Heather’s Bookshelf: Caytee
Author: Susanna Kanto
Released: 08/15/22
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
“But when a young woman is destined to be a heroine, an adventure will find its way into her life.”
“Caytee” is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. Kate “Caytee” Moore has just graduated high school and is eager for adventure. When her Aunt & Uncle invite her along on a trip to a movie festival, she jumps at the chance.
The movie festival is located in a mysterious place called Dark Forrest. The location invites Caytee’s imagination to run wild with the possibility of what could be. When combined with her love for YA, it’s almost too much. And when she meets Henry Tilney- the tall, pale, and handsome? Is it possible all of her supernatural dreams could come true?
Meanwhile, Caytee meets her new best friend, Isis, who also happens to be dating Caytee’s brother James. She becomes close with Henry and his sister, Eleanor. But she’s a little torn between the two. As she gets closer to all of them, true colors, underlying motivations, and secrets threaten her friendships and the potential for love.
Trigger Warning: adult language
Overall, I enjoyed this story. The author breaks the fourth wall throughout the tale, giving it a fresh and interesting twist to the romance genre. I found this aspect really entertaining and that it pushed forward the story, keeping the plot moving along nicely. Caytee as a protagonist is somewhere between endearing and annoying on the likability scale. She’s innocent, but with a naivety that gets in her way. She is optimistic and looks only at what she wants to see. This makes things complicated when it comes to new best friends, love interests, and unrequited love interests. Caytee is well developed, as are many of the characters in the story including Isis and Henry- both of which I disliked for different reasons, but in a good way. This is ultimately a tale about a young woman finding herself through relationships with others and learning about what she really wants to do and be along the way. This is not a plot-forward story. There are no great action scenes or riveting mysteries. It is a sweet coming-of-age tale with a quirky narrator. I found the tone of the story refreshing and the book a fun read. However, the ending left me feeling a bit cheated as it ended so suddenly and left A LOT to the imagination.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A YA retelling full of friendship, young love, and life lessons. Strong characters and a witty narrator highlight this coming-of-age tale that ends a little too suddenly.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Susanna Kanto
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Find it for purchase here
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