I am Comet Caldwell.
And I sort of, kind of, absolutely hate my name.
People expect extraordinary things from a girl named Comet. That she’ll be effortlessly cool and light up a room the way a comet blazes across the sky.
But from the shyness that makes her book-character friends more appealing than real people to the parents whose indifference hurts more than an open wound, Comet has never wanted to be the center of attention. She can’t wait to graduate from her high school in Edinburgh, Scotland, where the only place she ever feels truly herself is on her anonymous poetry blog. But surely that will change once she leaves to attend university somewhere far, far away.
When new student Tobias King blazes in from America and shakes up the school, Comet thinks she’s got the bad boy figured out. Until they’re thrown together for a class assignment and begin to form an unlikely connection. Everything shifts in Comet’s ordinary world. Tobias has a dark past and runs with a tough crowd—and none of them are happy about his interest in Comet. Targeted by bullies and thrown into the spotlight, Comet and Tobias can go their separate ways…or take a risk on something extraordinary.
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Yvette's Review:
I’ve read nearly two dozen books by Samantha Young across various genres and her gift for crafting heartwarming, emotional, and thought-provoking stories never ceases to amaze me. It’s this confidence in her brilliant storytelling abilities that drew me to her new Young Adult romance, The Fragile Ordinary, even though YA isn’t a genre I typically gravitate towards. Going in to this book, as with any Samantha Young book, I expected an engaging storyline and endearing characters, though I didn’t expect to identify so closely with the heroine or to feel as though I had been transported back to high school. With The Fragile Ordinary, Samantha Young delivers a sweet, angst-filled, romantic story about the intricacies of love, friendship, and family, with a heroine every introverted bookworm can relate to.
With a name like Comet Caldwell, a renowned artist for a mother, and a successful author for a father, our heroine feels pressured to live an extraordinary life. As a sixteen-year-old aspiring poet with antisocial tendencies and a preference for avoiding reality by getting lost within the pages of books, Comet is a seemingly average teenager with seemingly average problems. She has two best friends who don’t quite understand her, parents who leave her to her own devices, and an inconvenient crush on the cute, but troubled, new guy. That’s the beauty of The Fragile Ordinary, though. The narrative is deceptively simplistic, following the story of a girl on the cusp of adulthood as she navigates falling in love and discovering who she is and what she wants from life. The story might follow that of a young adult, but it tackles mature issues and complex emotions that are poignant, thought-provoking, and impactful.
At its heart, The Fragile Ordinary is a coming-of-age story about staying true to yourself and finding your voice, no matter what’s at stake. It’s about learning to not only accept but appreciate your individuality, flaws, quirks, and all. It’s captivating. It’s romantic. It’s introspective. It’s gut-wrenching. It’s compelling. It’s also a tearjerker. As a reader accustomed to Happy Ever Afters, I would’ve loved to know exactly what the future entailed for Comet but, as it is, The Fragile Ordinary left me perfectly satisfied, if a tad bit worse for wear. If you’re in the mood for a sweet, wistful, angst-filled YA romance, The Fragile Ordinary is the perfect read to submerse yourself in.
*complimentary copy provided by publisher for an honest review
Rating: 4.5 Stars
With a name like Comet Caldwell, a renowned artist for a mother, and a successful author for a father, our heroine feels pressured to live an extraordinary life. As a sixteen-year-old aspiring poet with antisocial tendencies and a preference for avoiding reality by getting lost within the pages of books, Comet is a seemingly average teenager with seemingly average problems. She has two best friends who don’t quite understand her, parents who leave her to her own devices, and an inconvenient crush on the cute, but troubled, new guy. That’s the beauty of The Fragile Ordinary, though. The narrative is deceptively simplistic, following the story of a girl on the cusp of adulthood as she navigates falling in love and discovering who she is and what she wants from life. The story might follow that of a young adult, but it tackles mature issues and complex emotions that are poignant, thought-provoking, and impactful.
At its heart, The Fragile Ordinary is a coming-of-age story about staying true to yourself and finding your voice, no matter what’s at stake. It’s about learning to not only accept but appreciate your individuality, flaws, quirks, and all. It’s captivating. It’s romantic. It’s introspective. It’s gut-wrenching. It’s compelling. It’s also a tearjerker. As a reader accustomed to Happy Ever Afters, I would’ve loved to know exactly what the future entailed for Comet but, as it is, The Fragile Ordinary left me perfectly satisfied, if a tad bit worse for wear. If you’re in the mood for a sweet, wistful, angst-filled YA romance, The Fragile Ordinary is the perfect read to submerse yourself in.
*complimentary copy provided by publisher for an honest review
Rating: 4.5 Stars
About the Author:
Samantha Young is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author from Stirlingshire, Scotland. She's been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Author and Best Romance for her international bestselling novel ON DUBLIN STREET. ON DUBLIN STREET is Samantha's first adult contemporary romance and has been sold in twenty six countries.
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Excerpt:
As much as I was desperate to see Tobias and afraid to at the same time, I’d like to think I’m not that self-absorbed. I did offer to spend the rest of the day with Vicki, not wanting to leave her alone when she was feeling so down about her parents’ separation, but she insisted she had a ton of work to do for the show.
I knew the show meant a lot to her and Steph but I was kind of glad it would be over soon. It had stolen all their time, and yes, as petty as it may seem, I was jealous it had brought the two of them closer together.
Nerves returned with a vengeance as I made my way to the esplanade. Not only was I jittery over my confusing conversation with Vicki about what it was Tobias wanted from me, but I was tense over meeting up with Stevie. We were basically about to hand him an ultimatum, and ultimatums usually didn’t turn out well.
As soon as I saw Tobias standing outside the Espy my heart started to pound, my pulse thrumming hard in my neck. He turned and caught sight of me and began to stride up the street toward me. His pace quickened and he seemed so determined my knees quavered a little.
When he reached me I opened my mouth to say hello, but the greeting died on my lips as he cupped my face in his warm hands and bowed his head to kiss me.
Shock, thrill, fear, want, all mixed inside of me as I closed my eyes and clung to his arms. His lips were soft, coaxing, brushing against mine, teasing me. Heat flashed through my body from the tips of my toes to my cheeks, and I leaned in, looking for something beyond even this. This felt nothing like Ethan’s kiss.
It was lovely…and yet…I wanted more.
Tobias drew his lips from mine ever so slightly and murmured against them, “Open your mouth.”
I flushed even hotter at the command but did so without hesitation. When his mouth returned to my mouth he touched his tongue to mine, just a flick, a torment that made me whimper in confusion. Everything within me seemed to tighten, coiling into an increasing tension as his tongue danced more forcefully with mine. It was a dance I easily followed, kissing him back with more fervor, my fingers digging into his arms.
This was the more I’d been waiting for.
This was everything.
He broke the kiss, gasping my name against my lips.
I blinked, discombobulated. My whole body hummed with an urgency I’d never felt before.
Tobias leaned his forehead against mine as we sought to catch our breaths and equilibrium. “I should have done that last night,” he finally whispered.
Relieved laughter bubbled out of me in giggles that made him smile with such affection that I wondered how I could have possibly doubted his feelings for me. Tobias King liked me. Me. Comet Caldwell. If someone as special as Tobias could like me so well, maybe I was a little bit special, too?
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