Review: Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Coriell

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.

I'm all for quirky lovable characters usually, but Chloe just didn't do it for me. It was one of those books I really wanted to like but couldn't. Most of this is due to the character of Chloe. It almost felt as if she tried really hard to be eccentric. I'm all for keeping a positive outlook on life and being carefree, but I just couldn't for the life of me get into her. I continuously felt her quirks being pushed on me to give off that impression of how amazing she was. Yes, I got it! You have a fun way of talking and have totally rocking vintage shoes. Please just tone it down some.

What I did like about this book was the fact that it tried tackling some serious issues. They weren't really discussed as in depth as I would've liked, but it did definitely add something of substance to the overall fluffy subject matter. Another aspect I would've liked to see more of were the people around the station. I always wanted to know more about them.

I will say Chloe's character did get better by the end for me, but by the time I got to the end it didn't help me much. Overall, it's an enjoyable fluff read. It's worth checking out if you're looking to pass the time. The main thing I'd recommend is to give time for Chloe's quirks to calm a bit throughout the story. Once I got through a few chapters, it was a much more enjoyable read. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a copy.

Soundtrack:

Happier - Guster

Offbeat - Clara Chung

Build Me Up, Buttercup - Julia Nunes

Come Back Down - J. Viewz