Just Like Fate

By Suzanne Young and Cat Patrick

Romantic drama with a twist, perfect for fans of Lauren Oliver, Dawn O’Porter, Jay Asher and Maureen Johnson.

Caroline is seventeen and at a crossroads. Her whole family is on her back, and her grandmother, the only person who really understands her, is sick, maybe dying. All she wants to do is escape. So when her best friend suggests a night out to forget her troubles, Caroline must choose: stay by her grandmother's side, or go to the party and live her life … and maybe meet the boy of her dreams.           

This decision will split Caroline’s fate into two separate paths – and she’s about to live them both. But there can only be one happy ending …

Readers of Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young's previous teen fiction – Forgotten, Revived, The Originals, A Need so Beautiful and The Program – will love this new collaboration.

Cat’s previous solo books were the highly acclaimed Forgotten, Revived and The Originals. Cat lives near Seattle with her husband and twin daughters. When she’s not writing, she’s playing dress-up, using wind as her superpower, trying new restaurants or planning for a zombie apocalypse. Connect with Cat at www.catpatrick.com, on Facebook or on Twitter at @seecatwrite. 

Suzanne currently lives in Tempe, Arizona, where she teaches high school English. When not writing obsessively, Suzanne can be found searching her own tragic memories for inspiration. She is the author of several books for teens, including The Program, A Need So Beautiful, and A Want So Wicked. Friend her on Facebook, follow her on Twitter at @Suzanne_Young, and visit Suzanne-Young.blogspot.com.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Feb 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781780313849

Suzanne Young

Suzanne Young is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of the Program series. Originally from New York, Suzanne is a dual US and Italian citizen, currently living in the Veneto region of Italy with her family. She has published more than twenty novels, including the Program series, Girls with Sharp Sticks series, In Nightfall, and her middle grade debut, What Stays Buried. When not writing, Suzanne is the founder of Writing in Italy—an Italian retreat and tour company. Follow Suzanne and her three photogenic dogs on Instagram at @authorsuzanneyoung.

Reviews for Just Like Fate

[roses7184_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the first "sliding doors" book I've ever read. I have to admit that I was intrigued by the idea of seeing both sides of the same story. What choices would Caroline face, and what would she choose to do about them? When the dilemma was finally presented, I had to take a step back. It seemed so obvious, at least to me, what Caroline should do. Since there was no back story as to why she would want to do anything else, I started this book with a raised eyebrow.

It's true that once the book actually pushed forward, I ended up more invested. It turns out that, despite how weak the beginning felt to me, Caroline's two lives actually do play out fairly differently. Each reality had its own positives and negatives. Each one brought about its own set of problems. In fact, that's what I really enjoyed about Just Like Fate. It shows that life isn't cut and dry. One choice doesn't lead to pure happiness and the other to utter despair. Instead, they each have a bit of both.

Still, this book doesn't exactly dive as deeply as I felt it could have into the characters and their stories. I didn't learn much about Caroline overall, and I felt like things ended up predictable after a time. The romance here was cute, although not entirely believable. It was a love triangle, but then again not. In other words there were two different Carolines, but the same two guys in each. She never has to actually make a choice between them persay, yet it still feels oddly like a love triangle. I feel that if I had gotten to know them better, and maybe known Caroline better, I might have enjoyed the romance more.

Apologies if this review is all over the place, but that's how my thoughts on this book truly are. I liked the premise of Just Like Fate, adored the concept of seeing how choices affect the future, but I just couldn't get behind the execution. I did finish this book and, honestly, enjoyed the ending a lot. So I still recommend that you give it a shot! I feel it's the type of book you'll either love, or fail to click with, but it's definitely worth the journey to find out.

[lillibrary · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Caroline has a difficult decision to make. Her beloved grandmother is dying and after days spent waiting by her bedside, Caroline just wants an escape from the grief and family drama. So, when her best friend suggests a night off to attend a party, Caroline is torn. Stay with Gram for what could be her final hours or go to the party and live a little? And what, exactly, would the consequences be? A future of mistakes and regrets, or resolution and acceptance? Can one decision really change the course of a life?
Co-authors Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young have given readers an interesting premise to think on--they allow Caroline to make both choices. In alternating chapters titled “Stay” and “Go”, the aftermath of each decision unfolds. Relationships with family and friends are broken and resolved. Caroline’s long-time high school crush finally notices her, but so does a new and charming college boy. Whether Caroline remains or leaves determines which parent she’ll live with, whether her best friend stays her best friend, and even how far she’ll go with the boy she loves.
What’s most revealing here is that good and bad things happen to Caroline regardless of the path she takes, and readers will have to ultimately decide for themselves which decision may have been the best one.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book just didn't appeal, although at the start I liked the split STAY and GO story lines once Caroline was visiting her dying Grandmother in the hospital. However, I didn't like either Caroline, although the GO character was slightly better and her story more interesting. For me, Chris (the GO love interest) was the most likeable character in the book. He was sweet, charming and funny, and slightly goofy. Joel, on the other hand, was horrible and I hated how Caroline behaved when she was around him. Overall, a disappointing read.

[summer_missfictional · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

1.5 Stars

Just Like Fate is the equivalent of eating a tub of ice cream all at once and completely regretting it after.

Right after finishing Just Like Fate, I was ready to write a gushing review on how wonderful of an experience I had while reading this. A few hours later I was mulling over the novel and began to think how completely shallow it felt. So many irrational events occurred in the course of this book that I'm surprised I didn't catch them. It's embarrassing, really, that I had been mindlessly reading this novel without actually thinking of the story-line as a whole.

Sidenote: This goes to show that I will NEVER REVIEW A BOOK RIGHT AFTER I FINISH IT.

There is angsty teen drama, somewhat of a love triangle, and lots of moping around in this book.

What really bothers me is at the core of the plot itself: WHY WOULD SHE LEAVE THE HOSPITAL TO GO TO A PARTY IF HER GRANDMA IS DYING. After I thought about this, the rest of the story just unraveled itself, leading to numerous derivations of these questions:

Why would you go somewhere with a guy you don't know? Why would you date said guy? Why would you be so passive in a relationship and just let yourself do what the guy wants you to do?

SO MUCH LACK OF LOGIC = RAGE. Add in the heavy reliance on cliches, (especially cliches as characters) and you have nothing more than a pile of papers; an utter mess, if you ask me.

It pestered me, a lot, that there was so much emphasis on romantic relationships. What happened to family? In the book's defense it did bring up the protagonist's relationship with her mother, father, and sister, but it wasn't as accentuated as her love life.

The reason I give this 1.5 stars is because while I was entertained while reading it, I get a bad taste in my mouth whenever I think of Just Like Fate. I just want to forget it.

Like I said, this book is like a guilty pleasure. Now, gone is the pleasure and all I feel is guilt/annoyance. Read this if you are half-asleep, tired of thinking because of schoolwork, or all of the above (like me). But be warned, you'll probably regret it later on.

**Sorry for the abundance of caps lock. I had far too much rage bottled up inside.

[bookswithbite · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I haven’t pick up a book that carries a somewhat supernatural plot line. When I read this synopsis, I was immediately intrigued.Plot: This is a story that showcases two different paths. Though the main character is unaware of it, the reader is. It kind of reminds me of the choose your own adventure stories but only this time you get two stories at once. The chapters switch back and forth. One chapter would be one decision she made and the next chapter is the what if she choose something different. Both authors did a great job in letting each chapter flow well to the next without confusing the reader.Love: In both paths, Caroline meets two guys. Though one may seem right for her, as I read on I was starting to see that maybe the guy I thought would work for her doesn’t. I strongly believe in fate and the choices we make. I believe all choices leads up to where we are today but I do think that no matter what choices you make, some things are meant to be.Ending: The ending of the book is precise and clean. I think the way it all came together in the end is well done. I have to say that I’m impressed with the way it was written and how it concluded.Overall, this is a great book. I like that the reader can see two different paths yet fate does take some control. An inventive yet creative read, Just Like Fate is great!

[jrlibrary · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting way to tell a story - alternating chapters follow the decision to stay or the decision to go... Patrick fans will like this one.

[edgoldberg · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When I decided to read Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick, it was for two reasons. The first was that I really liked her book Forgotten (which made my 2011 Top Ten list) about a girl who loses her memory every night. The second was I read the blurb, but not the whole blurb. Shame on me. I read “One decision changes everything…” I missed the “…in this Sliding Doors meets Anna and the French Kiss novel that explores split realities of romance and family loyalties.” Knowing that the main character, Caroline, is faced with her gram’s impending death and she can make one of two decisions, I expected a heavy dose of realistic fiction, the two outcomes diametrically opposed. Instead, I got chick lit.Having said the above, I enjoyed the book (I like some chick lit), it kept my interest, but it was far from what I expected. Caroline has two choices: stay in the hospital with Gram or go to a party. Still I thought these two choices would have equal and opposite consequences. With 50 pages left to go, though, it doesn’t appear that way. Similar to Parallel by Lauren Miller, which is time travel/time warp, both authors seem to bring their stories full circle…which, of course, shouldn’t happen, in my opinion.Just Like Fate does explore, to some extent, family relationships (which siblings like each other and which don’t), divorce (Caroline’s parents went through a bitter divorce), boy/girl relationships (should she or shouldn’t she). The characters are interesting, the plot keeps you reading, but it isn’t something that you won’t find in other books.I’d categorize Just Like Fate as a beach read. Nothing too heavy.

[alcarinqa_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The blurb describes Just Like Fate as Sliding Doors meets Anna and the French Kiss, and I have to agree wholeheartedly. The sweet romances and complex relationships that define Cat Patrick's writing are present in full force in this novel, as is the intriguing question of how one single decision can change someone's life.(Sweet) Caroline is a character that I slowly warmed up to - I initially had a difficult time understanding her, especially in the reality where she went to the party instead of staying with her grandmother (having been faced with a similar situation just over a year ago). But the more time I spent with her, and importantly, as I got to see how she conducted herself through her two different realities, the more I liked her. She's confused and hurt, and a bit like a ship lost in a storm - any port will do for her.In one reality that port is the college student Chris, who I immediately liked, and in the other, it's Caroline's high school crush Joel, who I basically hated throughout the book. But I don't think this was a love triangle in the traditional sense of the word (especially since there are technically two versions of Caroline, two different realities), and I thought it rather unfair that I ended up judging them against one another, especially because Caroline never got the opportunity to do so. But I couldn't help it: from my outsider's view, the decision looked clear cut! That is, until the authors changed the rules of the game on me, and Caroline (and I) were left wondering whether we actually knew these boys at all.My favourite aspect of the book are the familial relationships that take centre stage. In one reality, Caroline becomes closer to her mother and sister, and in another, finds solace with her father and stepmother. In both, however, she realises that she can't keep compartmentalising her life, and that her happiness is dependant on her friends and all her family members. I love Caroline's brother, who is undoubtedly her biggest supporter in both realities. The other breath of fresh air is her best friend Simone, who could have easily been painted as a shallow and uncaring party girl, but instead became a realistic source of support and painful truths for Caroline.Emotional, thrilling, sweet and absolutely engaging, Just Like Fate is a must read for fans of Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young's writing. I think the message and delivery of this novel is just gorgeous, and I see many re-reads in my future.A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

[mrso822 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was received from the publisher for review via Edelweiss.

I first learned about Just Like Fate after reading an early review. (Unfortunately, I can't remember whose review it was now. Sorry!) It sounded pretty interesting to me, since as you know, I'm obsessed with alternate reality books right now, so I requested it.

Just Like Fate starts off with Caroline being called out of class because her grandmother, who she has lived with since her parents' divorce, has had a stroke and is in the hospital. After several days of going to school during the day and then spending the evening at the hospital, Caroline's best friend, Simone, urges her to get out and have some fun for the night. At this point, similarly to Pivot Point by Kasie West, the story splits into the consequences of each decision, with alternating chapters. However, unlike with Pivot Point, there is no paranormal aspect as to why this happens. Honestly, I don't think there was any explanation, but I thought it was really cool to be able to see what would happen in either circumstance.

Just Like Fate is definitely a contemporary novel that just happens to have two different stories going on at the same time. Caroline is a very troubled character. She moved in with her grandmother after her parents' divorce, and has a strained relationship with both of her parents and her older sister because of it. Without her grandmother, these relationships change a lot, obviously in different ways depending on which decision is playing out. However, Caroline is very insecure, so sometimes she got frustrating. As far as the other characters, I liked her sister, most of the time. It really depended on which scenario we were in because she had a lot of resentment toward Caroline. Simone was an awesome friend but seemed a little oblivious at times. I loved Chris, but I tended to second-guess him because Caroline did a lot. Joel made me want to vomit. Seriously, any time Caroline was with him, I ended up wanting to smack them both.

There were some scenes that overlapped that I really liked. These were definitely the scenes where the title seemed to make sense, and they were some of my favorite parts of the book. The ending was really interesting, though I kind of expected it to some degree.

Overall, I thought that Just Like Fate was a really fun contemporary novel with an alternate reality twist and would definitely recommend it!

This review will also be posted on my blog, going live on 8/23/13.