Review: Calling Calling Calling Me by Natasha Washington
Note: An advanced reader copy (ARC) was provided by the author via A Novel Take PR.
Calling Calling Calling Me is the debut release from Natasha Washington, who published a young adult (YA) novel entitled Speak of Me as I Am last year under the name Sonia Belasco. Set in San Francisco, this new adult (NA) read is about college freshman Patrick Mahoney, who is itching to experience everything college and San Fran have to offer him. His hometown of Fresno is conservative, making it difficult for him to let loose and be his authentic self. He moves into an apartment that's already got four roommates, with one of them serving as his guide to this new city he wants to call home. Josh Dirda is ready and willing to teach Patrick a thing or two about San Francisco, but the more time he spends with his new roomie, the more it looks like Josh could be learning his own fair share from Patrick. When a Halloween hook-up has both of them crossing a line, will their flourishing friendship sputter, leaving things awkward, or could this now prove to be a turning point for the eighteen-year-old gay guy from mostly conservative Fresno and the twenty-one-year-old pansexual guy from predominantly liberal San Francisco?
While this did feel like it had somewhat of a slow start for me, it only took a few chapters for me to become wholly drawn in by Patrick and Josh's romance and their individual back stories. They seem to be at different points in their respective lives--Patrick is just starting college and has moved to a new part of California, one that's far more accepting and open-minded compared to where he's originally from, while Josh is in his final year and is still trying to figure out where life will lead him next. I liked how, at the onset, these two looked to be opposites but turned out to both be trying to find their footing in the world. I love it when a book manages to not just surpass my expectations for it but is able to surprise me, all the more when it happens more than once. Natasha Washington did an impressive job with this coming of age story, and I know that the term "coming of age" is usually reserved for reads that cater to teenagers, but who says you only come of age when you're a teen? With a unique storytelling style and a solid story and cast of characters, Calling Calling Calling Me turned out to be a 4.5-star read. ♥
While this did feel like it had somewhat of a slow start for me, it only took a few chapters for me to become wholly drawn in by Patrick and Josh's romance and their individual back stories. They seem to be at different points in their respective lives--Patrick is just starting college and has moved to a new part of California, one that's far more accepting and open-minded compared to where he's originally from, while Josh is in his final year and is still trying to figure out where life will lead him next. I liked how, at the onset, these two looked to be opposites but turned out to both be trying to find their footing in the world. I love it when a book manages to not just surpass my expectations for it but is able to surprise me, all the more when it happens more than once. Natasha Washington did an impressive job with this coming of age story, and I know that the term "coming of age" is usually reserved for reads that cater to teenagers, but who says you only come of age when you're a teen? With a unique storytelling style and a solid story and cast of characters, Calling Calling Calling Me turned out to be a 4.5-star read. ♥
Date Read: 07 September 2018
Learn more about Natasha Washington.
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