Fab {Indie} Friday: Callum & Harper by Fisher Amelie

Release Date: 24 December 2011

Publisher: Self-pub
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased from B&N

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(It's only $2.99 and totally worth it.)

Goodreads description:

Life sucks for orphans Callum Tate and Harper Bailey.

Kicked out of their foster homes because they suffer the 'eighteen disease' with nothing but a hundred dollar check from the government and a pat on the back, they're forced to rely on a system that failed them miserably.

So they sit. They sit inside Social Services, waiting for their social workers to call their names and offer them the miracle they know will never come but they sit anyway because they have nowhere else to go, no other options on their very literal and figurative empty plates.

But as they sit, they notice the other. Although captivated, they each come to the conclusion that life is complicated enough without throwing in a boiling tension that can't ever be acted upon because they're both too busy thinking about where their next meal will come from but when their names are called and both are placed on a year long waiting list for permanent housing, suddenly relying on each other seems like a very viable plan B.

And, oh, how lovely Plan B's can be.

Well, except for the psycho from Harper's past that haunts her and, oh, yeah, there's the little issue that neither of them knows they're in love with the other.

Needless to say, Callum & Harper's life just got a bit more complicated.

My Thoughts...
The fact that I didn't hear about and read this book sooner makes me sad! This book was a refreshing read that introduced me to a pair of characters that absolutely stole my heart. I fell for them hook, line, and sinker in the first few pages of this book and they didn't let me go. Their story is both painfully heart-breaking and delightfully uplifting. Every moment, from start to finish, takes your breath away.  I'm going to try to review this book, but honestly? I loved it so much and it touched such a special place in my heart that I don't think I can do it justice.

The story is told in alternating POVs and while this is often a hit-or-miss kind of thing for me, I have to say that Fisher Amelie hit the nail on the head. There is no way that I would have loved this story nearly as much if I hadn't gotten to be in both Callum and Harper's heads. The style allows the reader to develop a deeper relationship with both characters. It's frustrating at points because you do know what each person is thinking and you want to *SHAKE THEM* (a lot), but at the same time, it makes their hesitations, actions, reactions, interactions,--EVERYTHING--that much more realistic. Because seriously: how often do we think and do different things in real life? We may be in love with someone but never tell them for fear of ruining our friendship. It happens.

The thriller, psycho-stalked aspect of this story added another dimension that I wasn't expecting when I picked this book up. (READ: I didn't read the synopsis before I started.) It adds an extra element of suspense and a level to the relationship between Harper, Callum, and their friends. It becomes an extra piece that binds them together. And speaking of their friends--those people are all incredibly awesome. They felt so much like a family (only the kind of family that you choose). I loved how they accepted Harper into their circle from the beginning. They were all people that I felt like I wanted to know (and thankfully we get to see them again in Thomas & January!).

Overall, I don't really know what else to say other than BUY THIS BOOK. It's a fabulous addition to the growing "genre" of New Adult reads that I love. I can totally see myself recommending it to high school juniors and seniors and college students. There's so much to relate to in this story and it offers up such a hopeful message.

**Look for my review of Thomas & January coming in two weeks on the next Fab {Indie} Friday! It was just as spectacular!**