Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park
Publisher: Independent
Number of pages: 400
My copy: ebook review copy from the author
Flat-Out Love is a warm and witty novel of family love and dysfunction, deep heartache and raw vulnerability, with a bit of mystery and one whopping, knock-you-to-your-knees romance.
Something is seriously off in the Watkins home. And Julie Seagle, college freshman, small-town Ohio transplant, and the newest resident of this Boston house, is determined to get to the bottom of it.
When Julie’s off-campus housing falls through, her mother’s old college roommate, Erin Watkins, invites her to move in. The parents, Erin and Roger, are welcoming, but emotionally distant and academically driven to eccentric extremes. The middle child, Matt, is an MIT tech geek with a sweet side … and the social skills of a spool of USB cable. The youngest, Celeste, is a frighteningly bright but freakishly fastidious 13-year-old who hauls around a life-sized cardboard cutout of her oldest brother almost everywhere she goes.
And there’s that oldest brother, Finn: funny, gorgeous, smart, sensitive, almost emotionally available. Geographically? Definitely unavailable. That’s because Finn is traveling the world and surfacing only for random Facebook chats, e-mails, and status updates. Before long, through late-night exchanges of disembodied text, he begins to stir something tender and silly and maybe even a little bit sexy in Julie’s suddenly lonesome soul.
To Julie, the emotionally scrambled members of the Watkins family add up to something that … well … doesn’t quite add up. Not until she forces a buried secret to the surface, eliciting a dramatic confrontation that threatens to tear the fragile Watkins family apart, does she get her answer.
* * *
Flat-Out Love surprised me last year because it just started popping up on friends’ blogs and Goodreads profile around the same time. It took me a while to get myself a copy (because I was hoping someone would buy me the ebook for Christmas, LOL) and I finally took the initiative to request for a copy when people started putting this book in their Best of 2011 lists. What is up with this book that everyone seemed to love it?
Julie Seagle is excited for college, but her excitement was dampened because of a little housing hijinks. But the Watkins came to the rescue after her mom calls her old friend and soon, Julie moves in with them, up until she finds a new place to live. The Watkins family seem like any other normal family in Boston, except for the presence of Flat Finn, the cardboard cutout version of the eldest son who said to be traveling all over the world. But there seem to be something off everywhere, and Julie being the fixer that she is, wants to find out what. And if it includes falling in love with the real 3-dimensional Finn who’s currently traipsing all over the world…then why not, right?
So, I was surprised by Flat-Out Love. Yes, even as I was reading it, it kept on surprising me. It was a bit longer than I expected, but it was hardly boring. The characters felt real and their banter genuine. Julie was very easy to relate to, and like her, I loved and enjoyed my college years. Reading the book made me miss my own college years — choosing classes, meeting new people, studying for class and writing papers. Julie’s relationships with the rest of the Watkins family was so fun to read, especially her friendship with Matt and Celeste. Celeste was an odd girl but I thought she was a darling. Matt was your typical geek, but it wasn’t the only reason why I liked his character. Like Julie, he has a very distinct voice and character, and yes his defining moment in the book made me shed some tears, too.
The secret wasn’t really hard to guess. I already had a guess about it early on, and I was wondering if my hunch was wrong. I wasn’t. I’m sure other people would also be able to guess, but don’t stop reading there. It’s so easy to get invested in everyone in the story and I wanted to know what exactly happened, why the secret was such. That, and because I really like everyone already, I just really wanted everything to work out for everyone. It’s like I’ve become friends with all of them and with good friends, you just want the good for them.
And since there’s love on the title…how about the romance? Well, the previous ravers reviewers of Flat-Out Love were right to rave about it. The fun conversations, the “moments”, the slow and steady and delicious burn…awesome. It had all the good romances in it — even the ones that didn’t work out. Reconciling everything after all has been undone ((I apologize for the vagueness, if I say anything more it would be spoilery. But those who’ve read this would understand :D)) was kind of a challenge, and I couldn’t really wrap my head around it for a bit. Still, it doesn’t make the novel less enjoyable. I had a big smile on my face when I got to the last page. I meant what I said on Twitter when I finished this novel: What a deliciously satisfying read. ♥
Oh and did I tell you this book is indie? :)
Rating: [rating=4]
Other reviews:
Chachic’s Book Nook
Janicu’s Book Blog
More information: Flat-Out Love website / author blog
Like you, I was totally surprised by this book. Like shocked out of my mind. (I just reviewed it last week.) I didn’t guess the ending. I’ll be honest. I thought something else was going on. I want to tell you! But I had a feeling someone was being dishonest and it’s not the person who ends up being dishonest if that makes sense. And that idea alone, made me really pissed off and scared for some of the characters. Am I being vague enough? I so agree that the characters felt real and the romance was pretty hot too. haha. Great review! Looking forward to reading more of your blog!
Hm. Okay I had to read that again, but I think I got it now. Who did you think it was? :P Wait I think I’ll email you instead so we can talk about it. Haha.
Thanks for the comment and for visiting! :)
So happy you liked it, Tina. It made it on my list of 2011 favorites, too. I can’t get enough of this book, I got myself a physical copy and I keep re-reading different parts. It’s my comfort read, really.
Yes it IS a comfort read. :) I read this while I was spending a sick day at home and it got me through the night quite well. :)
Yay, glad you enjoyed this one! I was surprised by how much I ended up liking this book. It’s included in my best of 2011 list as well. :) I really liked all the characters and the banter in it. Plus it’s a New Adult novel so that’s always a good thing.
Yes, I really liked that Julie was in college here too. And she felt so..normal! Haha I hope that makes sense? :)
I think you have just sold me on this. The romance, the banter, the characters, everything. I wonder when I can fit it in…
Oooh yes, do get it Holly. :) I think you’ll enjoy this, too.
You too, Miss Tina? Everyone has been raving about this one! I really must read it soon. :) Great review!
Yes, me too. :) Would love to know what you think of Flat-Out Love as well, Wendy. :)
Oh my goodness Tina! This sounds so right up my alley and I need to read this deliciousness very soon!
Get it, get it! =D
IT’S ONLY 2.99 SAY WHAT
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