Review of Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe by Shelley Coriell

Title/Author: Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe by Shelley Coriell
Publisher/Date published: Amulet Books, May 1st 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school’s struggling radio station, where the other students don’t find her too queenly. Ostracized by her former BFs and struggling with her beloved Grams’s mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe faces her loneliness and helps others find the fun and joy in everyday life. Readers will fall in love with Chloe as she falls in love with the radio station and the misfits who call it home."

Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe is a very cute contemporary read dealing with some very serious topics and it was great!

I LOVED Chloe! She's definitely a girl with a big heart and she's not afraid to take action or let people know how she feels. She genuinely wants to help people and though she may not always find the most appropriate way to do so, her intentions are good. I loved how she wasn't afraid to make a fool out of herself and in this she is definitely braver than I am.

We find out that Chloe hasn't been the best of friends, but seriously, one of her friends is messed up! And the spreading of rumors really made me sick! Especially because it was so vicious! I thought Chloe was so right in thinking that because someone's been your best friend for years it also means that they know how to hit you were it hurts. I've experienced something like this but not going as far with someone I considered my best friend as a kid and it's hurtful. I loved that Chloe owned up to her own mistakes and tried to make the best of it.

And guys, the family connection is wonderful! I'm just sad that I never got to meet her brothers in person, only in her memories, cause they sound like amazing guys! I really liked Chloe's grandmother, though sometimes I just wanted to scream at her and tell her to man up and accept what was happening, because it was getting pretty dangerous the way she was living. But I loved that she had such a close bond with Chloe and was obsessed with Brad Pitt's butt ;)

I really liked that Chloe learns to listen instead of talking all the time and it was interesting to get to know the fellow contributors of the radio station. I very much liked Clem, the dragon lady! None of them have it easy.
I also really liked Duncan, he was a sweet guy and his family life is definitely very complicated. I thought the topic this brought up was very dark, but dealt with extremely well. I liked that he was realistic and though he liked Chloe, his loyalty was to his family first.

The romance was sweet and because Chloe was so willing to put herself out there, she even made me cry once and I love it when that happens! Also, I would want Chloe as my friend because she sounds like my kind of girl!
I found myself reading on because I wanted to find out how it would all end and it did not disappoint! I liked that everything wasn't magically ok by the end but it still ended on a positive note and left me with hope for all of them for the future. This was a wonderful debut and I'm itching to find out what Shelley Coriell will write next!

My rating: 4,5 stars