Swimming Through Clouds Review

Date Published: May, 25, 2013

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Number of Pages: 260

Publisher: Playlist Fiction

First Thoughts:

This is one of those stories that stays with you. It was at times a little hard for me to read, the scenes between Talia and her dad were so raw and emotional that I just wanted to get through them as fast as I could. This is definitely a story that takes you on a roller-coaster of emotions but leaves you breathless by the end of the ride. A must read for teens and anyone who’s just looking for a good book.

Goodreads Summary:

I live in the in between. Between what if and what is. It’s how I manage. It’s the only way I know. 

Everyone has their way. This is mine.

When high school, cell phone disruption forces a classroom ban, the words on a Post-it note spark a sticky romance between two unlikely friends. Transfer student Talia Vanderbilt has one goal at her new school: to blend in with the walls. Lagan Desai, basketball captain and mathlete, would do just about anything to befriend the new girl. One Post-it note at a time, Lagan persuades Talia to peel back her heart, slowly revealing her treasure chest of pain—an absent mother, a bedridden brother, and an abusive father. In a world where hurt is inevitable, the two teens search for a safe place to weather the storms of life. Together.

Plot:

This book was about breaking out and learning to be yourself. This book dealt with a serious issue that left me stunned. To read about such a hard abusive relationship between a daughter and her father was eye-opening. This book wasn’t just about abuse, it was about love and finding someone to be there for you; someone to support you. This story was really realistic to me, I could imagine it happening in our world. The scenes at school and at home had their own dark twisted realism. They brought realism and meaning to the story. As for the pace, it was normal, not too slow and not too fast. Overall I enjoyed the plot and thought the author did a good job at creating a back story and plot that kept me interested.

Romance:

Ah, the romance in this story was cute and adorable to read. I loved that this relationship started out with a post it note, very creative and unique. This relationship had plenty of realistic interferences and made it more believable. So overall I really enjoyed the romance in this story and looked forward to reading the blossoming relationship between the two.

Characters:

I loved the characters in this book, they were so beautifully created with so much detail. They each had their own unique personality. I could easily connect with Talia, she had such character to her, she instantly became a character I could relate to. I really got to know her through the post it notes she wrote. I felt like she let down a barrier she had in those tiny little notes. In few little words she told me so much about her and I love her for that. As for Lagan, he was more of a character that took me awhile to like. There was something about him that was both mysterious and standoffish. But once I really got to know him and see how sweet and determined he was made me start to really like him too. Now Jesse on the other hand was more of an easy character to understand. He played a huge roll in Talia’s life and though he was limited in aspects of physical abilities he was still a lovable character. So I really enjoyed the characters in this book and didn’t see any unnecessary characters.

Transformation of the Character:

Talia did do a little transforming in this story though nothing too big. It was more of a slow gradual transformation. She started out as a weak and guarded character and slowly transformed into someone who can stand up for herself. I enjoyed seeing the transformation and still believe she has more room to transform. This was an aspect to the story that added a new layer to the world and created a great texture.

Description:

I loved the description in this story especially when it came to the emotional aspect. I really felt the raw and sharp pain of the story. Talia’s description was one of the hardest parts of the story to read. The pain and sharp emotions she felt were so real and life like. To feel lost, alone, confused and then love…the emotions were literally like a roller coaster they went up and down, none ever staying the same. The description of the scenery and landscapes was beautiful; I could really picture each scene in my head and had no trouble seeing what was happening. So overall I enjoyed the description and thought it really added something to the story because without it this story would be lifeless and dull.

Style:

This was written in one POV and in first person. Being written in just Talia’s POV allowed the reader to really grasp onto what was happening from her perspective, to be able to see her world in her own thoughts. I think being in only her POV allowed the mysteriousness and wonders of the world to come to past; allowed those little surprises. As for being written in first person it really allowed us to connect better to Talia; to be able to feel her pain more and grasp onto what was really happening. As for the author’s writing itself it was smooth and easy to read. I had no problems reading it and it was almost poetic at times. In the end I loved the style of the book and thought it added something extra to the story.

Quote of the book:

“All the sensations around me blended. The snow felt warm. Jesse’s body sounded loud. Dad’s voice seemed heavy. The blood on my hands felt cold. The snow tasted salty. My eyes felt numb. And the neighbors were falling.”

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this to any YA reader and to anyone who likes realistic based stories. One thing I noticed by the end of the story was that I still had some questions left unanswered, there were so many what happens now? What happened? Why? These questions I assume would be answered in another book? Is there going to be another book? I don’t know but I think with another book we would have these questions answered and we would be able to see Talia transform even more. So in the end I enjoyed the book and look forward to more writing by this author.

My Rating: