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A Singular Perspective: Cari's View
The pursuit of love is said to be idyllic, but for Carisma Carter it may prove to be destructive.
Carisma, or Cari, as she is known by those closest to her, is on a journey to figure out who she is and her place in the world. Her parents have instilled in her the importance of achievement and she's determined to attain her dreams and make them proud. This theory is tested from her first day of high school when she meets someone who shakes her reality to the core and sets in place what will become the pattern of her love and pain.
On her journey to adulthood, everything that she has been taught and believes is tested, especially when life snatches away someone closest to her heart, and long-kept family secrets are finally revealed.
Can Cari still become who she thought she would be in the world, or will the ache of heartbreaks alter her path? Will she and her family find healing, or will the bonds they believe they've built be destroyed by the quest?
Carisma, or Cari, as she is known by those closest to her, is on a journey to figure out who she is and her place in the world. Her parents have instilled in her the importance of achievement and she's determined to attain her dreams and make them proud. This theory is tested from her first day of high school when she meets someone who shakes her reality to the core and sets in place what will become the pattern of her love and pain.
On her journey to adulthood, everything that she has been taught and believes is tested, especially when life snatches away someone closest to her heart, and long-kept family secrets are finally revealed.
Can Cari still become who she thought she would be in the world, or will the ache of heartbreaks alter her path? Will she and her family find healing, or will the bonds they believe they've built be destroyed by the quest?
288 pages, Paperback
Published May 5, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 20, 2026
Thank you Colossal Dreams Publishing and the author for sending me this book for my honest book review.
I’m conflicted! I want to give this book five stars, but I need someone to tell me if the ending is a cliffhanger to get us ready for book 2, or is that it? Because if that’s it, I have questions as long as a Walgreens receipt.
What a beautiful coming of age love story. This book is an urban sapphic romance around a beautiful young woman named Cari. You follow Cari from her teenage years to adulthood, and you get swept up in her life. Her mother is an Afro-Latina and her father is an African American who converted to Islam. It’s important to know because their teachings about love and self worth is truly undeniable. I appreciate how the author focused on love and self identity to religious teachings so the reader may learn a little about how other religions view the value of oneself.
Cari comes come a rather large family and she is surrounded by four cousins she considers her siblings. These cousins help Cari navigate her life through their point of view on the world. A great concept as it prepares us to learn more about the Carter cousins in the authors future books.
Triggers in this book are as follows
Death
Emotional abuse
Thoughts of self harm
Suicide
While this book may not be for everyone, it was for me. I read this book in a day, and I can’t wait to read more about the Carter cousins. I just need to know if there will be a continuation of Cari’s story because that ending was diabolical!!
Thank you Shay Bryce for entrusting me with your debut novel. Again I want to give it 5 stars, but the ending has me flummoxed 😂. 4.25⭐️
I’m conflicted! I want to give this book five stars, but I need someone to tell me if the ending is a cliffhanger to get us ready for book 2, or is that it? Because if that’s it, I have questions as long as a Walgreens receipt.
What a beautiful coming of age love story. This book is an urban sapphic romance around a beautiful young woman named Cari. You follow Cari from her teenage years to adulthood, and you get swept up in her life. Her mother is an Afro-Latina and her father is an African American who converted to Islam. It’s important to know because their teachings about love and self worth is truly undeniable. I appreciate how the author focused on love and self identity to religious teachings so the reader may learn a little about how other religions view the value of oneself.
Cari comes come a rather large family and she is surrounded by four cousins she considers her siblings. These cousins help Cari navigate her life through their point of view on the world. A great concept as it prepares us to learn more about the Carter cousins in the authors future books.
Triggers in this book are as follows
Death
Emotional abuse
Thoughts of self harm
Suicide
While this book may not be for everyone, it was for me. I read this book in a day, and I can’t wait to read more about the Carter cousins. I just need to know if there will be a continuation of Cari’s story because that ending was diabolical!!
Thank you Shay Bryce for entrusting me with your debut novel. Again I want to give it 5 stars, but the ending has me flummoxed 😂. 4.25⭐️
May 15, 2026
Received free book through Goodreads Giveaway
First, I really enjoyed the book. The emotions were real and well written. With that said, I absolutely hated the ending. What am I saying? There was no ending … it just stopped! Why? The ending was extremely unsatisfying. You can’t even call it a cliffhanger, because you don’t know if the next book will have any answers. I may change my mind if I take a chance and read the next book. Obviously it resonated with me, since I have such strong emotions; that indicates a good book. 4 stars overall for me-5 stars for the story and 1 star for the ending.
First, I really enjoyed the book. The emotions were real and well written. With that said, I absolutely hated the ending. What am I saying? There was no ending … it just stopped! Why? The ending was extremely unsatisfying. You can’t even call it a cliffhanger, because you don’t know if the next book will have any answers. I may change my mind if I take a chance and read the next book. Obviously it resonated with me, since I have such strong emotions; that indicates a good book. 4 stars overall for me-5 stars for the story and 1 star for the ending.
May 5, 2026
Gifted ARC from the Author
I truly enjoyed how this perspective of the story was told. This is a sapphic, coming of age story that follows Cari. Charisma is on a journey of learning who she is. She’s labeled as the “perfect” daughter, who maintains all her parent’s dreams and visions of her. We witness the transformative times of Cari’s life starting with her freshman high of high school. I love that the author includes religion, sexual orientation, gender fluidity, race/ethnicity, and grief journey. This is truly a singular perspective and one that is filled with raw, rage, angst, etc.
I love how we get the opportunity to see Cari’s worldview of her travels and how it makes her view the world differently especially before she goes to college. The author truly gives us the raw feelings of Cari as she navigates college, grief, pain.
I truly enjoyed how this perspective of the story was told. This is a sapphic, coming of age story that follows Cari. Charisma is on a journey of learning who she is. She’s labeled as the “perfect” daughter, who maintains all her parent’s dreams and visions of her. We witness the transformative times of Cari’s life starting with her freshman high of high school. I love that the author includes religion, sexual orientation, gender fluidity, race/ethnicity, and grief journey. This is truly a singular perspective and one that is filled with raw, rage, angst, etc.
I love how we get the opportunity to see Cari’s worldview of her travels and how it makes her view the world differently especially before she goes to college. The author truly gives us the raw feelings of Cari as she navigates college, grief, pain.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I absolutely loved this book. I felt all of the emotions that Cari was going through. The story was captivating from the onset and needed to know how it would all end. Also, the cousins are great characters. Klaus might be my favorite, but then Ant and Tati are also dynamic characters who are easy to connect with. I can't choose! The depth and journey that we went on. Whew! Everyone should read it immediately.
*Also, I'm a little biased because I wrote it, (haha)*
*Also, I'm a little biased because I wrote it, (haha)*
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of this book from the author. I went into this book blind and was pleasantly surprised. It’s so good! I love a good coming of age story and this one did not disappoint. I’m excited to read more from this author.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews