Justine's Thoughts: One Lonely Degree by C.K. Kelly Martin

One Lonely Degree
By C.K. Kelly Martin

Source: Library
Pages: 243
Book Description:

Fifteen-year-old Finn has always felt out of place but suddenly her world is unravelling. It all started with the Party. And Adam Porter. And the night in September that changed everything. The only person who knows about that night is Audrey -- Finn’s best friend, her witness to everything, and the one person (under thirty) Finn trusts implicitly. So when Finn’s childhood friend, Jersy, moves back into town -- reckless, beautiful boy Jersy, all lips and eyes and hair so soft you’d want to dip your fingers into it if you weren’t careful -- Finn gives her blessing for Audrey to date him. After all, how could she possibly no to Audrey?

With Audrey gone for the summer, though, Finn finds herself spending more and more time with Jersy, and for the first time since September, for the first time in her life maybe, something feels right -- absolutely, stunningly right. But Finn can’t be the girl who does this to her best friend...can she?

A quote:

Things don't always change with a bang. Sometimes they change so gradually that you can't clearly pinpoint the last moment they were truly the same.

Any thoughts:

My very first C.K. Kelly Martin novel! I’m glad because I’ve begun to really like her writing -- simple with an easy flow yet deep with meaning.

One glance at the description and you’d think it’s only about the friendship and romance, the fluffy and clichéd situations, those sorts of things. But there is a whole other side of conflicts, difficult decisions that other characters have to make: family relationships, the unforgettable thing that happened at the “Party”...There are a lot of plots going on and sometimes I would feel overwhelmed with everything depressing that would happen. But then I realize now that that’s life; it can be overwhelming and stressful, with problems popping in out of nowhere. “Anything can happen.” And I liked how that CK Kelly Martin started and ended with that popular phrase.

Whether it’s Finn’s self-consciousness, her desire to go off to New York or London after high school, her turning to music to feel better, or the situations she tries to handle, she is a character anyone can relate to. Going through with her trying to deal with certain issues was difficult. It was hard to imagine myself in her situation because I wouldn’t know what to do. Finn’s attempt to try and forget and not care and be “steel” while at the same time try to somehow repair and hope and dream amazes me. She’s strong but she doesn’t know it and I admire her for trying.

One Lonely Degree has an open ending, free for the reader to create his or her own conclusion. Overall, it’s a great novel. It was refreshing to read something new and this was definitely one that is real and filling.