Come See About Me

by C.K. Kelly Martin

Twenty-year-old Leah Fischer's been in a state of collapse since the moment police arrived on her Toronto doorstep to inform her that boyfriend Bastien was killed in a car accident. After flunking out of university and cutting herself off from nearly everyone she knows, Leah's saved by Bastien's aunt who offers her a rent-free place to stay in a nearby suburban town.Initially Leah keeps to herself, with no energy for anyone or anything else, but it's not long before her nurturing neighbors begin to become fixtures in Leah's life and a much needed part-time job forces her to interact with other members of the community. And when Leah is faced with another earth-shattering event, her perspective on life begins to shift again. Soon Leah's falling into a casual sexual relationship with Irish actor Liam Kellehan, who has troubles of his own, even as she continues to yearn for her dead boyfriend. Clearly she's not the person she thought she was . . . and maybe Liam isn't either.

Genres: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Adult

369 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 6, 2012

About the author

Long before I was an author I was a fan of books about Winnie the Pooh, Babar, Madeline, Anne Shirley and anything by Judy Blume. Throughout high school my favourite class was English. No surprise, then, that most of my time spent at York University in Toronto was as an English major—not the traditional way to graduate with a B.A. (Hons) in film studies but a fine way to get a general arts education.

After getting my film studies degree I headed for Dublin, Ireland and spent the majority of the nineties there in forgettable jobs meeting unforgettable people and enjoying the buzz. I always believed I'd get around to writing in earnest eventually, and I began writing my first novel in a flat in Dublin and finished it in a Toronto suburb. By then I'd discovered that fiction about young people felt the freshest and most exciting to me. You have most of your life to be an adult but you only grow up once.

Currently residing near Toronto with my Dub husband, I'm an aunt to twenty-one nieces and nephews, and a great-aunt to five great-nieces and two great-nephews. I became an Irish citizen in 2001 and continue to visit Dublin as often as I can while working on novels about young people.

My first young adult book, I Know It's Over, came out with Random House in September 2008, and was followed by One Lonely Degree, The Lighter Side of Life and Death, My Beating Teenage Heart and sci-fi thriller Yesterday. I released Yesterday's sequel, Tomorrow, in 2013 and put out my first adult novel, Come See About Me, as an ebook in June 2012. Two of my contemporary YA books, The Sweetest Thing You Can Sing and Delicate, were published by Cormorant Books' Dancing Cat Books imprint in 2014 and 2015. They also published my middle grade sci-fi, Stricken.

My 2017 young adult novel, Just Like You Said It Would Be, is the book of my heart. Packed with movies references and giddy love for Dublin, Ireland, Just Like You Said It Would Be is a frank exploration of first love, full of confusion, elation, disappointment and its knack of making the ordinary seem amazing.

In 2019 I made my horror debut with DCB under the name Cara Martin. Booklist described Shantallow as "serious, literary and very scary" and Kirkus called it "gut-wrenching on various levels." It was an Ottawa Book Awards finalist and was longlisted for the Sunburst Award.

Reviews

[Nomes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The thing that most sucks me into C K Kelly Martin is how she gets right under he character's skin, and she has done it again in Come See About Me with Leah. The prose is pitch perfect, this elegant blend of simple and straightforward with some poetic turns of phrase sprinkled throughout. Martin is a talented writer, for sure, and there's nothing like sinking into a book from the first page thinking 'this is going to be good'.

And it was good.

From the blurb, you know it's a grief book, coupled with sexy times.

My gosh, C K Kelly Martin brings the angst and depression and sorrow and longing and utter devastation with such expertise. I really felt that. On the flip side, if there was one thing I would change about the book, would be that, although it felt 100% realistic, the first 20% where Leah was drowning, I started to feel like I was drowning, too. But, if the pacing feels a little slow at the beginning, hang in there, because it is so worth it. Just a few more chapters along, and suddenly I couldn't put the kindle down.

Liam.

My gosh.

You guys, it would be remiss of me to just get all SWOON and SEXY regarding Liam. Because he is so much more than that. I love all the shades of grey in his character and in his relationship with Leah. Liam is Irish and gorgeous and has some unique background/occupation not often seen in the YA scene making him completely intriguing. He is also complicated, messy, older. And Leah's relationship with him is complicated, messy and definitely older.

A word about the sex: It's sensual and steamy and completely hot (as in HOT). Without the bounds of being a YA book, Martin is able to explore more sexually, and the scenes are essential to the relationship and so gorgeously and evocatively done. The scenes weren't just some steamy filler, guys, they had depth and emotions and all kinds of excitement and confusion that comes with a sexual relationship in your early twenties. Caution: The sex scenes are not fade to black, and are for mature readers, not young teens (IMO).

Where was I before I was distracted by Liam? ;)

Oh, I was glued to the pages (after making it past the little 10 - 20% slow hump). Coming to the climax and resolution, I had this sudden panic attack. So bewitched by the story, it had slipped my mind that this is a Martin Book, and her stories often have these bittersweet (read: painful) endings. The suspense in those last chapters nearly broke me. Which is a true sign of my love for the characters, my gut clenching for them. No spoilers here, but absolutely everything I felt while loving in this world was worth it and I thought the ending was perfect.

This is what I want you to know: C K Kelly Martin is truly one of the talented writers for this YA generation. She brings what feels like the truth with a heartbreaking and hopeful clarity. Come See About Me is a New Adult novel, set outside of high school, with sex scenes more explicit than regular YA stuff. I was sucked in, swallowed up and mesmerised by this story. I read it over the course of one blissed-out ache-y day and one month on, I am still feeling the emotions of this read.

I find it hard to pick favourites, but I think Liam and Leah is my fave C K Kelly Martin couple so far x

[mich · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I knew it would be like this with you. I could see it a million miles away and I walked straight into it anyway."

There were parts of this book that I really liked. It's a story about loss and grief and trying to move on and let's just have uncomplicated sex cuz that should help and oops, maybe that was a mistake maybe we shouldn't have started this, now what's gonna happen. Although there were a couple things that didn't quite ring true to me, some of the other stuff actually ended up being pretty good -- realistic and emotional.

But it's also a story about root canals and crowns and making and going to appointments for said root canals and crowns and public transportation and grocery shopping and every single time Leah buys food for her pet hamster and exactly what she buys for him and tons of other little monotonous details that, while fine in moderation, ends up being boring as fuck when littered abundantly throughout the entire book.

But overall, it was alright. Not amazing, but not bad.

There is a part towards the end with the relationship drama that totally made me laugh out loud. Not funny-ha-ha, but funny omg that hits close to home and makes me feel like a moron (you know, that kind of funny). When the ex pops up and has that little chat w/Leah, then Leah completely believes her instead of Liam without even talking to him about it...um...you probably think she's a total idiot for doing that, right? Errrm, that EXACT situation has happened to me, and uhmm, I kinda reacted the exact same way. So fricken stupid. I completely refused to talk to my (then very new) boyfriend for DAYS and almost ended things before they even began. Cuz, you know, of course the psycho ex who shows up out of nowhere should be believed without a doubt, OF COURSE. Fucking moron.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

{This review was originally published on Clear Eyes, Full Shelves.}

Love is real and real love lasts. I used to feel sorry for people who didn't believe in it--the people who were lonely with someone else or lonely alone. For awhile I was was one of the lucky ones.

C.K. Kelly Martin, who's written several marvelous young adult novels, couldn't find a traditional publisher for her first book for adults, Come See About Me.

According to Martin, no one knew how to market a novel with a 20 year old protagonist. Come See About Me certainly isn't a teen novel, it's mature and addresses themes that are not seen in the YA category. And since "Adult" fiction typically features older narrators, not a recent college dropout, it couldn't be marketed as "Adult." Essentially, a marketing problem* prevented this novel from hitting bookstore shelves.

This is absolutely perplexing to me.

Luckily for us, Martin couldn't keep to herself the story of Leah, a young woman who's life has wholly stalled following the death of her boyfriend, Bastien, who was killed while crossing the street in Toronto. She flakes on her job, fails out of school, hides from her friends and family--she can't move forward because of the loss. She wants to be alone with her memories and sadness over what should have been, over their lost future together.

Alone is what's easier. Everyone else would prefer that I pretend my life hasn't been hollowed out. They believe their expectations should carry some weight with me. Only Bastien truly carries any weight and people try to use that fact against me too and tell me what he would want for me. Some of the things they say about that might be right, but since he's not here he doesn't get to decide how I should handle his absence.

The early chapters, in which Leah recounts her relationship with Bastien, were incredibly difficult for me to read. The two went to high school in British Columbia together, though they weren't even friends--acquaintances is a better description--and connected later, when they both went to college in Toronto. Their love was the forever sort, not the college dating temporary sort.

I found myself absolutely gutted by Leah's devastation at losing Bastien. While I'm an admitted book crier (oddly, I rarely cry in movies and TV shows, with the exception of Friday Night Lights reruns), I became choked up and teary at nearly every paragraph in the first chapters of Come See About Me. This is a testament to the realism and craft of Martin's writing. I met my husband when I was Leah's age, and her reflections on the early days of their relationship very relatable on a personal level. I felt an increasingly sick feeling for Leah during those first chapters detailing her life post-Bastien, thinking of how unimaginably unbearable a situation like hers would be, particularly with everyone's expectations being that she "move on," because she is so young and has her whole future in front of her. This is wholly, understandably, inconceivable to Leah.

On the verge of losing her apartment, which she shared with Bastien and doesn't want to give up because of the memories alive in that space, Leah is rescued by Bastien's aunt who gives her a feel place to live in Oakville, a Toronto suburb with a village-like quality.

Initially, Leah maintains her same routine: hiding from the world, paralyzed by the loss of Bastien. However, a dental emergency necessitates her finding a part-time job and a repeated chance encounters with Liam, an Irish actor from a Fair City-style television show, who's hiding from his own life that disintegrated in a very public manner back home in Dublin, slowly draws Leah out of her reclusion.

Lest I've given the impression that Come See About Me is about moving on, finding a new love or anything like that, it's absolutely not.

Rather, Come See About Me is about Leah finding a new way to be, of finding hope and a new way forward, different from the future she'd imagined prior to her boyfriend's death. Her relationship with Bastien was special, so when she starts a casual sexual relationship with Liam (not a spoiler--this is in the blurb on Martin's website), Leah feels like she's cheating on Bastien. Not his memory, but him.

Leah and Liam's relationship is extremely close, and yet, they both keep their distance too. Neither is ready for a "real" relationship, and yet what happens between them feels very real to Leah. They both need intimacy after isolating themselves so intensely, but it's hard for them too. It could seem lurid or trashy that there's significant amount of page time devoted to the pair's hookups, but it's not at all. It's actually oddly sweet. (And, um... steamy. Not in a gratuitious way, though. In her Goodreads review, Kelly from Stacked used the word "sexy" to describe Come See About Me and I think that's a very apt way of saying it--which is also very unexpected for a novel dealing with this subject.)

Interspersed are moments between Leah and Liam of real emotional connection and longing--longing for more.

When you’re part of a couple, or at least part of the kind of couple Bastien and I were, someone does things for you all the time and you do things for them. There’s always someone there to pick up the slack for you or for you to talk difficult matters over with. I miss Bastien as a person, all the amazing things he was, but now I realize that I miss the idea of being part of a couple too.

I loved the arc of Leah's character. It's hard to say much without spoilage, but I found her path and resolution to be very realistic and believable, but also very satisfying--it was worth becoming emotionally invested in her story, as hard as it was at some points. I find this characterizes of all of C.K. Kelly Martin's novels (or at least all of them I've read--I have an ARC of Yesterday, but haven't gotten to it yet.)

But, I also felt for Liam as well, and wanted him to be okay. Come See About Me is Leah's story, and it's told from her first person point-of-view. However, Liam is simultaneously charming and maddening, because he's not in an emotional place much better than where Leah is--I wanted him to be able to do more for her, but he couldn't and that wouldn't have been realistic, nor would Come See About Me have been as good of novel at it is if he had. And yet his humor and (very Irish**) dialogue at moments prevents Come See About Me from spiralling into a depressing read.

A couple of minutes later Liam’s standing back in front of me, setting down a package each of Bourbon cream cookies and Barry’s tea for me to ring up. I put Offred’s story down and approach the counter. “Is it better than the tea we have over here?” I ask, holding up the package of Barry’s.

Liam flashes me a comical what do you think? look. “I don’t want to mess with any of your national delusions, Leah, but I’m Irish, we take our tea very seriously. And these”—he scoops the cookies into his hand—“are the very best biscuits to go with the tea. The perfect combination while you’re reading the newspaper or sitting in front of the telly.”

Also, Liam is dead sexy,*** if that's the sort of thing that matters to you. Ahem.

The secondary characters also made Come See About Me memorable and satisfying.

Try not to pass out from the shock, but there are actual, diverse characters in this novel. And they're not just present to be The Diverse Characters, but instead they all make sense in the context of the story and are a realistic reflection of modern society. I know, right? More of this please.

When I love, love a book, I become a psychotic book pusher, trying to get everyone to read said book. Come See About Me is definitely one that brought on Book Psychosis Syndrome. I really, really enjoy C.K. Kelly Martin's YA novels. Her writing is very special, it's real and raw and authentic, but her skill with telling a story that makes you feel all the things right along with the narrator is so, so, so much more pronounced with the freedom that comes along with writing for an adult audience. While I know the self-publishing route is a tough one, I hope that Come See About Me has some success so that we'll maybe see more adult fiction from Martin--it's just that wonderful.

Come See About Me is the sort of contemporary adult fiction I'm always wanting to read, but what doesn't seem to exist in the marketplace.

That absence is what drives me to YA when I want a contemporary read. It's an adult novel that deals with emotions and growth and connection--not with divorce, money problems, infertility, parenting or what it means to be human. There's zero pretention in Martin's writing, instead, it's simply real, with raw emotion and a thread of hope shining through in a story that lingers.

FNL Character Rating: Matt Saracen in the heart-achingly beautiful and difficult "The Son" episode.

Note: You can read a couple of sample chapters from Come See About Me on C.K. Kelly Martin's website. It's available right now in ebook form and paperbacks should appear on Amazon any day, according to the author's blog. While it's disappointing that this special book isn't going to be popping up on store shelves, I'm thankful that digital publishing has allowed Martin's first adult novel to get into the hands of readers, despite the publishing world's lack of creativity about how to sell this book.

Update: Paperbacks are available now via Createspace from Amazon.

*As someone who's worked in marketing departments in the past, I feel confident in saying that marketing really shouldn't drive business decisions. Not that there aren't creative, brilliant people working in marketing, but marketing departments are often led by very risk-averse people, in my experience. But, hey... that's the way of the world.

**I lived in Ireland and received my graduate degree from an Irish university. So, I loved the subtle details or Liam's speech patterns. It made me long for that very specific sort of humor that characterizes that country.

***Also: In all the time I spent in Ireland, I saw very few Liam's running around. They're rare outside novel pages--sorry, ladies.

Initial reaction after reading:

Love, love, love, love.

LOVE.

Reaction after finding out CK Kelly Martin wrote an adult novel:

CK Kelly Martin is writing an adult book!

*pumps fist in the air*

*throws glitter*

*does happy dance*

[Eunice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out my BLOG for a very insightful guest post from C.K. Kelly Martin and get a chance to win a SIGNED HARDCOVER copy or an EBOOK copy of COME SEE ABOUT ME!

Come See About Me was a very well thought and written book about a girl who suffers from a great loss and how she tries to deal with it and picks herself back. I try most of the time to avoid emotional books but for some reason there was something in this book that just pulls me to it. So, even though it wasn’t on my reading schedule for this week I picked it up, squeeze it in and read it. And I’m really glad to find out and say that this book was a very good and lovely read.

First, I have to applaud, the author for writing such a very profound story of loss and overcoming it. She captured the emotions and feelings accurately and realistically making me understand the characters easily. The way she voiced Leah’s thoughts and feelings was so genuine and honest. So although some situations seem quite frustrating I could understand that it was her way of grieving and that her reactions were natural and expected.

I love how this book effectively showed that the world continues to move on and that no matter how much you resist it, you'll have to go along with it. That life continues even with all those devastating things you had experienced. That through time you'll learn to accept and live with it. Never forgetting though but still continuing to live life.

As much as I love romance I'm glad that the romance here never overshadowed the plot and that as Leah rediscovered herself it wasn't because of a new found love, albeit it did contribute a part on it, but still it was all her. I wouldn't exactly say that this is a love story because clearly this one focuses more in Leah's struggles on finding herself back, rediscovering and realizing things about herself. But still there were sweet and steamy moments that was very well played here that never failed to make me swoon.

I love how the author wrote the ending. Although it was a little open-ended it leaves you a reassuring feeling that Leah is indeed finally moving on and that everything is going the way it should be.

This is my first book of this author and after reading this I will definitely be checking out more of her books. This is a very well written book about self-discovery and picking one's self up after a devastating experience. The author captured just the right emotions and just the right way of dealing with it. I highly recommend this.

This review is also posted at Book Overdose

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Favourite quote“In two years you can love somebody with all your heart and lose them. You can become the very best of friends with someone and then neglect them to the point that they don't expect anything different from you anymore. You can become someone you never expected and forget things you believed you could take for granted about yourself.”

Come See About Me is contemporary fiction at is best. It is real and flawed. It completely got under my skin. And boy was it was heartbreaking at times. Especially the beginning. I can't believe how quickly this book effected me emotionally.

C.K. Kelly Martin writing is clear and sparse yet full of emotion. This story is written how things really happen in the real world. This is not a story with perfect character, perfect relationships and perfect happily ever after.

This story is a character driven story and they are incredible. So honest and complicated. Leah, the main character is someone who you quickly come to care about. 20 years old, just flunked out of college after the sudden death of her boyfriend and is finding it impossible to move on from it. Then there is Liam, 25 years old, Irish actor who is also trying to move on from own his past. He is a definitely a highlight of this story. Completely believable and multi-layered (which make is hard not to find him extremely hot). Together they had some amazing chemistry. But it wasn't just about chemistry, it truly felt like there was a honest connection between this two characters.

The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars was because there were a couple of slow points in the story.

Overall, this is not one of those books you pick up to escape from reality because this is reality. Truly an amazing book.

[Nyrae Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I’m a huge CK Kelly Martin fan and this book didn’t disappoint. Leah’s journey was beautifully told. Her pain was so real… so raw that I felt it along with her. My heart broke for her. And her journey and healing was just as powerful. I loved watching her grow—though at times it emotionally wrecked me, there were also those moments where I couldn’t stop my smile. As she started to heal I loved watching her transition. And Liam. Fun sexy. The scenes with the two of them were definitely some of my favorites in the book. They both transformed in different ways throughout the story and they were a joy to watch together. There were times I was angry at them, but I think that's a good thing. It shows that the character affect you and mean something to you.

Another amazing part is how CK was able to make me love Bastien, too. Just through Leah’s memories I see why she loved him and why she’s struggling so much with losing him.

COME SEE ABOUT ME was a sexy (super sexy!), emotional, beautiful read about love, loss, pain, growth and learning to live again. It was so very real and I feel lucky to have experienced Leah’s story with her.

Favorite quotes:

“One accident doesn’t prevent another. Bastien’s death doesn’t offer me some kind of immunity from other pain.”


“I miss Bastien as a person, all the amazing things he was, but now I realize that I miss the idea of being part of a couple too. It’s not that I haven’t realized this before. But every time it occurs to me it feels fresh. When you’re alone you have to learn to be just you, and not the person that was part of a unit, all over again. You have to ask other people for help when you wouldn’t have before.”

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

19-now-20-year-old Leah's boyfriend Bastien was killed in a terrible accident, and she is deeply grieving the loss. It's not easy (not that it would be) but his loss throws everything she's had planned for her future into a tailspin. She withdraws from everything that had been giving her purpose in her life -- school, work at the museum, socializing with her good friend Yunhee. She's stopped answering the phone, talking to her parents, caring.

When Bastien's aunt offers her a place to live outside Toronto, she takes the chance. Besides being a change of scenery and a place not filled with the memories of her time with Bastien, this is an opportunity to figure out where to go next. And while she doesn't recover from her grief gracefully, it's through an encounter -- multiple encounters -- with Liam that help her realize how much she needed someone in her life.

This is an incredibly sad and incredibly sensual and hopeful book all at once. Martin has a gift for writing with an authenticity and given the freedom she has in writing a non-YA book, she offers us powerfully raw and honest character growth and interaction. Leah and Liam have a very intimate relationship, and it's from that relationship where the character growth occurs. But it's never obvious to Leah and it's not necessarily obvious to the reader, either. The sex is steamy (oh my word is it steamy) but it's less about the physical connection and much more about the emotional intimacy. About what Liam and Leah offer one another on a level that only comes through opening themselves up to their most basic physical desires. Did I mention the sex is really hot? Martin has a way of doing this in YA that is powerful and that she could then amp it up a little more in this book made me thankful. She walks a fine line of being sweet and sensual and being dirty and it works. It is not gratuitous but true to the characters.

Leah has a great arc, and I really loved how things turned out in the end for her. I appreciated how much focus there was in the story on the mundane and the routine -- it's all a part of the process, and since we're in Leah's mind, these things are all a real sign to us as readers that she is learning how to move forward (not move on, but move forward -- you never "move on," and that in and of itself is something Leah learns both in her grief over Bastien and in her relationship with Liam ). Leah also learns that no matter how much you want to control life, especially when you're finally allowed to have your life for yourself, you can't always do it. That things sometimes are beyond your control. Isn't that the truth about this age and about adulthood all together?

This book will have great appeal to teen readers who want a book that is more mature without being "an adult book" dealing with "adult issues." It'll also appeal to adult readers. Everything Leah does and feels is true to adulthood -- it's about figuring out how to tackle life when you don't have your parents there to tell you what to do anymore. When you aren't sure you want them to hold your hand through it all because you DO have to figure it out yourself. Even if it hurts and sucks.

Full review here: http://www.stackedbooks.org/2012/06/c...

[oliviasbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Reviewed in 2013*** "Was I wrong to ask you to ring me? Sometimes I think I should've left you alone. I don’t want this to throw either of us off."
"You weren't wrong," I say. "No one’s being thrown off." I haven’t forgotten what he said two weeks earlier, that he didn't want another source of confusion. "This is like a vacation from real life."
"It feels like that," he agrees.

At this point I do not know yet how many aspects my review is going to cover. But let me tell you first that in my opinion this is how all New Adult fiction should be like. Heavens, no, I do not demand that every author decides to kill off her heroine's perfect - and I do not mean sunshine pretty with a later to be discovered rotten core, but considerate and sexy and artistic with realistic flaws - boyfriend right in chapter one to have her quickly spiral downhill. There is without question a limit to the number of grief-centered books I can stomach in a given time period. But in real life there is a vast variety of good and bad life-changing experiences college-aged women encounter, which is why it made me exhale in relieve to read about Leah, who loses her live-in boyfriend of one year (who is not Caucasian, by the way, which means a bonus point in character diversity) and cannot and does not want to let go and heal afterwards "What I need is the space and quiet to register Bastien's absence. That hasn't changed. I don’t want to move on. As it is, every day takes me a little further from the time we shared together. I need to protect and preserve what I still have of him." , instead of reading about the weird ups and downs of another irresistible female who needs to come to terms with her virginity, her past abuse, her sexuality in general and a small, foreseeable number of other super special secrets and another gorgeously violent I-hide-my-inner-fluffy-kitten-until-SHE-turns-up-and-me-on bad-boy, whose-farther-from-life-than-Earth-from-Pluto personas only exist to awkwardly populate some supposedly hot-sex-on-a-platter script.

If this comparison caused you to sulk about a lack of physical excitement in Come See About Me, you have simply misunderstood. There is sex - even explicit sex - aplenty in established Young Adult author C.K. Kelly Martin's first New Adult attempt. But it smoothly fits the plot and it does not make the cast and the story feel like props. Leah starts having an affair she wants to keep purely physical and ephemeral with an almost stranger and struggles with the feeling of betraying her dead boyfriend and his family. But although the guy supports her idea of a 'vacation from real life', he claims that "Nothing can ever only be sex, can it? Otherwise it wouldn’t matter who you were having it with. And I like you. We’ve been friends too, haven’t we?"

In spite of my lucky lack of similar experiences I thoroughly felt Leah's state of frozeness, her flight into constantly cheating her consciousness into imagining Bastien alive and besides her. I understood her selfishness, her dismissive behavior towards her - wonderfully depicted, by the way, I do adore Yunhee - best friends from university, her job inn Toronto and her parents. And I got her craving for touch and her stupidity when she throws all caution to the wind.

The minor characters were interesting and well-rounded, too. Instead of suffering from the obligatory cliché gay sidekick on match-maker's campus prepare to shake hands with a 100% normal, middle-aged lesbian couple. Plus there is Armstrong, the hyperactive hamster!

I even liked the half-open ending, although I am kind of partial towards completely vague but hopeful ones like the one in Holier Than Thou – another New Adult novel I wholeheartedly recommend. A few reviewers declared the outcome of Leah’s problems to be too positive and sweet. In my opinion it was pleasantly elating and Happy, but allowed for many other ultimate futures besides an Ever After.

Consequently I am sufficiently puzzled why the author could not find interested publisher (Thanks for finding that link, Sarah Moon.) - due to the lack of a fitting target group - and eventually had to go the indie way. Or to put it differently, I am flummoxed why the target group for a generic problematic-virgin-meets-clingy-bad-boy-plot is everlastingly huge, while a gem about a regular young woman like you and me like this is only appreciated by a handful.

[Isamlq · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leah is broken. But, understandably so because given what she’s recounted, I got why she was behaving the way she was. I understood where she was coming from, that others expecting her to get better a certain way, was miles away from what she wanted for herself. She’d found her perfect match in him after all and losing him was doing her in. So by the time we meet her, she’s broken and wallowing in all things Bastien, in her longing for him and missing him and not wanting to let him go. She’s blanketed herself in him. Could I blame her? Eventually she’s left with no other options except Abigail offering her the space and time needed to get herself together.

So, when there’s another one (who’s less broken, more angry) that enters the picture, I thought what a pair they’d make!

“Our problems seem to be opposites- he wants to outrun his past and I’m clinging to mine with a tenacity that makes everyone I know uncomfortable.”

Despite both saying one thing (now, temporary, easy), I was feeling something else. I went with things despite all that but kept waiting for the shoe to drop. In the meantime, it’s all sexy times plus her finding bits of her former self again. Except things could get all conflicted! Shifting between easy and sexy THEN questioning and doubting and unsure; shifts that could wear me down some. Her missing Bastien but wanting someone else…? It’s all her questions about it, her, them that had her feeling only more real to me. Plus, there's an honesty to her that’s refreshing. That she was dealing with things the way she wanted to, not swayed at all by what others wanted/needed for her/from her. A lot of the time it’s her: distancing from others to cling to the memories of a guy who was simply ‘right’ for her. Interesting, I thought.

Eventually, she’s not just the girl she was making herself out to be at first. She’s not just the one left behind. She’ capable of more and was acting as such. She’s friend, daughter, lover etcetera … because life moves on even if she’s reluctant to move on with it. Sure, at times, I wanted to give her a swift kick in the pants… but not always. She’s (re)discovers things at her own pace and she was coming back. So that if it was all easy and temporary with Liam at first, it didn’t stay that way… and it’s so out of the blue for her! Swift kicks have never been so attractive especially in the form of an Irish soap opera star. He puts her back together? Not really. More like, she does it herself… slowly coming back to who she was and what made her her, with him a delicious distraction addition.

“The problem with your past is that it isn’t actually past… It’s still here in the present.”

3-4/5

[Keertana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

I've taken to fleeing inside a closet whenever I hear the term "New Adult." It's a shame as I believe the genre has a great deal of potential, particularly because of the age group it's confined to. Thanks to hordes of mis-marketing when the term was first coined, however, New Adult will forever be associated with vapid heroines, hunky heroes, and dramatic situations. Not only does the genre manage to completely gloss over the complexity of the first adult years, but it also becomes increasingly predictable, the final pages of a book more cloying than satisfying.

Come See About Me, on the other hand, is a far cry from the dozens of novels hitting shelves these days. From beginning to end, this book drowns you in a sea of complex emotions, its prose evocative and strangely compelling, despite its subject matter. Moreover, while Martin's stark realism can be difficult to swallow at times, it is a much appreciated slap into reality.  Come See About Me  won't be a book for everyone, but as a reader who actively seeks gritty novels that are deserving of their "realistic" tag line, this novel was a godsend.

Martin's first foray into adult literature is not a simple piece to get into. Within the first few chapters of this novel, we are introduced to our narrator, Leah, and the heart-wrenching realities she must face every day. Bastian, Leah's long-time boyfriend, has only recently been killed and, unable to cope with his sudden death, Leah has moved to a small town on the outskirts of Toronto known as Oakville. I wouldn't be surprised if many readers were turned off by a sample of this novel, merely because these first pages are hard to read. Martin's writing pulls you into Leah's head, which is a dark and depressing place. And while Leah is drowning in emotion, caught up in her grief and pushing the rest of the world aside, her feelings seep into your skin.

For me, this is a testament of Martin's writing skills. Although I can't say I enjoyed the beginning of this novel, it was powerful, ensuring I was wholly invested in Leah's tale. And, don't you doubt it,  Come See About Me  is Leah's story, through-and-through. While the synopsis for this novel relies heavily on the romantic components, in reality, the romance is an after-thought. Martin's novel instead explores Leah's gradual healing process as she learns to cope with her grief and move on into the future - on her own.

I feel as if I cannot emphasize this point enough. I'm so used to seeing couples in books heal one another that it was such a pleasant surprise to see good-old time and thought heal Leah. Following Bastian's death, Leah is unable to move forward and the worry of her close family and friends - their expectations, really, that she get on with life and not allow this event to derail her future - is suffocating. Instead of complying with their wishes, Leah moves away to be alone and though her apathy to the world still exists, it slowly begins to wear away. Martin paces Leah's growth impeccably and, moreover, I particularly love the small decisions Leah begins to consciously make, whether it be reviving a friendship she has neglected or just forcing herself to eat dinner with her neighbors. Though Leah doesn't want to let go of Bastian or his memory, she does - however subconsciously - want to live again and the slow manner in which she re-discovers pieces of herself is beautiful.

Come See About Me  also offers a surprisingly diverse cast: old lesbian neighbors, a Korean best friend whose younger sister breaks under the expectations of an immigrant household, an African American family who is wealthy and educated unlike the typical stereotype. Best of all, though, these inclusions never feel forced. Whether it be a traumatic plot thread or these atypical characters, their presence throughout the novel never jolts the arc of the story and only enriches it. Moreover, they contribute greatly to Leah's own growth and acceptance of her life after Bastian's death and the friendships that Leah sustains are real; messy, often difficult to maintain, but true in their affection.

Nevertheless, what I love most about this novel is that there are no heroes in it; just normal people doing their best to live with what's been given to them. Leah never romanticizes Bastian and though the two had a healthy and sustainable relationship, she acknowledges his flaws and the fact that her grief is, in large part, for the future they would never have the opportunity to share. Moreover, the relationship she strikes up with Liam, an Irish TV actor hiding away in tiny Oakville to escape problems of his own back in Dublin, is shockingly unromantic. Both Leah and Liam are at difficult stages of their life, but the purely physical companionship they find in one another quickly spirals out of control. Although neither of them want another relationship - and reiterate that their interactions are strictly temporary - they nevertheless feel very real, especially as what was meant to be un-complicated becomes increasingly complex over time.

Martin, however, never compromises Leah or Liam's troubles for the sake of the other. Neither is able to provide the comfort or support the other needs, emotionally or mentally, which makes what they share so much rawer and difficult to place a label upon. It isn't a classic tale of a broken hero and heroine who find it in themselves to reach out and heal one another. Instead, the relationship between Liam and Leah remains one of friendship and intimacy, but of a distant kind as neither is ready for something more "real". While the novel is narrated from Leah's perspective, though, it is impossible not to feel strangely close to Liam. Granted, these two lack the familiarity of sharing a bathroom cabinet or knowing how the other feels from their tone of voice, but the glimpses of hurt and pain they release to one another are all the more revealing. And despite the fact that Liam is upfront about his personality, honest that he isn't the nicest of guys, his charm and troubles never fail to work in his favor (which really just means that yes, his accent is alluring, and yes, his looks are even more killer).

Come See About Me has, surprisingly, filled the long-time hole inside of me that has been craving for something more. I've been feeling unfulfilled as a reader off-late, but this novel depicts life, friendships, relationships, and growth in a light that isn't always neat or clean or easy, but rather one that is far less pretentious and rewarding. Moreover, I adore its ending; open, but with just enough temporary closure to satisfy readers who shy away from non-endings. Although this is only my first Martin novel, her richly depicted characterizations and beautiful prose will keep me coming back for more. For anyone who doesn't love a book placed in a tidy box and tied up with a fancy ribbon, this one is for you.

You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Come See About me started out as a grief book but ended up veering into "chic lit" territory with a stale friends with benefits storyline.

Leah is a Canadian twenty year old college student with a perfect boyfriend, named Bastian. When Bastian is killed she is overcome with grief, and her life starts to fall apart. This is where the book had something to say about relationships. Grief is something that certainly everyone on earth will have to face. Why do we find ourselves at a loss as to what to say when someone we know loses someone? We know exactly how they feel.

You would think having faced that situation ourselves, we would know the right thing to comfort someone. I don't despite having lost my grandfather in 2001. My father's death as a child was confusing because I never knew him. A girl in my class told me that I was cold and horrible for not crying when asked about my father and I replied he had died. It hadn't just happened that day but three years previously when I was eight. Was I suppose to break down and cry on her shoulder? I understood Leah's constant fretting that others judged how she grieved.
The underlining theme of this book is that each person handles their grief differently. Leah's parents could not accept that her grief was on a different timeline than theirs. Rather, Leah avoided everyone so she did not have to face herself not being able to deal with them. What I gathered from her character was that she felt uncomfortable around people living their lives. This was part of the book that worked best. Scenes such as the concert she attended with her friend or when her boss fired her.

Leah is a relate-able character to anyone who is trying their hardest to avoid accepting they need help. People with addictions, depression problems, bad relationships, anything shameful really will go at lengths to avoid those who love them to avoid having to change themselves.
Why was grieving her boyfriend a shameful habit?
It should not have been but Leah let her grades, bills and her job slip out of control instead of asking for help. She tried to cover these problems by avoiding those closest to her.
I liked this half of the book a lot.

My issue was with the second half of this novel when it simply because stock romance novel Irish guy and witty banner that wasn't actually all that witty. Everyone but my mother knows the original Life on Mars show is better than the remake, but both series endings were rubbish. Cheese and onion crisps are tasty, but they aren't a patch on paprika chips I got in Germany. It didn't help I pictured this guy and not Michael Fassbender as Liam.

Hey, she said he wasn't Hollywood good looking but an apparent less accepted version of hotness in Irish tv.
I was not charmed by Liam. He was the boring guy who tells a girl not to get attached and whines about his ex girlfriend. The mix signal guy is not my favourite.
While Liam was flawed the dead boyfriend was not flawed enough. I'll forgive the rose coloured lenses of how we view dead people, but as far as the love story went this was a problem.

This book did not affect me the same emotionally on the actual dead guy, Bastian, unfortunately. Who was he? He wasn't as realised as other dead characters such as Alina from The Fever Series or Uncle Joe from The Piper's Son. Their loss was palpable on every page. I felt I knew those people just from how the other characters talked about them.
The French film Blue dealt with a woman whose husband had died. Her grief was cut by learning he had an affair during their marriage and how this changed what she thought she had with him. Blue is my favourite film about grief while The Piper's Son is my favourite novel on the subject.

Come See About Me could have had more impact had he simply dumped her. My mom has a viewpoint that it is better when someone dies than leave you. She thinks it hurts less if they don't choose to leave you. I disagree with this statement wholeheartedly. What about everyone else in their life?
I guess the happy resolution was Leah finding someone else that bothered me. My older sister's phrase used to be "The only way to get over a guy is to get under another one." [She no longer feels it is acceptable to use someone. The love triangle in Twilight bothered her for that reason.]
This makes this relationship come off very Bella Swann. Leah admits to mourning being in a relationship as much as missing Bastian. The story could have fit the tale of being dumped just as easily.

I felt utterly nothing for Liam or his problems. Scratch my idea about her being dumped. We could have had two Liam's with that storyline. That arc was there as she was essentially a succession of women he slept with to get over his girlfriend. Not at all romantic. I did not swoon over this couple. The scene where she asked Bastian out was sweet by comparison.

There is something to be said that her hamster did not die. I thought he was a goner when she hoped nothing would happen to Albertson. That is usually a death warrant for a pet. Take a look at the film Willard or the tv show Strangers with Candy if you doubt me. I fretted for the little guy whenever Leah would forget to take his wheel out of his cage that he'd be dead. There was a sadly hilarious scene in an Australian tv show called Halifax about a guy who loses his friends and coworkers to a gunmen attack. He finds his dog dead on Christmas and discovers the generic rat poison is next to the same generic blue dog food box. He had poisoned his dog. I was afraid poor Leah would come home from the British speciality shop she worked in to find the little guy dead. I'd have cried over his death. I felt I did know all about little Albertson and his habits.
I have quite a sad story about a bear hamster named Pansy Parkinson. She was eaten by my dalmation, Fox, who puked her up in my bed. It was sad and gross. The moral of the story is not to name your hamster after Harry Potter characters. My older sister's hamsters Harry and Hermione did not meet nice ends either. Fox's nickname used to be dinky dudderdums like Dudley Dursley. He was fat and had watery blue eyes.

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions) · Rating 4 out of 5]

After being impressed with the intensity of C.K. Kelly Martin’s young adult novels, I was really curious to try her new adult Come See About Me. As expected, Come See About Me has all the grit and sexiness of the typical new adult novel, but also takes on everything in a very true to life, sincere, and healthy way. Though a romance in its way, Come See About Me is primarily the story of a young woman seeking to find herself again after the loss of a loved one. Powerful and sexy, Come See About Me features all of the elements I’ve always loved about Martin’s writing.

Read the full review at A Reader of Fictions.

[Ashley - Book Labyrinth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! 'Come See About Me' contained so many aspects that I love, including that it...

- Fits into the new adult category
- Has a Canadian setting, more specifically Toronto & Oakville, so it basically felt like reading a book about home
- Contains a whole lot of UK & Ireland love, with Leah working at a imported goods store, and with Liam, an Irish actor
- Has a famous actor on the down-low subplot (yes, I am totally smitten with these types of plots, and Liam fits the bill oh so well)

Besides all these aspects that I always fall for, I just couldn't help but be drawn into the emotion of the story. You almost ache with loss yourself as you read about Leah trying to deal with the death of her boyfriend. You see how unhealthy Leah's lifestyle has become, and yet you can understand why she feels so lost and alone, because you see through her recollections how strongly she and Bastien felt about each other.

Equally emotional is the slow burning connection that Leah makes with Liam, who is also dealing with pain and loss of his own. I feel like the way they connected was so realistic, because neither of them started out wanting to let someone in emotionally. They couldn't deal with something serious or long term, so they connected in the way they felt was practical. Of course as the reader you can see their feelings weaving together under the surface into something more.

This book was so perfect for me in this moment, so I'm so glad I picked it up. C.K. Kelly Martin has an immense talent for writing layered characters who you root for and relationships that are absolutely beautiful. I can easily label 'Come See About Me' as a favourite of 2012 because of the connection I felt with the characters and the setting.

Note: I feel like I should mention, because I mostly just review YA, that 'Come See About Me' is a new adult book with quite a bit of sexual content. I feel like it was done tastefully, and it was important to the story and the characters, but I did want to bring that up since I know not everyone prefers to read it. You can read a great guest post from C.K. here on A Tapestry of Words where she discusses older characters, the concept of new adult, and the sexual content in the book.

[Autumn Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow...this was an emotional story. My heart broke for Leah. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose someone you love in such a devastating way. She was lost without Bastian. Then she meets Liam and she starts to allow herself to heal. While their relationship certainly had it's obstacles, I really liked them as a couple. I also love that the author made it clear that while Leah was moving on, she never lost her memories of Bastian.

I'd definitely recommend this one. It is a bit sad, but the story is about healing, love, and self discovery. This was the first book I've read by this author and I will definitely check out her other books.

[Mariachiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Titolo: Come and see about me

Autore: C. K. Kelly Martin

Inedito in italiano

Trama: Leah ha appena vent’anni ed il suo fidanzato è morto in uno stupido incidente. Tutti intorno a lei, la compiangono certo, ma al tempo stesso vorrebbero vederla riprendersi, mentre lei invece vorrebbe solo fermare il tempo e stare aggrappata con le unghie e con i denti al passato. Ha avuto così poco tempo con lui, poco ma abbastanza per sapere con certezza che se solo avessero avuto questa possibilità il loro amore sarebbe durato. Sarebbero state una di quelle copie fortunate ancora innamorate come il primo giorno, anche dopo vent’anni di matrimonio. Oh non era cieca ai suoi difetti, ma erano semplicemente compatibili sotto ogni aspetto, fisico, caratteriale, umorale…. quasi perfetti assieme…(non è secondario credo il fatto che entrambi erano vergini prima di incontrarsi) e ora tutto è svanito per sempre.

Leah cade in uno stato catatonico, non va più all’università, perde il suo lavoro part time al museo, sta chiusa in casa e non parla più né con parenti né con amici. L’unica cosa che riesce smuoverla da questo suo coma è il fatto che i soldi stanno finendo e non può permettersi di continuare a vivere nell’appartamento in cui conviveva col suo ragazzo, né può credere i soldi ai suoi genitori visto che lo vogliono che torni a casa a vivere con loro e veda uno psicologo. Un aiuto inaspettato le arriva dalla zia di Bastien, il suo ragazzo, vedova, che comprende meglio di tutti il suo dolore e il suo non volere tornare dai suoi per rimanere meglio attaccata al ricordo di lui, e si offre di ospitarla nella sua casa di campagna.

Questo smuove Leah che finalmente inscatola le cose di Bastien, ne manda un po’ alla madre di lui, e un po’ le tiene, e si trasferisce dalla zia di lui. Qui per rispetto verso di lei e fingere con lei di stare bene è attenta a prendersi meglio cura di se stessa, si lava, pulisce, mangia (ma molto poco) esce, risponde sempre alle telefonate dei suoi….è ancora catatonica ma si sforza. E piano piano la finzione diventa reale e parlare con altre persone inizia a pesarle di meno. I vicini sono amichevoli, le o0ffrono un lavoro part time e quasi senza accorgersene Leh riscopre un poco la vita. E’ diversa da prima, molto, ma è viva e il suo corpo, quasi contro la sua volontà ha dei bisogni. Così quando incontra un bel ragazzo, dapprima gli è indifferente, poi la terza volta che lo vede distaccata si accorge che è molto bello, e la quinta volta si accorge anche come il suo corpo reagisca alla sua vicinanza.

Lui è Liam, un attore televisivo che si è rifugiato in campagna ed in Canada per fuggire allo scandalo che lo ha colpito in Irlanda, la sua fidanzata l’ha tradito con un suo collega e lui per ripicca è andato con un’altra collega e poi una grupie che ha spifferato si internet cose un tantino private. Mentre Leah vorrebbe riacciuffare i passato, lui vorrebbe cancellarlo, entrambi sono stati scottati anche se in modo diverso ed entrambi vorrebbero essere lasciati soli ed in pace ed invece ogni volta che si vedono finiscono per parlare troppo, e di cose troppo intime.

Sanno che è sbagliato avvicinarsi ma non riescono a farne a meno….

La mia opinione: credo che la mia trama non renda a pieno la realtà del romanzo, ho tentato ma è difficile riassumere il contenuto in modo da farvi vedere quanto sia in realtà incisivo e realistico.

Vi potrei raccontare la prima volta che Liam e Leah finiscono a letto insieme, pur senza neppure sapere il cognome luno dell’altra, e facendolo in piedi contro un trono in un parco, senza nessun piacere se non puramente fisico, e un certo dolore e come il desiderio per poco obliteri ricordi che però sono sempre lì e non li spenga o come poi Leah venga accetti in qualche modo questi suoi bisogni convincendosi che ciò non cambia i suoi sentimenti per Bastien, la vede come una pazzia momentanea e la rimpiange specie visto che le tocca prendere la pillola del giorno dopo….ma mente a se stessa. Non esiste rapporto,anche fisico, che non implichi anche sentimenti e dovrà rendersene conto. E ciò che rimpiange di Bastien è veramente lui o la possibilità di qualcosa che le è stata tolta? Può amarlo ancora e al tempo stesso volere Liam senza tradire la sua memoria? Liam e Leah rappresentano due solitudini volontarie che però incontrandosi smettono di voler essere tali in parte consciamente in parte no. Non cercano un rapporto serio, non vogliono sentimenti, ma neppure si tratta solo di sesso… vogliono compagnia in un momento nero e trovandola non vogliono rinunciarci, ma di sentimenti si tratta…

E’ un libro dolce, scorrevole e pieno di significati al tempo stesso, mostra la risalita dal dolore in modo diverso dal solito, e la rinascita prima fisica e poi psicologica, o forse le due in contemporanea…è semplice e complesso al tempo stesso, la sua semplicità è solo apparente,. L’argomento seppur con lievità è trattato profondamente e il fatto di aver scelto una protagonista di giovane età rende il tutto più fresco, attuale, più facile immedesimarsi. Il dolore è sempre dolore, ma leggendolo, mi sono sentita più partecipe del dolore di Leah, che non di dolori di altre protagoniste di libri che trattano sempre di lutti. Leah è un personaggio che non si può non amare E’ dignitosa nel suo dolore, che tiene dentro, leggendo i suoi pensieri ne siamo partecipi. Lei è consapevole i stare affondando ad ogni passo, mentre sarà meno consapevole della risalita…..

E poi ci sono tante piccole cose fantastiche in questo libro che lo rendono un piccolo gioiello: il piccolo criceto di Leah e Bastien con la sua ossessione maniacale della ruota su cui corre fino a stordirsi se nessuno gliela toglie e che con i suoi bisogni tiene Leah legata al presente, il libro Il racconto dell’Ancella di Margaret Atwood che Leah porta sempre con sé perché lo stava leggendo prima di morire, lei non riesce a concentrarsi abbastanza per leggerlo all’inizio, ma lo apre a caso e ne legge frasi staccate che però sembrano legate alla sua vita attuale e guidarla, poi c’è il manga che Bastien non ha avuto tempo di completare su un ragazzo trasformato in sirenetto e che Leah vorrebbe completare….poi le amiche di Leah: una asiatica, molto seria a tenace che non accetta che Leah scompaia dalla sua vita e non smette di cercarla, ma che ha un pessimo gusto in fato di ragazzi poiché le piacciono i tuttofare muscolosi, e un’altra amica che è sempre pacata tranne quando va ad un concerto,lì si trasforma in un’assatanata che urla strepita e rischi di dare il suo numero o peggio al primo rocker che passa……..poi ci sono i clienti del negozio di specialità inglesi dove Leah trova lavoro tutti gentili che le prestano dvd di telefilm inglesi……

Insomma il libro non parla solo di Leah e Liam, ma è un insieme di tanti personaggi e spunti interessanti, che insieme a Leah e Liam costruiscono un piccolo capolavoro.

Nel caso non si fosse

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grief and loss are two of the hardest things to write about. It can seem so fake sometimes, when characters cry and give speeches about what someone’s life meant to them. It might even feel staged, like the writer took the Kubler-Ross model as a law and had to hit on each one before the story could end. In those ways, it can be difficult to read about grief and loss, especially if you’ve been through something and nothing rings true.

But it’s even harder when it’s all so real, and that’s how it was with Come See About Me. The way Leah recounts the start of her relationship with Bastien, and the tidbits of their happiness laced throughout the story makes it hurt even more. C. K. Kelly Martin doesn’t just give us snapshots, she thrusts the photo album of Leah & Bastien into our hands. The reader cannot look away from the way they were not just together, but truly a couple. After a segue about Bastien and Leah’s experiments with cooking, you understand how in love with being together they truly were. The weight of Leah’s loss settles deep inside your chest for the duration of the book. His memory lingers with her, right down to the book she carries, but doesn’t always read. You’re in for the long haul.

When you get to the end, the weight isn’t completely gone, but it’s lighter. You know there’s hope for Leah, and it’s hard not to be proud of how far she’s come, and how far she’ll go. She never really forgets Bastien – because when someone is that much a part of your life, you don’t ever forget them – and that makes the ending all the more satisfying.

At the beginning of the story, Leah is staying at the residence of her dead ex-boyfriend’s kind aunt, Abigail. Abigail suffered a loss of her own, and -- thankfully, for Leah, for the reader, too – understands that you can’t just roll out of bed with a happy look on your face and pretend it’s going to be all right. Also thankfully for Leah, Abigail is rarely at the house, which means she has room to breathe, to cope and grieve on her own terms. It’s been a bit since Bastien’s death, and subsequently, Leah has let contact with reality fizzle out. Her job’s gone, her friends have been put on hold, and no matter how hard her parents try, she won’t let them know what’s really going on. Because, according to Leah,

“Why was it okay for me to curl up in a ball with a physical sickness but not with a broken heart?”


Make it through the first few chapters, in which Leah is lost inside her head, and on the other side, you’ll see the “real” start of the story. That’s not to ignore her grief, but rather that even Leah knew, deep inside, when it was time to try-to-try again. True to C. K. Kelly Martin’s spot-on ability to pen emotions, Leah’s depression doesn’t fade the instant there’s a glimmer of hope. In fact, it’s more like the glimmers might be illusions, and Leah has a hard time deciding what’s real, and what’s not. She paces herself, makes small goals for herself. But then walks in the Irish man, Liam.

I don’t say that in the way that it could come off. Liam doesn’t walk in, sweep Leah off her feet, and cure her of her grief. He doesn’t swoop in after a chance meeting in a bar, make her fall in love with his accent, and carry her back to Ireland to be happy for eternity. No, it starts off slow, and as they gain momentum, the heat between them burns more urgently with every page. The desire and need for a connection, for that specific connection, is crystal clear – and achingly realistic, right down to Leah’s shock at the physical pain she feels from their first time together. Oh, how I love C. K. Kelly Martin for not shying away from the sexual needs someone feels even after losing their love. In a way, that’s what took things to the next level for me, as I read. Because Leah could go on forever about being sad, and she could talk to Bastien in her sleep, but that sexual urgency that still lingered was something that served as an even greater reminder that she didn’t just lose a boyfriend, she lost her lover.

Leah wobbles around on shaky ground for a while, and because you’ve grown to care so much about her getting better, you root for her. You root for her to get better, to reconnect with society, with herself, and with her own family and friends. By the end, you know in your heart that she’s come a long way. Even the rest of the supporting cast, from the charming 15-year-old Kevin, to the friendly women in the house next door, and Leah’s college friends, show up to gently push Leah in the right direction. Yunhee is perhaps the most persistent, telling Leah that everyone wants her to be okay more than once. Leah doesn’t always resist, but she grows weary of it:

“I know that. But I know it from the other side. The pressure that people heap on you when they need you to be all right because they don’t know how to handle it if you’re not.”


The beauty of a character like Leah is that, if you have someone like C. K. Kelly Martin writing you, you’re going to spring to life from the pages. See, it’s not all about big moments in time interspersed with the occasional conversation or event. We get to know Leah through everything she does – her walks through town, curling up to fade away in front of the television, avoiding her friends, hanging out with her friends, and even what she does while she’s working. We learn what she likes and dislikes organically, like her distaste for shrimp, and it never feels staged or hokey. These bits of reality, woven together with Martin’s sincerity and artfulness, form someone you really, truly care about. The caring is what stays with you, long after you’re done.

I don’t cry when I read books. I think the only time I came close was when Dobby died in Harry Potter, and that lasted for moments. But there were moments in Come See About Me that I couldn’t hold it back. Leah’s longing for Bastien – in one scene, she narrates “I want to bite my hand in frustration and pace the streets looking for him, because after all these months, I still don’t understand how he can be gone” – is so raw, full of heartache, and gutting that I couldn’t help myself. It happened again and again, right up until the ending.

If you’ve ever suffered the loss of someone you were that kind of close with, be careful with Come See About Me. You might see yourself in Leah’s reaction. Or, if someone close to you has suffered that loss, you might see them. If that’s the case, I hope you understand. It’s not always like that, but it can be.

If you’ve never read a novel by C. K. Kelly Martin, I want you to pick this one up. I'd like to thank the author again for giving me a copy to review.

[laaaaames · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited about this book because I love Martin's writing so much. She has a real way with capturing humanity in people, for better or for worse. She's also written in such a sex positive manner, that even when people were making mistakes no one was demonized, and sex itself was never presented as an issue. So obviously I couldn't wait to read her tackling an adult book.

And I was right to be excited, because this book is lovely. There's so much rawness here: grief and anger and lust. There's pain and there's healing, and all of it feels earned and organic.

I really hope New Adult becomes a genre people respect, because it's kind of ridiculous this had to be self-published. I mean, good on Martin for forging on, but I think it's crazy to wonder if there's an audience for books about characters in their early 20s. OF COURSE THERE IS.

(read: 42)

[mrsj · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 3.5 read for this one.

I would have love to hate it but I would have hate not to love it.

The first few chapters were rough for me as it was kind of depressing reading Leah basically throwing her life away and living with her head in the sand after the death of her boyfriend, Bastien.
I get it.
But reading about it for a few chapters? It rubs me in the wrong way.
However, she had slowly "recover" by not avoiding human contacts and contacting her friends and even met Liam.

Liam... Sometimes, I don't think I will ever know how a man's mind works.
It's messy and confusing yet the thing he did at the ending?
*melts*

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have already read two of Martin's YA novels both of which were excellent, so this move into (new?) adult and only (?) as an ebook is both interesting and significant.

Martin's writing is both assured and emotive. This is another novel about grief and loss (and I truly believe I have read enough of these this year). Leah's descent into despair is sublimely depicted. And her subsequent journey back to the land of living (& loving) is understated, yet powerful.

This is the work of a truly capable writer. Highly recommended.

[Jenny - TotallybookedBlog · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this book. I was in the mood for something emotional, something that would strike a chord and this sounded perfect.

Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me. I just couldn't connect to Leah. The book picked up when Liam came on the scene, but by that time I had got a bit fed up with Leah and couldn't find the emotion in the story.

[Kathleen Peacock · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully written, honest, and raw portrayal of a girl slowly putting her life back together after a catastrophic loss. C.K. Kelly Martin doesn't gloss over or sugar-coat Leah's journey--it's at times painful and messy like when Leah and Liam first sleep together--which makes the glimmers of hope throughout the story all the more poignant.

[Jolene Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm totally biased because I love CK Kelly Martin's writing ;-D

THAT being said, this started a TAD slow, but picked up fast, and was SOOooo worth it.

Great read, and another great book to add to the New Adult genre that I LOVE.

[Amanda Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

i liked this book alot (close to 5 stars) but the beginning was slow dragged on a bit to much for my taste knocking it down a star. I would still recommend reading this

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5, really, but rounding up because a million bonus points for not pandering to my standard human emotions when it comes to death and actually making me care about the individual characters the death affects and their specific circumstance.

This book came highly recommended to me by one of my good friends, and it's clear why. When it comes to writing a character coping with grief, C.K. Kelly Martin gets it. It's not sunshine and rainbows, it's not the hot troubled guy comes in and puts a band-aid on the past and you ride off into the sunset on a unicorn, and it's not gimmicky and cheesy and hackneyed.

We meet Leah at her lowest. And while usually it's hard to connect to a character whose so withdrawn and shut off, there's still an closeness between the reader and Leah. Because even though we see her at her worst point, through that time we also see her at all her highs--as we immediately get a lot of the history of her relationship with Bastien in the early chapters. It brings us up to the present, makes us understand Leah's feelings, and keeps us from throwing in the towel because we're not closed from the why's and who's until too late in the book when it's hard to see why I should care now (which, if you read my previous review, you'll understand makes me lose interest fast, especially when it comes to a missing/dead character). We get to see how she and Bastien were together, what their relationship was like, and as such, we connect with Leah's loss, which is brilliant.

The other thing I loved is that, while yes, this is a book about grieving and loss, I wasn't just sad and sympathetic with Leah because of that. Unlike in some books that handle these topics, I cared about these particular characters and their particular journey. It wasn't just like, "Oh, that's so sad. I like Leah because if I don't like her that makes me a bad person because she's been through so much." I wanted to see Leah be able to move on because she deserves it, just like anyone whose lost a loved one deserves. It's hard and it's painful, and C.K. Kelly Martin doesn't brush aside the crucial details. Grief affects a lot more than just the people immediately impacted. It affects people in various ways. Sometimes, you get over it and sometimes, it eats you up for months, and one way isn't more socially acceptable over the other. That's what we see in Leah's story, and I love Martin for writing it as excellently as she did.

But, having said all that, I wish I could've liked it more. And it's not any fault of the author's because the story being mostly kept in Leah's had makes perfect sense for what's gone through. I understand why the story was more told to us than shown, but that's just something I'm turned off by as a reader. We get to see straight into Leah's head, her character development, her wants and needs, which is great and ideal for the purpose of the story, but I also feel like because of that, we miss out on a lot. Although Leah tells us so much about the other characters in the novel, I felt a distance from them because we don't see them as much as we hear about them. Even her relationship with Liam is mostly told to us rather than seeing it "in the moment," as there's not much dialogue shared anywhere across the book. Their relationship still feels just as honest as all the other writing, but I wish we could've seen more of it. Just like I wish we could have seen more in general because I'll admit, at slower points in the book, I was tempted to skim. Didn't, but I was tempted.

And again, like I said, this is totally a personal preference thing and in no way a judgment of Martin's writing of the book because for the story that she's telling, she handles it expertly and so honestly that it almost frustrating because while you may want to see more from Leah (as her friends and family do), you know exactly why she's not there, why she can't bring herself to connect, and it hurts because it's so raw and real. And I think that shows how well Martin taps into human emotion because for as many times as I wanted Leah to finally wake up, I knew why she couldn't and a sympathized with her for that reason and it made me want all the more to see her finally be able to reclaim her own life.

So, this is definitely still a book I recommend, if not for anything else but the realness and rawness of Leah's journey. It'll stick with you, especially if it's a topic that hits close to home, and I know it's one I'm likely to read again down the line.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

A refreshing, if not perfect, book that includes a realistic central character with an authentic voice and universal problems.

Leah is in the midst of a debilitating depression following the death of her boyfriend several months ago. She rarely eats or leaves the apartment they shared and ignores her job, school and family and friends up to the point that she loses said job and nearly flunks out of school. Just as she's about to hit rock bottom, she is offered a temporary refuge by her boyfriend's aunt, who went through a similar situation when her husband died. Leah moves to a quiet town and stays in the aunt's spare house. It's this shelter, sense of anonymity and freedom from many of her obligations that allows Leah to finally get over her grief and move on.

Found about this story from a School Library Journal blog, which includes interesting commentary about the genesis of the book. Read the post here: Come See About Me.

What I most liked was the character's open, honest and unselfconscious narrative. Without ceremony or evasion, Leah describes her grief, ambivalence to her family and friends in the wake of her boyfriend's death and how she embarks on a casual relationship with a stranger following months of loneliness, numbness and boredom. I found Leah's frankness about her sexuality to be refreshing, as most women are still portrayed as either loathsome slags or saintly virgins in the best of literature. Leah personifies the real feelings and thoughts modern women have about life. While she's conflicted about many of the decisions she makes, Leah shares the details with the reader without reservation. In fact, the narrative style felt like an extended, open diary.

This narrative style certainly lent to giving Leah a realistic voice, but at times her descriptions dragged a bit. There was absolutely no stylistic nuance to this story even though it was extremely easy reading. I liked how cut and dry Leah could be, but at times I didn't know why I was receiving so many descriptions of her pet hamster or what happened between Leah and a friend the reader never actually meets on the page. I also was unsure why the Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood played such a huge role.

Overlong descriptions aside, I ultimately found the book effective in portraying Leah's battle with grief and her foray into figuring out what it means to lead an adult life. I found the ending a little eye-roll-inducing, but I thought Leah dealt with most of the situations she faced with maturity. When she acted irrationally, I felt she at least behaved realistically for her age and given those situations.

Also, big thumbs up to the author for including a non-judgmental and matter-of-fact use of the morning-after pill. Leah and her partner fail to use contraception during their first encounter, and rather than just wait around hoping she isn't pregnant, she immediately seeks out a legal and effective form of birth control without catching hell from anybody about it. I suppose mention of the morning-after pill is a political statement in itself, but the author did a good job of dealing with it like Leah was taking any other medication for any other medical condition.

Final note: this book is a bit more detailed about sex than your average YA book. While the characters are adults, I don't think this story is meant for mature adults. This is for upper high school and college students. I'm long out of college and I'm not going to lie - my eyes goggled a few times while reading this. But that's not a criticism - it's just a story meant for mature readers.