Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti

Title: Something Like Fate
Author: Susane Colasanti
Published: May 2010 by Viking Juvenile

My Rating: 3.5 stars
Tags: YA | Realistic | Romance | Chick-lit
Includes: Sensuality, Homosexuality

First Lines: I never meant for it to happen like this. But if I had the chance, there's no way I would take it all back.

Lani and Erin have always been best friends, yet they are really different people. Erin's outgoing, lively, and usually found with a group of people. Lani is a quiet introvert; however what they do share in common is their interest in fortune-telling and fate. Once Erin starts dating Jason, Lani's surprised when she starts getting feelings for him, too. And to make matters worse, the feeling is mutual. When Erin leaves for summer camp, it also leaves a lot of time for Lani and Jason to spend together. But at the end of their summer romance, and school starting back up, how will they be able to tell anyone about their secret relationship...especially Erin?

Susane Colasanti is perfect when it comes to realistic teen fiction; she's never failed to hit it spot on. And this book was no exception. I really liked the main idea for the book: falling in love with your best friend's boyfriend. What an awful situation to get into! Each day as their summer passed, I was able to watch Lani and Jason's relationship bloom. Lani's a sweet, shy person, however I consider her weak. During the second half of the book, when everything around her is falling apart, she just simply had no idea what to do. I understand that you feel helpless in situations that you can't control, but I had just about had it with Lani! She needed to step up to the plate and confront the people in her life that were giving her problems - not just sit back and watch it grow worse, letting people walk all over her. Lani needed a backbone, and it irritated me that she'd always just hide when a problem hit her. Don't even get me started about how much she cares what other people think...

From Page 214
After I get my lunch, I just stand there with my tray, searching for a safety net. I sit at an empty table. I try to look like I don't care that I'm all alone. Or that everyone in here is talking about me. I've never felt so alone in my entire life.

When school starts, and Erin finds out about Lani and Jason's love affair, that's when the book got real for me. Sure, the first half was cute and fun - but that's all it was. Nothing seemed to be really happening, and I was ready for some drama. And that's exactly what I got. Oh my goodness, the reactions from everyone at school when they find out about Lani? Even though it was a bit extreme and maybe not totally accurate, it was so real! I felt like I was right beside Lani the whole time, helping her through that first week of school as she felt so alone and fragile. Even though Erin is a horrible best friend (and you'll have to read the book to find out why!), she was one of my favorite characters to read about. She reminded me of a number of girls I know, so I could really relate.

I was kind of disappointed at the writing style. It just seemed to lack something, but I can't put my finger on what it was. During long conversations, the author would leave out who was talking - so I got confused endless amounts of times at who was speaking.

Overall it was a quick and enjoyable chick-lit book. I didn't get much out of it, but I'm glad I spent the time to read it. Probably not one of Colasanti's best books, but definitely worth the read. The second half is so much better than the first half, so don't get discouraged while reading it - just stick through it and experience the emotion in those last few chapters that really changed my perspective on the book as a whole.

Cover Thoughts: Ahh I love this cover so much! It's what made me first interested in this book. That's what I imagined the characters to look like, and the picture shown on the cover is such an eye-catcher.

Book Supplied by: Publisher for review.