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Authors: Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young
Published by: Electric Monkey/Egmont
Release date: March 2014
I'm really excited to involved with the blog tour for Just Like Fate & it's a blog tour with a difference. Today I'm starting the blog tour along with Michelle from Much Loved Books. The publishers had a brilliant idea for bloggers to buddy up and then come up with an idea for a post which we would post on the other bloggers page. If you have already ready Just Like Fate you will see why this is such a good idea. If not well, the story tells the life of Caroline as she takes two different paths by making one decision, think 'Sliding Doors'. So Michelle and I decided to review the book on each others blogs. Here you will get to read what Michelle thought of Just Like Fate and to see what I thought you can pop over to Much Loved Books. We also got to ask Cat & Suzanne some questions which you can read after Michelle's review.
'Just Like Fate' tells Caroline's story as we follow two different paths she may take by making one decision, to Go or Stay. Before we learn more about 'Just Like Fate' let's take a look into Caroline's history, and that will hopefully explain why her Grandmother's sickness affects her so much. Caroline's parents are divorced, to escape the bickering and tension leading up to and during this divorce and Caroline goes to live with her Grandmother. When she gets the news that her Grandmother is taken ill and rushed to hospital you can understand how this affects her so much. Her Grandmother, the person who was always there for her, is not going to be around forever. Caroline has two sisters, Natalie and Judith, who is absolutely adorable, and a brother Teddy. In choosing to live with her Grandmother, Caroline leaves them behind, and her sister Natalie resents her for moving out and brings it up constantly. This is one of the main things that forces Caroline to make the decision, to go to a party with her friend Simone, or stay at her Grandmother's bedside. In the 'Go' story, the argument with her sister is basically the final straw, and Caroline uses the party to escape from her sister, and her Mum. In the 'Stay' story, Caroline stays at her Grandmother's bedside.
By choosing to stay Caroline's relationship with her sister and Mother is effected in a positive way. She finally hooks up with her crush, Joel, and while it all seems full of sunshine and rainbows when they are together and alone, things are a whole different story in public. In short, Joel is a big headed egotistical ass and there is no way on this earth he deserves to be with Caroline.
By choosing to go Caroline ends up meeting Christopher, who is persistent in wanting to get her number, and while her relationship with her Father improves slowly, as does her relationship with her sister and Mother, her relationship with Simone is the one to break apart. By going, Caroline ends up staying with her Father, and has to attend a new school, make new friends, and try to figure out what she wants while still faced with the guilt of not being by her Grandmother's bedside. Christopher I instantly loved, and although there were rumours about his past with girls I felt like I could trust his intentions with Caroline.
I loved the near misses that Caroline has with people from her 'Go' story, and how things she wished would happen in her life actually happen but come at the completely wrong time. For example her crush Joel finally admits to having feeling for Caroline in her 'Go' story. I loved getting to see how little bits of the other story made connection to the story you are reading at the time, how you see little glimpses into what could have been, knowing we know the other side of the story.
'Because when your name is Caroline, every one thinks you wants to be serenaded with it. All the time'
[Page 107 UK proof]
I totally get this point and I laughed so loud and so long when I read it. Having a name that can be linked to a song isn't the best thing in the world, and I have two names that can be linked. My middle name is Alice, so I will let you guess which song I got serenade with, it involves swear words in the title. My real name is Michelle, and for a long while I had a very strong hate-hate relationship with The Beatles, and their & theirs songs
The telling of 'Just Like Fate' literally draws you in, and I had every intention of only reading a few pages and going back to my current read, and the next thing I knew I had finished the book. 'Just Like Fate' was easy to follow the different stories as along the bottom of the page was GO or STAY, and not once did I get confused over what was going on. The ending of 'Just Like Fate' was perfect, and I liked seeing how it all came together, how all the dots connected like putting the pieces of a puzzle back into place.
1. How did the collaboration come about?
S- Cat and I bonded over a lunchbox full of stickers. We met at a book signing for our other books and clicked right away. When Cat contacted me about a collaboration, I knew we were going to have a blast.
C- I like how Suzanne says that the lunchbox was filled with stickers. It was totally candy.
S- I didn’t want to make us seem like candy junkies.
C- Whoops.
2.Is it easier or harder to co-write a book and in what ways, and how does the process differ from writing your own book?
C- When we co-wrote the book, one of us would write a chapter, then we’d pass it to the other. That process went on and on until the draft was finished. It made it really fun because it was like reading and writing a book at the same time: I couldn’t wait to see what she’d send back!
S- I agree: I loved co-writing! I’m not sure that it was easier, it was just so much more fun. Plus, working with an author I admire really pushed me to write my best, and to be more entertaining.
C- You’re always entertaining.
S- Aw, you’re so sweet.
C- Author love fest!
3. If you were given the choice to co-write with any author, living or dead, who would be your dream author and why?
S-Uh, can I say Cat again? If not, then I select Mary Shelley because I have a great idea for a version of Frankenstein.
C- You’re Frankenstein obsessed. I love it! My choice would be Ray Bradbury. He’s the one who got me the most excited about reading when I was younger.
4. Have you ever wanted a 'what if moment' yourself?
S- As an author, I feel like ALL I think about are What if moments. I get to create entire universes, and if I mess something up, I can pull it apart and start over. Real life isn’t so easy, but my writer brain is always thinking about the possible outcomes before I decide.
C- Well said, girl. I will just add that while I think all of us crave “what if,” it’s important to not let fear of mistakes paralyze us and hold us back from pursuing our dreams. One of the things Suz and I really wanted to emphasize in Just Like Fate is that our mistakes contribute to who we are just as much as our wins do: They’re equally important as they teach us about right/wrong, forgiveness, and empathy. Like, for example, I’m going to make the mistake of eating candy right now. Later I will have to learn to forgive myself for that choice.
S- Pass the lunchbox.
I would just like to say a very big thank you to Michelle and Maggie from Egmont for allowing me to be part of this tour. Also a big thank you to the authors, how awesome were the answers to the questions! Being involved in this tour has been a lot of fun!
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