Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Fragile Ordinary by Samantha Young. Not only do I have my review to share, but also an excerpt of this book! The cover is stunning, but does the story match the cover?
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Impossible Vastness of Us and the On Dublin Street series comes a heartfelt and beautiful new young adult novel, set in Scotland, about daring to dream and embracing who you are. Order your copy of THE FRAGILE ORDINARY today!
About THE FRAGILE ORDINARY:
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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“Endearing and relatable, Comet-the girl who is searching for her place in this world-will shoot through the sky and into your heart.”
— #1 New York Times bestselling author Erin Watt
Review
Cover This cover had me sold before I even knew what this book was about. I honestly think this is one of my favorite covers this year! The colors are gorgeous together and I love the writing in the white letters! The Fragile Young deserves this beautiful cover!
Plot Samantha Young sucks you into her writing with her beautiful words and amazing characters. The Fragile Young is definitely relatable in many ways. Like Comet, book friends seemed more fun at times. This is a story of change. Learning to deal with love and loss, first loves and ever changing feelings. Tobias shows us that the bad boys aren’t always so bad and may just be crying out for another reason. If you want a book that makes you feel, The Fragile One is the book for you. I loved that Comet used poetry as an outlet. It’s nice to see that just using words can help a lot. I love it when characters are creative in one way or the other. It was interesting to see these chararacters grow closer and feelings develop. Love is a scary thing, but they seem to find their way. I don’t want to say too much about this beautiful book that needs to be discovered as you read! This book really touched me and I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon!
Excerpt
Tobias had offered to spend Christmas Eve with me alone, considering what had just occurred between me and Kyle. Yes, I was devastated by the brief conversation. I was also confused by my reaction, because Kyle hadn’t told me anything I didn’t already know. To hear him confess his own weak will when it came to Carrie, to hear from his own mouth that yes, he did love her more than me and that he’d choose her over me no matter what was painful. I didn’t know if his fears about Carrie’s issues were founded. Maybe. I guess I didn’t know the woman who was my mother well at all. She’d never been verbally unkind to me, though. Her cruelty had always been in her indifference.
Those were my thoughts, going around and around like they were stuck on some twisted, hellish merry-go-round, when I walked into Tobias’s new house.
I tried to focus on Lena. I discovered, however, as I followed her through the narrow hallway of the three-bedroom house in the more affluent area of Porty that Tobias did take after his father in looks. There was a photo hanging on the wall in the hallway of a younger Tobias standing in between Lena and a man I knew must have been his dad. They stood outside a huge white house that reminded me of the wealthy homes featured in John Hughes’s movies. Like Tobias, his dad was extremely tall, broad-shouldered, with fair good looks.
I’d slowed down to look at the photo, and Tobias turned around to see what was keeping me.
“Your dad?”
His eyes flicked to the photo, and I hated the pain that shimmered in his gaze. He nodded and I squeezed his hand.
“Would you like something to drink, Comet?” Lena called from the kitchen. “We have water, Coke, orange juice. Or I could make us all hot chocolate.”
I tugged Tobias away from the photo. There was no need for us both to be a sad, wallowing mess today. “Yes, Mrs. King, hot chocolate sounds lovely.” We wandered into the small, modern kitchen to find her waiting on us.
“I thought I told you to call me Lena.”
“Of course, sorry.” I gave her a smile, trying to ignore the fact that she was raking her eyes over my outfit like she had the last time I saw her.
It was Christmas, so I’d decided on a burgundy long-sleeved thermal with gold sparkles through it, matched with a short burgundy velvet skirt with a dark red tulle underskirt that stuck out rock-chick style from the skirt. I wore thick, black tights and Irregular Choice burgundy suede ankle boots in the Victorian style. They seemed simple until I turned around—they had a huge gold jacquard bow pinned to back of the ankle.
I’d added a bunch of chunky gold bracelets up both arms so I jingled when I moved.
I’d considered toning my clothes down but this was me, and Tobias knew this was me and all that mattered was that he loved me, loud fashion sense and all. Still, I smoothed my hands down my skirt nervously until Tobias captured one of them in his own.
Glancing up at him in question, I found myself caught by the tender reassurance in his eyes. He drew my hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to it while his gaze held mine, and I felt like he was silently reminding me not to worry what she thought of me because he thought I was perfect.
The sound of a throat clearing broke our moment and we turned to find his mum staring at us wearing a huge smile. “Hot chocolate.” She gestured to the mugs in front of us.
Her assessment of my appearance ceased and instead she studied my interactions with her son. In fact, she watched everything Tobias did, and she did it in a way that made me think she missed him. I knew they’d talked and he was attempting to repair the damage to their relationship, but I perceived a wariness in Lena’s behavior. Like she was scared of making the wrong move—one that might cause him to shut her out again.
Samantha Young’s’ THE FRAGILE ORDINARY – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:
June 25th
A Book Nerd, a Bookseller and a Bibliophile – Review & Excerpt
Book Freak – Review
For The Love of Fictional Worlds – Review & Excerpt
Garden of REden – Review
Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Excerpt
The Book Boyfriend Addict – Excerpt
June 26th
Blog of Books – Review
Bookalicious Babes Blog – Review & Excerpt
Kick Back & Review – Review & Excerpt
liber_lady – Review
Miss Riki – Review & Excerpt
Read more sleep less – Review & Excerpt
White Hot Reads – Review
June 27th
A Literary Perusal – Review & Excerpt
Book Bitches Blog – Review
Kindle Friends Forever – Excerpt
LoveFades – Review
MrsLeif’s Two Fangs About It Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Smut Book Junkie Reviews – Review & Excerpt
June 28th
A British Bookworm’s Blog – Review
bad boys and bedtime stories book blog – Review & Excerpt
Catty Jane Book Lovers – Review & Excerpt
Novel Addiction – Review & Excerpt
the lovely teacher addictions – Review & Excerpt
Smokin’ Hot Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
The Reading Faery – Review & Excerpt
June 29th
Ali’s Reviews and More – Review & Excerpt
Bookish Proclivity – Review & Excerpt
Confessions of a Pinay Bookaholic – Review & Excerpt
Ficwishes – Review & Excerpt
Read Love Blog – Review & Excerpt
The Bookish Sisters – Review & Excerpt
June 30th
Lisa Loves Literature – Review & Excerpt
Movies, Shows, & Books – Excerpt
Nose Stuck in a Book – Review & Excerpt
Pervy Ladies Books – Review & Excerpt
Read. Eat. Love. – Review & Excerpt
The Escapist Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
July 1st
Crazy Chaotic Book Babes – Review
KDRBCK – Review & Excerpt
Once Upon A Page – Review & Excerpt
Reading with 2 book lovers – Review
The Coffeeholic Bookworm – Review & Excerpt
The Wandering Bookaholic – Review
July 2nd
Alpha Book Club – Review
Book Babes Unite – Review
Crazii Bitches Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Naturally Nerdy Books – Excerpt
Rad Babes Read – Review & Excerpt
Spellbound Stories – Review
The Book Dutchesses – Review & Excerpt
July 3rd
Adventures in Writing – Excerpt
Book Lovers Hangout – Review & Excerpt
gata leitora – Review & Excerpt
KM Sultry Reads – Review & Excerpt
Relentless Romance – Review & Excerpt
Sweet Red Reads – Review & Excerpt
July 4th
Bookaholic Confessions – Review & Excerpt
Margaux – Excerpt
Obsessive Book Nerd – Review
Sofia Loves Books – Review
Sultry Sirens Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Tales of the Ravenous Reader – Review & Excerpt
What Is That Book About – Excerpt
July 5th
After Dark Book Lovers – Review & Excerpt
Book Lady’s Reviews – Review
Literary Misfit – Excerpt
More Books Than Livros – Review & Excerpt
Ramblings From This Chick – Excerpt
Romance Book Explosion – Review
July 6th
Audio Killed the Bookmark – Review
Liezel and Angie’s Book Blog – Review
mustreadbooksordie – Review & Excerpt
Romance Schmomance – Review & Excerpt
Sentranced Jem – Review
The Bookish Introvert – Review
Witchy Richey’s Booktastic Reviews – Review & Excerpt
About Samantha Young:
Samantha Young is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of adult contemporary romances, including the On Dublin Street series and Hero, as well as the New Adult duology Into the Deep and Out of the Shallows. Every Little Thing, the second book in her new Hart’s Boardwalk series, will be published by Berkley in March 2017. Before turning to contemporary fiction, she wrote several young adult paranormal and fantasy series, including the amazon bestselling Tale of Lunarmorte trilogy. Samantha’s debut YA contemporary novel The Impossible Vastness of Us will be published by Harlequin TEEN in ebook & hardback June 2017
Samantha has been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award 2012 for Best Author and Best Romance for On Dublin Street, Best Romance 2014 for Before Jamaica Lane, and Best Romance 2015 for Hero. On Dublin Street, a #1 bestseller in Germany, was the Bronze Award Winner in the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2013, Before Jamaica Lane the Gold Medal Winner for the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2014 and Echoes of Scotland Street the Bronze Medal Winner for the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2015.
Samantha is currently published in 30 countries and is a #1 international bestselling author.
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This was such a beautiful book and this author can really make you feel things for these characters. The Fragile Young was my first Samantha Young book, but I think I need to check out more. I need a physical copy to put on my bookshelf! Thanks to the author, publisher and Inkslinger for the ARC and chance to read and review!
Hi, I like to read books from new authors. I like the benefits of kindle unlimited. After reading your post I will definitely read this book. Thank you for sharing it.
I’m happy to hear that. I hope you enjoy the book!