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What I Saw
One punch will shatter a town. But is anyone ready for the consequences of telling the truth? A stunning new YA novel about the complicated romance between a girl with everything on the line and a boy with nothing to lose following a king hit incident that leaves the high school golden boy in a coma, from the author of FAKE.
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First published March 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
February 24, 2016
What I Saw, unfortunately, was a lot more cliched than I wanted. While I guess the concept itself isn't exactly something unique, I wanted there to be a bit of a fresh take on the issues of rumour vs truth. Instead the book felt like something I'd read many a time before.
We did get some focus on the importance of family, with both protagonists taking on different angles of protecting, or prioritising, their family members. In Rhett's case, there isn't really anyone looking after his family, and so he becomes the cliched "jaded" bad boy who trusts no one and has a vulnerability that's ready to be exploited by a "special someone". On the other hand, Callie is overburdened by the expectations of her family and becomes the cliched "perfect" daughter who secretly wants to do her own thing and therefore jumps at the chance to start a romance with the mysterious bad boy.
I found that Callie and Rhett's voices weren't overly distinct, and I didn't feel like either of them particularly drew me in. Because I couldn't connect to either of them, I also felt quite detached while reading the romance, which was quite speedy anyway. I mostly felt like I was observing rather than experiencing throughout the novel. The entire plot was quite linear, with everything ending at exactly the point I expected it would.
To be honest, I probably wouldn't recommend this to most people, especially if you've read many contemporary novels. It just wasn't unique enough to leave a lasting impression.
Ratings
Overall: 6/10
Plot: 2/5
Romance: 2.5/5
Writing: 3/5
Characters: 2/5
Cover: 1/5
We did get some focus on the importance of family, with both protagonists taking on different angles of protecting, or prioritising, their family members. In Rhett's case, there isn't really anyone looking after his family, and so he becomes the cliched "jaded" bad boy who trusts no one and has a vulnerability that's ready to be exploited by a "special someone". On the other hand, Callie is overburdened by the expectations of her family and becomes the cliched "perfect" daughter who secretly wants to do her own thing and therefore jumps at the chance to start a romance with the mysterious bad boy.
I found that Callie and Rhett's voices weren't overly distinct, and I didn't feel like either of them particularly drew me in. Because I couldn't connect to either of them, I also felt quite detached while reading the romance, which was quite speedy anyway. I mostly felt like I was observing rather than experiencing throughout the novel. The entire plot was quite linear, with everything ending at exactly the point I expected it would.
To be honest, I probably wouldn't recommend this to most people, especially if you've read many contemporary novels. It just wasn't unique enough to leave a lasting impression.
Ratings
Overall: 6/10
Plot: 2/5
Romance: 2.5/5
Writing: 3/5
Characters: 2/5
Cover: 1/5
February 21, 2016
I’ve never read Beck Nicholas before but I’ve heard only awesome things about her novel Fake. So naturally when I was offered a copy of her new novel, What I Saw, my fingers leapt so quickly over the keyboard I lost a few of the letterings! I’m enjoying reading the odd YA book as they deal with issues directly (none of this faffing about adults are so great at!) and aren’t afraid to tackle difficult subjects. What I Saw takes contentious issues from the headlines and turns it into an interesting, thought provoking read. But it’s also a sweet romance and an exploration of the labels people are tagged with so early in their life.
What I Saw is told from the first person point of view of Callie and Rhett. Initially, they are completely separated from each other in their relatively small town – nobody would dream of putting two opposites in the same room. Callie is the school captain, she’s a Good Girl® and she’s one half of the school’s power couple. Rhett is tagged the opposite – he’s a Bad Boy, not going anywhere except gaol. But are both these tags reasonable? We find out that Callie’s isn’t 100% early on in the book – she’s drunk too much spiked punch at the school dance after her boyfriend has failed to show and is throwing up in the bushes. Rhett is hiding out there and helps Callie out (sign #1 that he’s not a bad boy to the core). Rhett is also protective of his sister (another reason why he got his bad name) and works at the local vet after school. (Surely this would redeem him a little in the town’s eyes, but no – they see what they want to see. Having a father in gaol, a house on the wrong side of the tracks and a ‘lazy’ mother is enough to label him). When Scarlett (cool names here!) is about to be attacked by the school football team, Rhett stands up for her and the star player is king hit. Callie sees the entire thing. But why doesn’t she speak up immediately?
The king hit of Hayden is dealt with in an interesting way – it almost seems to be a school matter with the police on the fringes. This allows the characters to seek out revenge (and hopefully redemption in Rhett’s case) over the weekend before action is taken. And what a weekend it is – with alcohol, violence and a sweet romance developing between Callie and Rhett. The romance is a nice juxtaposition as the town rages as the football star Hayden lies in a coma. It slows everything down and puts it in perspective. I loved learning about Rhett’s past (really, he’s no bad boy) and Callie’s chequered history. I would have liked more page time for Rhett’s twin Scarlett. She seems like a quirky, funny girl with hidden talents who is unfairly slutshamed and marginalised in the town. Some chapters from her perspective would have been great (sequel perhaps?). The other supporting character Bree (Callie’s best friend) was intriguing too – she could be a two faced bitch, but also had the ability to be very mature and sensible. I’d love to know more about how she switched between the two (besides teen hormones!).
I’ve also written that the setting for What I Saw is Australia, but really it could be anywhere – a small town on the beach in America would easily fit the bill. The setting is quite generic and I’m not sure if that it is intentional to make the reader focus even more on the issues facing the characters. It’s only for the use of the words ‘mum’ and ‘uni’ (aka college) that I get the feeling it’s set in Australia.
The point of view switch between Callie and Rhett also showed how similar they are, even in their thoughts! It’s a bit of an instaromance when you consider the whole story takes place over less than four days, but hey, they’re so cute together that I’m happy to let that go. What I Saw is a story that balances the heavy with the sweet nicely and faces all the issues honestly. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to check out Fake.
Thank you Harlequin for the ARC of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
What I Saw is told from the first person point of view of Callie and Rhett. Initially, they are completely separated from each other in their relatively small town – nobody would dream of putting two opposites in the same room. Callie is the school captain, she’s a Good Girl® and she’s one half of the school’s power couple. Rhett is tagged the opposite – he’s a Bad Boy, not going anywhere except gaol. But are both these tags reasonable? We find out that Callie’s isn’t 100% early on in the book – she’s drunk too much spiked punch at the school dance after her boyfriend has failed to show and is throwing up in the bushes. Rhett is hiding out there and helps Callie out (sign #1 that he’s not a bad boy to the core). Rhett is also protective of his sister (another reason why he got his bad name) and works at the local vet after school. (Surely this would redeem him a little in the town’s eyes, but no – they see what they want to see. Having a father in gaol, a house on the wrong side of the tracks and a ‘lazy’ mother is enough to label him). When Scarlett (cool names here!) is about to be attacked by the school football team, Rhett stands up for her and the star player is king hit. Callie sees the entire thing. But why doesn’t she speak up immediately?
The king hit of Hayden is dealt with in an interesting way – it almost seems to be a school matter with the police on the fringes. This allows the characters to seek out revenge (and hopefully redemption in Rhett’s case) over the weekend before action is taken. And what a weekend it is – with alcohol, violence and a sweet romance developing between Callie and Rhett. The romance is a nice juxtaposition as the town rages as the football star Hayden lies in a coma. It slows everything down and puts it in perspective. I loved learning about Rhett’s past (really, he’s no bad boy) and Callie’s chequered history. I would have liked more page time for Rhett’s twin Scarlett. She seems like a quirky, funny girl with hidden talents who is unfairly slutshamed and marginalised in the town. Some chapters from her perspective would have been great (sequel perhaps?). The other supporting character Bree (Callie’s best friend) was intriguing too – she could be a two faced bitch, but also had the ability to be very mature and sensible. I’d love to know more about how she switched between the two (besides teen hormones!).
I’ve also written that the setting for What I Saw is Australia, but really it could be anywhere – a small town on the beach in America would easily fit the bill. The setting is quite generic and I’m not sure if that it is intentional to make the reader focus even more on the issues facing the characters. It’s only for the use of the words ‘mum’ and ‘uni’ (aka college) that I get the feeling it’s set in Australia.
The point of view switch between Callie and Rhett also showed how similar they are, even in their thoughts! It’s a bit of an instaromance when you consider the whole story takes place over less than four days, but hey, they’re so cute together that I’m happy to let that go. What I Saw is a story that balances the heavy with the sweet nicely and faces all the issues honestly. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to check out Fake.
Thank you Harlequin for the ARC of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
March 26, 2016
First of all, I would like to thank Harlequin Teen Australia for sending me a proof copy of this book – I’m incredibly grateful! <3 Now for the review…
Really disappointed to find out that so many people who read this really didn’t like it. I would have to say that I’m on the opposite end of the spectrum, as I found that this book was more entertaining and compelling than I originally gave it credit for.
You know when you really enjoy a book, and you can literally remember all the places you were while you were reading it? That was me. Admittedly that happens to me quite often (look at my average ratings…I freaking love everything), but I will be honest when I don’t like something. *coughs* Hot Gimmick *coughs*
ANYWAY… One of the main things I wanted to talk about, relating to the whole ‘why don’t people like this?’ statement is that, I know that if you’ve read those reviews, then you know that people didn’t really get why the main characters couldn’t just tell the police what really happened, because it wasn’t that big of a deal. I would have to disagree with that, because I’m that person who does all of that scholarship stuff, and is literally worried about how every. single. thing. I do will somehow affect my future – my future careers, in particular. That’s why I love Callie as one of the protagonists. She is worried about not only her own, but her brothers and even her parents careers, and although she definitely understands reason, she doesn’t want to ruin her family’s life in order to just save another guy’s (Rhett’s) life. *Note: Am I the only one who thinks of Rhett from Good Mythical Morning, whenever the name is mentioned anywhere?*
On the other hand, Rhett is this guy who has nothing, and as hard as he tries, he is always blamed for everything that goes/could go wrong. That is why when he is blamed for possibly killing a guy, I really feel for both him and Callie.
If it were me in Callie’s position, I would probably have done the exact same things as she did. I didn’t really see a way out of her situation, and I think what she did, got the best possible result. Am I missing something? Possibly. I’m just honestly not sure what else someone could do in that position. You have to take into account both your family and your morals. The last thing you want is a guilty conscience for the rest of your life – that helps no one.
I’m not sure what else I can say about this book. I really, really enjoyed it, though! The pacing was amazing and the characters were very realistic, even if some of the character voicings were possibly a little bit too similar in spots.
Definitely something I would recommend picking up, if you enjoy a good YA contemporary.
Really disappointed to find out that so many people who read this really didn’t like it. I would have to say that I’m on the opposite end of the spectrum, as I found that this book was more entertaining and compelling than I originally gave it credit for.
You know when you really enjoy a book, and you can literally remember all the places you were while you were reading it? That was me. Admittedly that happens to me quite often (look at my average ratings…I freaking love everything), but I will be honest when I don’t like something. *coughs* Hot Gimmick *coughs*
ANYWAY… One of the main things I wanted to talk about, relating to the whole ‘why don’t people like this?’ statement is that, I know that if you’ve read those reviews, then you know that people didn’t really get why the main characters couldn’t just tell the police what really happened, because it wasn’t that big of a deal. I would have to disagree with that, because I’m that person who does all of that scholarship stuff, and is literally worried about how every. single. thing. I do will somehow affect my future – my future careers, in particular. That’s why I love Callie as one of the protagonists. She is worried about not only her own, but her brothers and even her parents careers, and although she definitely understands reason, she doesn’t want to ruin her family’s life in order to just save another guy’s (Rhett’s) life. *Note: Am I the only one who thinks of Rhett from Good Mythical Morning, whenever the name is mentioned anywhere?*
On the other hand, Rhett is this guy who has nothing, and as hard as he tries, he is always blamed for everything that goes/could go wrong. That is why when he is blamed for possibly killing a guy, I really feel for both him and Callie.
If it were me in Callie’s position, I would probably have done the exact same things as she did. I didn’t really see a way out of her situation, and I think what she did, got the best possible result. Am I missing something? Possibly. I’m just honestly not sure what else someone could do in that position. You have to take into account both your family and your morals. The last thing you want is a guilty conscience for the rest of your life – that helps no one.
I’m not sure what else I can say about this book. I really, really enjoyed it, though! The pacing was amazing and the characters were very realistic, even if some of the character voicings were possibly a little bit too similar in spots.
Definitely something I would recommend picking up, if you enjoy a good YA contemporary.
February 24, 2016
I received this book for free through NetGalley
I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately it just wasn't for me - I didn't like the characters all that much - though Rhett was pretty cute - & the writing felt a bit all over the place. The alternating POV didn't annoy me too much however I don't think it was executed very well & I can see from another review that I wasn't the only one who sometimes forgot who was talking and what was going on. In saying that, morally, this book has a great message - don't punch people, it's not like the movies and people can die.
Maybe I was just in a weird mood when I read this and I might like it if I read it again but if you like YA contemporary, it might be worth a look.
I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately it just wasn't for me - I didn't like the characters all that much - though Rhett was pretty cute - & the writing felt a bit all over the place. The alternating POV didn't annoy me too much however I don't think it was executed very well & I can see from another review that I wasn't the only one who sometimes forgot who was talking and what was going on. In saying that, morally, this book has a great message - don't punch people, it's not like the movies and people can die.
Maybe I was just in a weird mood when I read this and I might like it if I read it again but if you like YA contemporary, it might be worth a look.
March 3, 2016
This review also appears on Happy Indulgence. Check it out for more reviews!
What I Saw has an important message about doing the right thing and being true to yourself. This book is about the issue of alcohol-fuelled violence and coward punches, which is a prevalent issue in Australia right now. While I really enjoyed and appreciated that the author brought this issue to light, I did have a few qualms about the book.
But let’s address the elephant in the room first, which are the similarities between What I Saw and What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler. I read What We Saw a couple months ago and when I first heard about What I Saw, I was a little bit taken aback by how similar the titles and the premises of the books were. Both of these books feature a horrific incident that is caused by the popular footballers of a small town. These footballers all come from respected families, while the victims/people who have been wrongly accused come from families who are frowned upon and ostracised by everybody else. Both books feature teachers who try to cover up the incident, and in both books, everybody trusts the word of the popular kids. It’s safe to say that I wasn’t very impressed with What I Saw for the first 50 or so pages because it was almost exactly like something else I had read before. However, What I Saw started to go off in a different direction and I was able to start enjoying it a bit more.
This book is about alcohol-fuelled violence and I thought it wasn’t explored well enough. There is an incident caused by a coward punch at the beginning of the book and an act of vandalism half way through the book, which I thought really shone a light on the issue of alcohol-fuelled violence and the consequences that drinking too much can have. However, I thought very little was done to really educate readers on what is appropriate behaviour and responsible drinking. I was missing the important messages that I thought needed to be included in a book about such a serious issue. The only message that I really got from the book, in regards to alcohol-fuelled violence was “don’t punch people when you’re drunk”, which wasn’t really enough, in my opinion. Instead of really focusing on the issue, the book is more about Callie’s internal struggle and development throughout the book, which is a great story but not enough to satisfy me.
I also thought that some aspects of the story were very unrealistic and I didn’t understand a lot of the decisions that the characters made. Rhett had almost no motivation to clear his name even though he didn’t commit the crime. He’s just resigned to being the bad guy and seemed reluctant to take any steps to clearing up the misunderstanding, despite his acknowledgement that his family depends on him. I was baffled by all of his mental and physical running away, and at times it felt super melodramatic. I also couldn’t understand Callie’s thought processes and why she continued to accept drinks from everyone when she felt guilty about drinking and ruining her scholarship chances. But what I couldn’t understand most of all was why charges hadn’t been pressed against Rhett, if everybody assumed he was the perpetrator. I thought it was super unrealistic that the parents of the victim of the one punch attack were constantly by his hospital bed but hadn’t pressed charges immediately. I feel like I spent the whole book waiting for things that, in my opinion, needed to happen to happen, but they never did and the story just never felt genuine or realistic to me.
I also couldn’t really get on board with the romance. It was extremely insta-lovey and things developed much too quickly. The timeline of the book spans about 3 days and I was just frustrated by how quickly things were happening. They go from being strangers to kissing within the span of a day and a half, and during this time, Callie even managed to break up with her douche of a boyfriend. It just seemed really unrealistic and I would’ve liked the book a lot more if it focused less on the romance and more on the important issues of alcohol and violence. In addition to the insta-love, what I didn’t like about the romance was the extra influence it had on Callie’s decision about coming forward with the truth. I would have much preferred if she had made her decision purely on what she believes is right, and not because she had feelings for Rhett. I mean, I liked that they got to know each other but it added a lot of unnecessary drama, especially when Rhett kept telling Callie that he won’t be mad if she doesn’t tell the truth and even encouraged her to hide the truth. WUT?!
Despite the criticisms that I have, I thought there was a lot to like about the book. I enjoyed the characters a lot, even though they were slightly cliched at times. They weren’t dislikeable and I liked the dynamics between the characters. I also liked that the book was written from dual perspectives. It gave me a chance to get to know both characters and it made it easier to understand some of the decisions they made (though some of them still had me baffled). Their voices could have been a little bit more distinct but I was never confused about whose perspective I was reading from.
Overall, I thought this was a solid book. It did contain a lot of elements that I’ve read in other contemporary novels but I was still able to appreciate what the author was trying to do. I appreciated that she tried to highlight a serious issue that we’ve been seeing a lot in the news and media, but I do wish that it was tackled a little bit better. There was a bit too much focus on the romance and the characters, and not enough on the issue that the author was trying to highlight.
What I Saw has an important message about doing the right thing and being true to yourself. This book is about the issue of alcohol-fuelled violence and coward punches, which is a prevalent issue in Australia right now. While I really enjoyed and appreciated that the author brought this issue to light, I did have a few qualms about the book.
But let’s address the elephant in the room first, which are the similarities between What I Saw and What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler. I read What We Saw a couple months ago and when I first heard about What I Saw, I was a little bit taken aback by how similar the titles and the premises of the books were. Both of these books feature a horrific incident that is caused by the popular footballers of a small town. These footballers all come from respected families, while the victims/people who have been wrongly accused come from families who are frowned upon and ostracised by everybody else. Both books feature teachers who try to cover up the incident, and in both books, everybody trusts the word of the popular kids. It’s safe to say that I wasn’t very impressed with What I Saw for the first 50 or so pages because it was almost exactly like something else I had read before. However, What I Saw started to go off in a different direction and I was able to start enjoying it a bit more.
This book is about alcohol-fuelled violence and I thought it wasn’t explored well enough. There is an incident caused by a coward punch at the beginning of the book and an act of vandalism half way through the book, which I thought really shone a light on the issue of alcohol-fuelled violence and the consequences that drinking too much can have. However, I thought very little was done to really educate readers on what is appropriate behaviour and responsible drinking. I was missing the important messages that I thought needed to be included in a book about such a serious issue. The only message that I really got from the book, in regards to alcohol-fuelled violence was “don’t punch people when you’re drunk”, which wasn’t really enough, in my opinion. Instead of really focusing on the issue, the book is more about Callie’s internal struggle and development throughout the book, which is a great story but not enough to satisfy me.
“There’s always a choice. You’re not responsible. You can’t take the blame for someone else’s mistake.”
I also thought that some aspects of the story were very unrealistic and I didn’t understand a lot of the decisions that the characters made. Rhett had almost no motivation to clear his name even though he didn’t commit the crime. He’s just resigned to being the bad guy and seemed reluctant to take any steps to clearing up the misunderstanding, despite his acknowledgement that his family depends on him. I was baffled by all of his mental and physical running away, and at times it felt super melodramatic. I also couldn’t understand Callie’s thought processes and why she continued to accept drinks from everyone when she felt guilty about drinking and ruining her scholarship chances. But what I couldn’t understand most of all was why charges hadn’t been pressed against Rhett, if everybody assumed he was the perpetrator. I thought it was super unrealistic that the parents of the victim of the one punch attack were constantly by his hospital bed but hadn’t pressed charges immediately. I feel like I spent the whole book waiting for things that, in my opinion, needed to happen to happen, but they never did and the story just never felt genuine or realistic to me.
I also couldn’t really get on board with the romance. It was extremely insta-lovey and things developed much too quickly. The timeline of the book spans about 3 days and I was just frustrated by how quickly things were happening. They go from being strangers to kissing within the span of a day and a half, and during this time, Callie even managed to break up with her douche of a boyfriend. It just seemed really unrealistic and I would’ve liked the book a lot more if it focused less on the romance and more on the important issues of alcohol and violence. In addition to the insta-love, what I didn’t like about the romance was the extra influence it had on Callie’s decision about coming forward with the truth. I would have much preferred if she had made her decision purely on what she believes is right, and not because she had feelings for Rhett. I mean, I liked that they got to know each other but it added a lot of unnecessary drama, especially when Rhett kept telling Callie that he won’t be mad if she doesn’t tell the truth and even encouraged her to hide the truth. WUT?!
Despite the criticisms that I have, I thought there was a lot to like about the book. I enjoyed the characters a lot, even though they were slightly cliched at times. They weren’t dislikeable and I liked the dynamics between the characters. I also liked that the book was written from dual perspectives. It gave me a chance to get to know both characters and it made it easier to understand some of the decisions they made (though some of them still had me baffled). Their voices could have been a little bit more distinct but I was never confused about whose perspective I was reading from.
Overall, I thought this was a solid book. It did contain a lot of elements that I’ve read in other contemporary novels but I was still able to appreciate what the author was trying to do. I appreciated that she tried to highlight a serious issue that we’ve been seeing a lot in the news and media, but I do wish that it was tackled a little bit better. There was a bit too much focus on the romance and the characters, and not enough on the issue that the author was trying to highlight.
February 25, 2016
You can find this review and more at Angel Reads
I received an e-arc of What I Saw by Beck Nicholas via NetGalley from Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.
I have wanted to read this book from the moment that I heard about. I like novels that capture heartbreaking incidents from a different perspective. The king hit – is something quite big in Australia at the moment and a lot of I leads to death and the person that committed the crime, either getting away with it or being judged guilty for the crime.
But what happens when the person being accused of the crime didn’t do it? What if the person who was king hit is the towns darling? And what if the only person that saw what happened, wants to hide the truth? Then you have What I Saw by Beck Nicholas.
What I Saw follows protagonist Callie Jones and Rhett Barker as they go through a journey of hurt, truth, lies and questioning what would you truly do if someone you care for was in trouble.
I feel very confused about this book – it had so much potential, so much to go on and then it fell flat. The concept of the plot, intrigued me from the get go and that is what kept me reading. I wanted to know what would happen.
The romance was the biggest problem for me in What I Saw. The book went from about 3/4 days and in that time both Callie and Rhett pretty much feel in love with each other … too much instalove for me. Can it even be called that though? Since they have known each other or about each other for quite a bit.
If the book was set over a couple of weeks and the romance was building in that time – then I would have loved the romance, because Callie and Rhett are quite cute together, but it was just was too fast.
I enjoyed Rhett much more than I did Callie. I sympathised with Rhett and all I wanted to do was tell him that, somehow everything is going to be okay. Everyone pretty has hates Rhett and when is accused of the one doing the punching, it was never questioned. And gosh did it make me angry. I like these types of characters, those who are misunderstood, however I hate the situations. Rhett wasn’t who everyone thought he was, he is just this big squishy marshmallow.
In saying that, I didn’t like Callie as much. She annoyed me quite a bit throughout the novel was getting on my nerves. She wants to be ‘perfect,’ for her family and she plays guitar and just so uptight. I found her quite blank.
I also didn’t like her Callie’s parents, but when do I like parents in YA anyway – next to never.
Nevertheless, I did enjoy What I Saw but not as much as I thought I was going to, I liked the protagonists, but didn’t love them, the message of the book, stood out and I did enjoy that, because it is an important message. Something that everyone should listen to – one punch can kill.
Overall, What I Saw by Beck Nicholas shows us that sometimes the right thing to do is the hardest thing, that sometimes family isn't everything and the importance of how a king hit can not only hurt the Victim but everyone else around them.
I received an e-arc of What I Saw by Beck Nicholas via NetGalley from Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.
I have wanted to read this book from the moment that I heard about. I like novels that capture heartbreaking incidents from a different perspective. The king hit – is something quite big in Australia at the moment and a lot of I leads to death and the person that committed the crime, either getting away with it or being judged guilty for the crime.
But what happens when the person being accused of the crime didn’t do it? What if the person who was king hit is the towns darling? And what if the only person that saw what happened, wants to hide the truth? Then you have What I Saw by Beck Nicholas.
What I Saw follows protagonist Callie Jones and Rhett Barker as they go through a journey of hurt, truth, lies and questioning what would you truly do if someone you care for was in trouble.
I feel very confused about this book – it had so much potential, so much to go on and then it fell flat. The concept of the plot, intrigued me from the get go and that is what kept me reading. I wanted to know what would happen.
The romance was the biggest problem for me in What I Saw. The book went from about 3/4 days and in that time both Callie and Rhett pretty much feel in love with each other … too much instalove for me. Can it even be called that though? Since they have known each other or about each other for quite a bit.
If the book was set over a couple of weeks and the romance was building in that time – then I would have loved the romance, because Callie and Rhett are quite cute together, but it was just was too fast.
I enjoyed Rhett much more than I did Callie. I sympathised with Rhett and all I wanted to do was tell him that, somehow everything is going to be okay. Everyone pretty has hates Rhett and when is accused of the one doing the punching, it was never questioned. And gosh did it make me angry. I like these types of characters, those who are misunderstood, however I hate the situations. Rhett wasn’t who everyone thought he was, he is just this big squishy marshmallow.
In saying that, I didn’t like Callie as much. She annoyed me quite a bit throughout the novel was getting on my nerves. She wants to be ‘perfect,’ for her family and she plays guitar and just so uptight. I found her quite blank.
I also didn’t like her Callie’s parents, but when do I like parents in YA anyway – next to never.
Nevertheless, I did enjoy What I Saw but not as much as I thought I was going to, I liked the protagonists, but didn’t love them, the message of the book, stood out and I did enjoy that, because it is an important message. Something that everyone should listen to – one punch can kill.
Overall, What I Saw by Beck Nicholas shows us that sometimes the right thing to do is the hardest thing, that sometimes family isn't everything and the importance of how a king hit can not only hurt the Victim but everyone else around them.
February 29, 2016
Originally posted on www.yareads.com, reviewed by Pavan
With the ongoing cases of King Hits or Coward Punches in Australia, I thought the general idea of What I Saw was really interesting. I hadn’t read a book by Beck Nicholas before so I was unsure what to expect of the writing. I found it a bit hard to rate What I Saw as some bits I did enjoy and some I didn’t.
What I enjoyed:
WIS is told from both Callie and Rhett’s POV. This is one aspect of the book I did enjoy because you did get to understand the reasons behind the actions they took. We did get a real sense of the type of people they were. Callie and Rhett weren’t just the “good girl” and “bad boy” stereotypes.
I though the fact that author Beck Nicholas didn’t shy away from a topic like king hits was great. It was sad to see what could happen from one person’s punch and how it doesn’t just affect one person. The false accusations and all the anger that goes along with an act of violence was all represented within WIS which made for an interesting read.
What I didn’t enjoy:
Considering the timeline of WIS is (from memory) 3 or 4 days I thought the romance was too insta-love for my taste. I just couldn’t believe in it. I think if this story just showed the romance in its’ initial stages then I would have gotten on board, but it was just too much to fast.
I felt the pacing was a bit off in this book. At some points I would be sitting and reading with ease, and at others I would be struggling to get through a couple of pages. I felt the writing could be a bit stilted at times.
Overall I did think What I Saw had a lot of promise and potential, however it may have missed the mark a bit. I do applaud Beck Nicholas on writing about kings hits as it is a rising problem. I think I will still look out for Beck’s new books to see if they fit my taste better.
Thanks to Harlequin Teen Australia for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
With the ongoing cases of King Hits or Coward Punches in Australia, I thought the general idea of What I Saw was really interesting. I hadn’t read a book by Beck Nicholas before so I was unsure what to expect of the writing. I found it a bit hard to rate What I Saw as some bits I did enjoy and some I didn’t.
What I enjoyed:
WIS is told from both Callie and Rhett’s POV. This is one aspect of the book I did enjoy because you did get to understand the reasons behind the actions they took. We did get a real sense of the type of people they were. Callie and Rhett weren’t just the “good girl” and “bad boy” stereotypes.
I though the fact that author Beck Nicholas didn’t shy away from a topic like king hits was great. It was sad to see what could happen from one person’s punch and how it doesn’t just affect one person. The false accusations and all the anger that goes along with an act of violence was all represented within WIS which made for an interesting read.
What I didn’t enjoy:
Considering the timeline of WIS is (from memory) 3 or 4 days I thought the romance was too insta-love for my taste. I just couldn’t believe in it. I think if this story just showed the romance in its’ initial stages then I would have gotten on board, but it was just too much to fast.
I felt the pacing was a bit off in this book. At some points I would be sitting and reading with ease, and at others I would be struggling to get through a couple of pages. I felt the writing could be a bit stilted at times.
Overall I did think What I Saw had a lot of promise and potential, however it may have missed the mark a bit. I do applaud Beck Nicholas on writing about kings hits as it is a rising problem. I think I will still look out for Beck’s new books to see if they fit my taste better.
Thanks to Harlequin Teen Australia for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
February 23, 2016
This book really touched me with it's important message to what a punch can do to someone, with it happening all too often, it is great to see a novel that really conveys that message and is not afraid to touch on the subject.
I really loved What I Saw, I found it easy to read and engaging. The characters are thrown into moral dilemmas, although I found the love story a bit hard to believe, The story it self makes up for that if you just shove a few eye rolls in.
Callie is a popular girl she has so much pressure from her parents that she get a scholarship that is almost too much to bear. She goes to a school dance and drinks a bit too much, while being caught by the bad boy in school throwing up in the bushes, a fight breaks out and her best friends boyfriend gets put in a coma.
Callie must now decide to tell the truth and destroy her family or stay silent and let the wrong person take the fall.
although it seems like an easy decision, Beck Nicholas throws Callie into so much angst and drama that you really feel for her because a lot is riding on her decision.
I really loved What I Saw, I found it easy to read and engaging. The characters are thrown into moral dilemmas, although I found the love story a bit hard to believe, The story it self makes up for that if you just shove a few eye rolls in.
Callie is a popular girl she has so much pressure from her parents that she get a scholarship that is almost too much to bear. She goes to a school dance and drinks a bit too much, while being caught by the bad boy in school throwing up in the bushes, a fight breaks out and her best friends boyfriend gets put in a coma.
Callie must now decide to tell the truth and destroy her family or stay silent and let the wrong person take the fall.
although it seems like an easy decision, Beck Nicholas throws Callie into so much angst and drama that you really feel for her because a lot is riding on her decision.
January 27, 2016
Review to follow closer to publication.
August 9, 2016
4.5 stars
June 3, 2017
I don't know what annoys me more about this book - the fact that it was super predictable from the start and there was no mystery at all, or the fact that the whole thing takes place over a weekend and I'm supposed to believe the development of the characters.
All in all it was a story full of run down tropes, that added nothing new to the contemporary genre. It didn't do any of the tropes well. There were so many opportunities for this story - there could have been a bit more mystery surrounding what occurred, it could have included a court case or more time for the plot to develop. It also started talking about some issues, but then not really developing them - just chucking them in for some filler storylines and backgrounds, which was very disappointing. Especially for the mental health story line that was kind of just thrown in at the end.
I wanted to enjoy this book, but I really really just didn't. It wasn't for me, and it won't be remaining on my bookshelf.
All in all it was a story full of run down tropes, that added nothing new to the contemporary genre. It didn't do any of the tropes well. There were so many opportunities for this story - there could have been a bit more mystery surrounding what occurred, it could have included a court case or more time for the plot to develop. It also started talking about some issues, but then not really developing them - just chucking them in for some filler storylines and backgrounds, which was very disappointing. Especially for the mental health story line that was kind of just thrown in at the end.
I wanted to enjoy this book, but I really really just didn't. It wasn't for me, and it won't be remaining on my bookshelf.
June 3, 2020
Parts of this story felt really Americanised in a way? I don’t really know how to explain it. It’s an Australian YA novel and I feel like it was supposed to be set in Australia but in many ways it didn’t feel like it was.
I don’t need clear references to Australia here there and everywhere but this was a bit like reading The Hating Game in which I could tell which country the story was supposed to be set and it just distracted me. I like to have a clear setting even if it’s some made up place, I like seeing different countries and cultures in the books I read.
There are some really important issues touched upon in this book but they also felt a little overshadowed at time’s by drama and teenage angst. I’m left feeling just a bit mixed about the book.
I don’t need clear references to Australia here there and everywhere but this was a bit like reading The Hating Game in which I could tell which country the story was supposed to be set and it just distracted me. I like to have a clear setting even if it’s some made up place, I like seeing different countries and cultures in the books I read.
There are some really important issues touched upon in this book but they also felt a little overshadowed at time’s by drama and teenage angst. I’m left feeling just a bit mixed about the book.
July 20, 2019
I felt like this book was a missed opportunity.
The author doesn't make any real commentary on the issues of alcohol fueled violence and toxic masculinity.
The two main issues I had with this book was that I didn't buy any of the character motivations or any of their decisions. The romance was also super insta-lovey and came off a bit ridiculous honestly.
Unfortunately this was a bit of a miss for me.
The author doesn't make any real commentary on the issues of alcohol fueled violence and toxic masculinity.
The two main issues I had with this book was that I didn't buy any of the character motivations or any of their decisions. The romance was also super insta-lovey and came off a bit ridiculous honestly.
Unfortunately this was a bit of a miss for me.
September 16, 2025
1.5 ⭐️ a little to young in the YA spectrum for me
December 18, 2016
Quite predictable and cliché at times but still very enjoyable and easy to read.
April 11, 2025
Review to come.
April 12, 2016
This book is touching and heart breaking. The message in this story is really important, especially with it happening in real life more often. It shows you how it can effect the lives of people around you and also, the importance of telling the truth. Set over only a couple days, the story follows the story of Callie, a popular good girl and Rhett, the loner bad boy, kinda cliche but I always love these types of stories. On the night of the school dance, Callie goes outside for fresh air and stumbles across Rhett. They talk for a bit until they are interrupted by a fight which Rhett runs into and ends up being accused of throwing a king hit that knocks out the town’s star football player Hayden, leaving him in a coma. Everyone believes that Rhett threw the punch, with his record it seems the most likely, but Callie witnessed it all and she knows who really hit Hayden, her little brother Sean.
Most of the book was of Callie trying do decide what to do. Tell the truth and watch her little brother lose everything, her family hating her but seeing an innocent go free. Or Lie and protect her little brother and his dream of becoming a football star and therefore sentencing an innocent to jail and gaining a lifetime of guilt. Rhett pushes her to tell the truth and Sean begs her to keep her mouth shut. Torn between her choices, she turns to Rhett to give her a reason to go against her brother. But the more time they spend together, the more she realises that Rhett isn’t just the bad boy everyone say he is, he is much more than that. She knows some things for certain. He is fiercely protective of his sister, he is kind and thoughtful and not completely the bad boy everyone thinks he is. He loves animals, gains his families only income by working at the local vet and dreams to become a real vet in his future. Oh and she may be falling in love with him.
As much as Rhett wants her to tell the truth, in the end he leaves it up to her entirely which makes his character very admirable. He knows that if he gets the blame, with his record he will be going straight to jail. With his father on parol he knows he can’t leave his mother and sister alone because they will naively let him back into their lives, just to take what they have and leave them alone with nothing. He has a dream of becoming a vet but figures that he will never be able to reach for it so why bother? But Callie gives him hope and for once, he believes he could do it. With all of this on his shoulders he still leaves the choice and ultimately his future completely in her hands because the more he gets to know her the more he wants her in his life and he knows she will do the right thing.
What I saw tackles such a difficult subject and one that is in the media a lot lately and shows just how much it can effect you. The repercussions of the king hit itself was interesting as the school seemed to take over the investigation and not so much the police, which was a bit strange but it gave the characters more of a chance to think about what happened, how to move forward and the consequences of what may be. The book is written by Beck Nicholas, and Australian author, but the story isn’t set at a specific place which I think gives the story more power. This could happen anywhere in any country.
I highly recommend this book! I have never read a book about this subject before and I think the author did a great job of tackling the issue.
Most of the book was of Callie trying do decide what to do. Tell the truth and watch her little brother lose everything, her family hating her but seeing an innocent go free. Or Lie and protect her little brother and his dream of becoming a football star and therefore sentencing an innocent to jail and gaining a lifetime of guilt. Rhett pushes her to tell the truth and Sean begs her to keep her mouth shut. Torn between her choices, she turns to Rhett to give her a reason to go against her brother. But the more time they spend together, the more she realises that Rhett isn’t just the bad boy everyone say he is, he is much more than that. She knows some things for certain. He is fiercely protective of his sister, he is kind and thoughtful and not completely the bad boy everyone thinks he is. He loves animals, gains his families only income by working at the local vet and dreams to become a real vet in his future. Oh and she may be falling in love with him.
As much as Rhett wants her to tell the truth, in the end he leaves it up to her entirely which makes his character very admirable. He knows that if he gets the blame, with his record he will be going straight to jail. With his father on parol he knows he can’t leave his mother and sister alone because they will naively let him back into their lives, just to take what they have and leave them alone with nothing. He has a dream of becoming a vet but figures that he will never be able to reach for it so why bother? But Callie gives him hope and for once, he believes he could do it. With all of this on his shoulders he still leaves the choice and ultimately his future completely in her hands because the more he gets to know her the more he wants her in his life and he knows she will do the right thing.
What I saw tackles such a difficult subject and one that is in the media a lot lately and shows just how much it can effect you. The repercussions of the king hit itself was interesting as the school seemed to take over the investigation and not so much the police, which was a bit strange but it gave the characters more of a chance to think about what happened, how to move forward and the consequences of what may be. The book is written by Beck Nicholas, and Australian author, but the story isn’t set at a specific place which I think gives the story more power. This could happen anywhere in any country.
I highly recommend this book! I have never read a book about this subject before and I think the author did a great job of tackling the issue.
February 29, 2016
Review found at YA Reads: http://www.yareads.com/book-review-wh...
Book Review
With the ongoing cases of King Hits or Coward Punches in Australia, I thought the general idea of What I Saw was really interesting. I hadn’t read a book by Beck Nicholas before so I was unsure what to expect of the writing. I found it a bit hard to rate What I Saw as some bits I did enjoy and some I didn’t.
What I enjoyed:
WIS is told from both Callie and Rhett’s POV. This is one aspect of the book I did enjoy because you did get to understand the reasons behind the actions they took. We did get a real sense of the type of people they were. Callie and Rhett weren’t just the “good girl” and “bad boy” stereotypes.
I though the fact that author Beck Nicholas didn’t shy away from a topic like king hits was great. It was sad to see what could happen from one person’s punch and how it doesn’t just affect one person. The false accusations and all the anger that goes along with an act of violence was all represented within WIS which made for an interesting read.
What I didn’t enjoy:
Considering the timeline of WIS is (from memory) 3 or 4 days I thought the romance was too insta-love for my taste. I just couldn’t believe in it. I think if this story just showed the romance in its’ initial stages then I would have gotten on board, but it was just too much to fast.
I felt the pacing was a bit off in this book. At some points I would be sitting and reading with ease, and at others I would be struggling to get through a couple of pages. I felt the writing could be a bit stilted at times.
Overall I did think What I Saw had a lot of promise and potential, however it may have missed the mark a bit. I do applaud Beck Nicholas on writing about kings hits as it is a rising problem. I think I will still look out for Beck’s new books to see if they fit my taste better.
Thanks to Harlequin Teen Australia for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Pages: 301
Publishing Date: March 2016
Publisher: Harlequin Teen Australia
Publisher Link: http://www.harlequinbooks.com.au/prod...
Book Review
With the ongoing cases of King Hits or Coward Punches in Australia, I thought the general idea of What I Saw was really interesting. I hadn’t read a book by Beck Nicholas before so I was unsure what to expect of the writing. I found it a bit hard to rate What I Saw as some bits I did enjoy and some I didn’t.
What I enjoyed:
WIS is told from both Callie and Rhett’s POV. This is one aspect of the book I did enjoy because you did get to understand the reasons behind the actions they took. We did get a real sense of the type of people they were. Callie and Rhett weren’t just the “good girl” and “bad boy” stereotypes.
I though the fact that author Beck Nicholas didn’t shy away from a topic like king hits was great. It was sad to see what could happen from one person’s punch and how it doesn’t just affect one person. The false accusations and all the anger that goes along with an act of violence was all represented within WIS which made for an interesting read.
What I didn’t enjoy:
Considering the timeline of WIS is (from memory) 3 or 4 days I thought the romance was too insta-love for my taste. I just couldn’t believe in it. I think if this story just showed the romance in its’ initial stages then I would have gotten on board, but it was just too much to fast.
I felt the pacing was a bit off in this book. At some points I would be sitting and reading with ease, and at others I would be struggling to get through a couple of pages. I felt the writing could be a bit stilted at times.
Overall I did think What I Saw had a lot of promise and potential, however it may have missed the mark a bit. I do applaud Beck Nicholas on writing about kings hits as it is a rising problem. I think I will still look out for Beck’s new books to see if they fit my taste better.
Thanks to Harlequin Teen Australia for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Pages: 301
Publishing Date: March 2016
Publisher: Harlequin Teen Australia
Publisher Link: http://www.harlequinbooks.com.au/prod...
March 7, 2016
Where to start with What I Saw… I was quickly involved with the story and the characters. It’s a little cliche but at the same time I think most of the YA books on the market are these days, you would be hard pressed to find something completely unique. There are a lot of great elements that I don’t think are addressed enough and that are coming to the forefront in society as a whole at the moment. The one punch campaign is pretty big and there was a fortnight period at the beginning of the year where at least three young men were left in the hospital fighting for their lives after just one punch. So this book is totally topical, engrossing and very much all up in the air until the very end.
The characters were the bad boy from the wrong side of town and the good girl school captain so that was a little pedestrian, until Nicholas starts to flesh these characters and you discover that they are far from their stereotypes.
Setting was very open which I loved. The story could have taken place anywhere and in the beginning I fluctuated quite a bit about whether I thought it was Australian or American. I think the whole football, scholarships and school dances thing had me thinking US but the language and university had me turning back to Australian. I think this is a really great storywriting tool because it gives the book that appeal to teens everywhere, it could have happened in your town – no matter where your town might be.
The plot brings together multiple issues facing teens and explores the snowball effect of all the people that will be impacted by a single decision and the cost of doing the right thing. The main element of course is the devastation left in the wake of one punch. Alongside that is self esteem, secrets, date rape, cheating, rumours, mental health, teenage drinking and abusive relationships. It really is quite a full on read when you put it all down on paper like that but I think Nicholas dealt with it well.
What I Saw is written in the first person in alternating chapters by Callie and Rhett, our leads. This may be another thing that had me thinking US because there are a couple of American YA authors I adore that employ this storytelling method.
Read more: http://bookgirl.beautyandlace.net/boo...
The characters were the bad boy from the wrong side of town and the good girl school captain so that was a little pedestrian, until Nicholas starts to flesh these characters and you discover that they are far from their stereotypes.
Setting was very open which I loved. The story could have taken place anywhere and in the beginning I fluctuated quite a bit about whether I thought it was Australian or American. I think the whole football, scholarships and school dances thing had me thinking US but the language and university had me turning back to Australian. I think this is a really great storywriting tool because it gives the book that appeal to teens everywhere, it could have happened in your town – no matter where your town might be.
The plot brings together multiple issues facing teens and explores the snowball effect of all the people that will be impacted by a single decision and the cost of doing the right thing. The main element of course is the devastation left in the wake of one punch. Alongside that is self esteem, secrets, date rape, cheating, rumours, mental health, teenage drinking and abusive relationships. It really is quite a full on read when you put it all down on paper like that but I think Nicholas dealt with it well.
What I Saw is written in the first person in alternating chapters by Callie and Rhett, our leads. This may be another thing that had me thinking US because there are a couple of American YA authors I adore that employ this storytelling method.
Read more: http://bookgirl.beautyandlace.net/boo...
March 13, 2016
I stumbled across this book in a shop a couple of weeks ago. For whatever reason, I opted not to buy it. The cover and blurb stayed with me though, and so I went out and bought and it and bumped it to the top of the TBR pile (ahead of the new Cassandra Clare one too, just to give you an idea on how much this intrigued me).
I really wanted to like this book.
But for some reason, and I honestly can't articulate why, for me it fell flat. The storyline was interesting, and so were the characters (although I would have liked to have seen more into Rhett's past, and Callie to have a few less demons on her back). It addressed one of my biggest pet hates with society - that sportspeople are to be looked up at, when seriously, so what if you can kick a ball well? Other people matter too! Beck Nicholas totally nailed that aspect of Australian culture. As well as the one punch problem that hit Australia s few years ago.
I would have liked more. More of a resolution, more of a conclusion. What was the impact of Callie's decision? What happened after the book closed? I feel there was too much left unexplained. And maybe that's why it fell flat. I don't know.
Look, it was an ok read, but nothing spectacular for me (and I was so hoping it would be).
I really wanted to like this book.
But for some reason, and I honestly can't articulate why, for me it fell flat. The storyline was interesting, and so were the characters (although I would have liked to have seen more into Rhett's past, and Callie to have a few less demons on her back). It addressed one of my biggest pet hates with society - that sportspeople are to be looked up at, when seriously, so what if you can kick a ball well? Other people matter too! Beck Nicholas totally nailed that aspect of Australian culture. As well as the one punch problem that hit Australia s few years ago.
I would have liked more. More of a resolution, more of a conclusion. What was the impact of Callie's decision? What happened after the book closed? I feel there was too much left unexplained. And maybe that's why it fell flat. I don't know.
Look, it was an ok read, but nothing spectacular for me (and I was so hoping it would be).
March 5, 2016
Yeah so I just thought this one was fine, but nothing special. I probably will look back at this book in coming months and have to read the summary just to remember what it was about. Which is kind of a shame, because that cover is so damn pretty I was sure it would be pretty inside too.
Basically this book forms around a single event; Hayden is felled by a single punch. But who did it? As the reader, you know straight away. What follows is two days of whether or not the real person who punched Hayden will come forward, or if the girl who saw it all will come forward. There is massive angst on both sides as it is weighed up about right and wrong. Honestly, I was over it. Two days dragged along forever in a never ending angst contest. Add in a typical too-quick romance, and there's your book. (Plus the whole Lion subplot I saw coming from the second it was revealed that Rhett was a vet assistant. That was beyond obvious)
So yeah, not my favorite read this year. Hopefully I can move onto something better!
Basically this book forms around a single event; Hayden is felled by a single punch. But who did it? As the reader, you know straight away. What follows is two days of whether or not the real person who punched Hayden will come forward, or if the girl who saw it all will come forward. There is massive angst on both sides as it is weighed up about right and wrong. Honestly, I was over it. Two days dragged along forever in a never ending angst contest. Add in a typical too-quick romance, and there's your book. (Plus the whole Lion subplot I saw coming from the second it was revealed that Rhett was a vet assistant. That was beyond obvious)
So yeah, not my favorite read this year. Hopefully I can move onto something better!
April 25, 2016
3.5 Agonized Morality Stars
A butterfly is the perfect imagery used in this book, as the plot, character development and romance was briefly flitting and lightly touched upon. In saying that, I picked up this book with the expectation for a light YA romance and it did achieve that expectation.
I was interested in the issues surrounding King Hits, that currently have a big media presence in Australia, and the politics of small town gossip and pressure. Both were handled well but lightly, I think a period of a weekend was not enough time to really intensify the issues to make an impact.
The characters interested me, but I felt that their development and romance was rushed, or I was missing certain actions that led to various responses. There was an attraction between them, but I wanted more tension and slow burn situations between Callie and Rhett, increasing their intensity.
Overall, a solid interesting read that achieved my expectations, but didn't allow me to greatly invest in the characters.
A butterfly is the perfect imagery used in this book, as the plot, character development and romance was briefly flitting and lightly touched upon. In saying that, I picked up this book with the expectation for a light YA romance and it did achieve that expectation.
I was interested in the issues surrounding King Hits, that currently have a big media presence in Australia, and the politics of small town gossip and pressure. Both were handled well but lightly, I think a period of a weekend was not enough time to really intensify the issues to make an impact.
The characters interested me, but I felt that their development and romance was rushed, or I was missing certain actions that led to various responses. There was an attraction between them, but I wanted more tension and slow burn situations between Callie and Rhett, increasing their intensity.
Overall, a solid interesting read that achieved my expectations, but didn't allow me to greatly invest in the characters.
June 9, 2016
I always try to think how the story will pan out, what direction it will take while reading. So when I read the beginning two chapters, so what I thought was not how the story went. My imagination was off the tangent. Which I liked.
The story takes over three days. Page 42 had an amazing twist and I freaking didn't saw that coming. Love getting surprises in the books.
I enjoyed the book but the insta love between Callie and Rhett was a little to instant. So when they thought about each other, sometimes it was cringy and sometimes I rolled my eyes. As I said the story takes place over three days and they fall in love in three days, well less cuz on the third day the story has come to an end.
Aside from romance I liked the plot and the charcaters.
The story takes over three days. Page 42 had an amazing twist and I freaking didn't saw that coming. Love getting surprises in the books.
I enjoyed the book but the insta love between Callie and Rhett was a little to instant. So when they thought about each other, sometimes it was cringy and sometimes I rolled my eyes. As I said the story takes place over three days and they fall in love in three days, well less cuz on the third day the story has come to an end.
Aside from romance I liked the plot and the charcaters.
September 19, 2016
I didn't NOT like it. But the one thing that stopped me properly liking it was everybody's calm, casual interactions with people who they'd cast life-ruining assertions at. "I know I told everyone you punched a boy who is now in a coma and might die, but let me help you move your couch. It will ease my guilt a bit." "I'm still VERY MAD at you for possibly sending me to jail but I must admit the extra hand is helpful."
June 4, 2016
This book is a really good read for people like me who love thrillers/mysteries. It is about this girl named Callie who saw a coward punch get thrown at their prom night. Everyone believes it is this guy named Rhett because of his reputation of being rebellious and ignorant, but he actually didn't throw the punch. Only Callie knows exactly what happened, so Rhett tries to convince Callie to not turn him in and to turn the attacker in. I was shocked when i found out who actually threw the punch, and there is a plot twist at the end! Anyway, i definitely recommend this book and couldn't stop turning the pages!
May 26, 2016
I don't quite know how I feel about 'What I saw'. I love the fact that the whole book is based around the fact that one punch can seriously injure or kill someone, a campaign that I see everywhere but I've never read a book that has it in it. I wasn't a big fan of Rhett or Cassie and I kind of feel that Beck was trying to make it more of a romance book when I feel it would have been an amazing book if it was just focused purely on Cassie and her decision and self development. But I found Beck's writing style good and i also found her book easy to read. It was overall a book that wasn't quite for me but I did enjoy certain aspects of 'What I Saw'.
January 2, 2017
While I was completing my reviews of favourite 2016 books, i started reading my favourite parts of this gem. It turned into reading the whole book. Whoops
This story is amazing. I loved the characters. The insta-love is s little dramatic, it happens after one night spent getting to know one another but I loved the other aspects of it - especially the topic - King Hits and how dangerous they can be.
This story is amazing. I loved the characters. The insta-love is s little dramatic, it happens after one night spent getting to know one another but I loved the other aspects of it - especially the topic - King Hits and how dangerous they can be.
June 25, 2016
3.5
crying because I made a whole long review for this book and now its deleted :'(
short review,
I liked this story, felt a bit rushed and over dramatic in some places but it was easy to read and I flew through it.
crying because I made a whole long review for this book and now its deleted :'(
short review,
I liked this story, felt a bit rushed and over dramatic in some places but it was easy to read and I flew through it.
December 27, 2016
Think I'm in lurve with Rhett, the ultimate wrong-side-of-the-tracks hero. Reminded me of the brilliant teen fiction of my youth and what made me first fall in love with reading. I tore through the pages!
Read
August 18, 2016Liked the premise but I found the writing style hard to engage with and the pacing was quite slow at times, then rushed at others.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews