Sophie & Carter by Chelsea Fine

Received from publisher

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Acacia Publishing, Inc. (June 20, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1935089447
• ISBN-13: 978-1935089445

While other high school seniors are dreaming about their futures, Sophie and Carter are just trying to make it through each day. Carter is overwhelmed by issues at home as he struggles to support his mother. Meanwhile, next door neighbor Sophie is left to care for her three younger siblings in place of their absent and troubled mother. All that holds these two best friends together is each other, and knowing that each night they'll sit together on Sophie's front porch swing and escape from reality, if just for awhile. But as their relationship reaches a turning point and high school graduation nears, will their friendship become something more?

Thanks to Chelsea Fine for asking her publisher to send this to me, I was dying to read it and I wasn't disappointed.

Cover: I know that it's just a guy and girl hugging in jeans but I really love it.  The simplicity adds to its cuteness and it suits the book completely.

Plot: Sophie Hartman and Carter Jax aren't normal teenagers.  They don't have the chance to be.  Their troubled, hectic lives only see contentment in the evenings they spend together on a porch swing.  
Sophie's mother disappears for months at a time leaving Sophie with the responsibility of looking after her three younger siblings, and Carter suffered violence at the hands of his father and now looks after his damaged Mother that also suffered at his father's hands.  
Sophie and Carter support each other, they're the only person that understands what the other goes through, they know all there is to know about the other- every tear and scar, and as a result are best friends.  The book follows their realisation that among that support, understanding and friendship there is also love.  A real and true love.

Characters:


Sophie- Spends her time trying to cope with school and caring for her three younger siblings.  She hates it when it gets to the point that she has to track her Mother down for money for food and rent.  She witnessed the violence that Carter experienced and was always there for him.


Carter- Carter also has to balance school life with troubles with his home life.  Even though his father is no longer around, his life it still hectic and troubled having to cope with his mentally damaged Mother.  Sophie brings calm and comfort into his day.

Writing Style: Chelsea Fine has a great writing style, her debut novel was fast paced and the 128 pages flew by.  I really enjoyed the alternating character perspective of Sophie and Carter, so I got to know the thoughts and feelings  of both protagonists.  

Rating: 5/5 stars.  I love it's guts! Even though this book is only 128 pages, so easily a one sitting read, I loved every single one.  I really felt for the characters and their circumstances and found myself wishing for them to admit their feelings and devoured the book to find out when they would.  I felt that Chelsea Fine successfully conveyed a real and beautiful love.  I was sad when it ended, I could have read on and on.  Chelsea Fine will also be releasing a paranormal romance and I am definitely looking forward to that and I would read anything she writes from now on.  
I would recommend this for fans of contemporary, realistic YA fiction and romance, it's definitely a favourite of mine.