughout this book, because frankly, I found it a bit boring. I just couldn’t get into it; there was just too much description. I’m pretty sure if you cut out all the filler (because come-on that’s what it was) you would have a very good book at about 300 pages.
When the love interest finally came a barging in, at about, I don’t know, almost half way into the bloodily book, (he’s a total asshat) it did get a tiny bit more interesting. It prompted me to actually finish the book and not skip to the end, (Believe me it crossed my mind on more than on occasion) and to me, when Dominic finally enters, it was like the story finally got underway, still slowly though.
The ending didn’t really throw me that much, I kind of had it figured out that she was either one of two things (1) Dead and was living out her afterlife, doing all the things she wished she did or (2) She was in a coma. 1 or 2, what do you think. That ending did save the book for me, thus why I’m giving it a 3 star rating instead of a 2 star.
If you are going to read this book, note that you don’t have to read every single paragraph, you aren’t missing much of anything form the main story. It’s just filler and babble, that Foster is spurting while trying to state the obvious. For this book it’s all about the ending, even if you’re going to have to push yourself to reach it. (This is actually a little ironic, read the book and you’ll know what I’m saying.)
My overall impression, I’m happy the book is over.
Don’t stop being amazing.
Emily ;) - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Thank you to the author for sending me this e-book in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence my review in any way.I wasn't sure what to expect when I was contacted regarding a review for this book. Tuesday night after my last exam I settled into bed, got comfortable and started to read. Four hours later, it was the middle of the night, the rest of the world was asleep, and I was enraptured. I couldn't put it down. Even though reading on a ten inch tablet can be frustrating, I didn't let this stop me as I powered through a good chunk of this 600+ page novel in one night. A couple of days later, when I reached the end, it was again the middle of the night and I lay awake for another hour, turning the whole thing over in my mind. I couldn't not think about it. What a book. I loved it. Not all the time, but overall I just adored it.Foster Kelly is a senior at Shorecliffs High School, a musical genius who keeps to herself and has a penchant for tripping over her own feet. Her name has caused her quite a bit of grief over the years, and she prefers to keep to herself. On moving to Shorecliffs, she was befriended by the twins Emily and Jake, both full of life and fun. Still Foster keeps to the shadows of life, not wanting to bring attention to herself, much more an observer of high school life. Her life is brightened by her parents who she adores and the kids she cares for at the House of Hope. Her life changes the day she meets Dominic Kassells, who shakes up her quiet life. He challenges her and encourages her and gives her the push she needs to really start taking part in life. He also recognises how she needs to help herself - which was, to me, a very important realisation.This book is about first love and the amazing things it can do, but it also about finding who you are and being true to all versions of yourself. Foster's slow progress through the novel, her confrontations with the half-truths she had been hiding behind, and her building confidence was heart warming to read. I felt like I was a part of Foster's journey. I smiled for her, was happy when things went right, my heart broke alongside hers, and then was amazed with the discovery toward the end of the novel. I laughed at her friends, Emily and Jake, who were brilliant characters. I cheered as she started to do things for herself. My heart melted as I watched her literally trip and fall in love. I felt protective of her, too. There were times when what I was reading would make me nervous and I wanted to shield her from the pangs that mistrust and heartbreak could bring. I felt like I knew her.That being said, as much as I adored Foster and this book, I can recognise that this is not going to be for everyone. The plot development is slow, due to the fact that we read from Foster's perspective and everything she does is thoughtful, deliberate. She is not impulsive and does not make spontaneous decisions. Before she speaks, she gives every word a lot of thought. A single moment in time could be described over two pages. But this is necessary as it gives the reader an accurate picture of who Foster. Not everyone will understand, but to really understand the book you need to understand Foster. There were a few things that frustrated me, particularly to do with her budding relationship with Dominic, but the key word is patience. You need to patient to work through Foster's thoughts and to progress through the book. I would feel frustrated, like I needed answers more than Foster did, and because she didn't actively chase them, we didn't get them straight away. However, if you are patient, you will be rewarded. Everything makes sense in the end. This is what kept me up so late, those light bulb moments coming on more and more as I got closer to the end. The wait is worth it when you get that 'oh, it all makes sense' moment of realisation. It kept me thinking about it long after I had finished reading. All my thoughts, feelings, ran around my head for an hour before I could sleep, and it's all I've though about all morning. This book has had quite an effect on me. A wonderful, wonderful read. I am buying a copy for my bookshelf because until I do, it will feel empty without it! A deserving five stars to a book that has given me a lot to think about.