Writer For Misfits (A Book Blog): Review: A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

Title: A Little Something Different
Author: Sandy Hall
Publication: August 26th 2014, Swoon Reads
Format: Trade Paperback, 272 pages
Source: The Book Depository (Thanks Aria! And thanks Hazel of Stay Bookish!)
Buy it on: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | The Book Depository | Kobo | National Book Store / Fully Booked (PH)

SYNOPSIS:

The distinctive new crowdsourced publishing imprint Swoon Reads proudly presents its first published novel—an irresistibly sweet romance between two college students told from 14 different viewpoints.

The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common—they believe that Gabe and Lea should get together. Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese food, and hang out in the same places. Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and despite their initial mutual crush, it looks like they are never going to work things out.

But somehow even when nothing is going on, something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at Starbucks watch their relationship like a TV show. Their bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically seats them together. Even the squirrel who lives on the college green believes in their relationship.

Surely Gabe and Lea will figure out that they are meant to be together....

Misfit Review:

We all have that one moment in life when there is actually someone who likes us and it feels great to actually find someone who acknowledges you for who you are, like for your physical appearance or your personality. But there are just some people who could not utter the word "LIKE" or better yet "LOVE" even when it is growing inside of them, waiting to burst out, even when the whole thing is so apparent to others.

Gabe and Lea like each other... A LOT. But they just couldn't bring themselves to say anything to each other, mostly because of their personalities. Gabe is shy while Lea is timid and insecure. And with all of their staring at each other and constant accidental meet-ups, everyone around them knows what's going on except them and they either want them to be together or not. But either way, all these characters surrounding them are following the growth of their fondness for each other.

What makes A Little Something Different unique, is how it narrates the whole story through 14 perspectives, from classmates to teachers, even from squirrels to benches (which I'm still weirded out by). The characters are very engaging and would give you a grasp of what is going on or whether there is actually anything going to happen between Gabe and Lea.

Having too many perspectives going about their love story is a bit too overwhelming, if I have to be honest, and some of them were kind of unnecessary. It was like some characters were used to just be fillers and not exactly essentially important characters. Though in a way they are important (what am I even saying?) because they help in bringing the two lovebirds together. It just felt a little too much.

Gabe, seen from the perspective of mainly his older brother and best friend, is sweet and lovable. Even with his problem, he finds a way to charm the readers into loving him. And I fell for it. And I am going through Amazon or Craigslist to find a Gabe, if he is available. Lea, though as sweet and interesting, felt a little annoying and clingy. Like, we know that you like Gabe and all, but it seems like you are expecting waaay too much out of this. Well, looking at it afterwards, I guess that's how some girls really are when they like a guy or maybe it's just part of their personality. Either way, my feelings for Lea were a bit 60/40.

The build up of the romance took long, but enough to hook me as a reader. I liked that there's tension between them as the romance slowly creeps up, allowing the readers to either cheer for Gabe (seriously) or Lea in their struggles to convey their feelings. The story isn't at all complicated. Well, with complicated situations, but definitely easy enough to follow through.

Sandy Hall provides readers with enough doses of sweetness to give a person diabetes, because seriously, the interactions between Lea and Gabe, especially when they end up bumping into each other or fumble for words, are enough to send you into a flurry of feels and off to marshmallow land. Sandy explores the frustrations of love and how there are just people like Lea and Gabe, and that there are people in their lives that might need to give them a little push.

If A Little Something Different proved to be a favorite of mine, I don't know. However, I did love it because it explored something different indeed, felt like a breath of fresh air and gave me some really note-worthy moments but it leaves me a tad flat in the end. But if you are looking for a really cute read, with cute characters and just something to make you feel good and happy, then you might want to grab a little something different. *winks*