Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe

by Shelley Coriell

Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school’s struggling radio station, where the other students don’t find her too queenly. Ostracized by her former BFs and struggling with her beloved Grams’s mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe faces her loneliness and helps others find the fun and joy in everyday life. Readers will fall in love with Chloe as she falls in love with the radio station and the misfits who call it home.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Chick Lit, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, High School

320 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2012

Reviews

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5*

Quick Note: I think I did this book a great injustice reading it straight after I'd finished The Queen of Attolia. No book really stood a chance after that.
So I feel I must apologise to Ms Coriell.

I hate writing reviews for books like this.
Because this book was OK.
It wasn’t atrocious and it wasn’t fantastic.
It was just OK.
The writing was great and the teen dialogue didn’t seemed forced not did it try too hard to be “with it”. Something that I feel  is always a plus because so many YA contemporary books skip merrily down that path.
And that path should be hidden with traps full of spikes and…. um, bears, or something equally gnashy.
And I loved, loved, loved the concept.
School radio?!
Ace.

However, it took me absolutely ages to get connected to the characters in this book. Chloe grated on me from the get go (she reminded me of the type of girl who would wear a sign around their neck announcing“Free Hugs”… um, no. I hate girls who try too hard to be kooky.)
She was too self-obsessed, too optimistic (I know that’s a silly low point but seriously… no 16 year old is that giddy over anything to do with school!) and she was oblivious to other people’s feelings.
Also, what was the deal with all the shoes?
I like shoes… but they don’t inspire me to use them as part of a metaphor for my life.
Same goes with Mexican food.
Duncan, the love interest, was fine, I guess. He didn't make me swoon and my heart tremble but he liked scarves and he could fix things and he had a past.
They’re so dull if they don’t have a past.

The whole argument with her friends didn’t make sense to me. But saying that, I tended to side an awful lot with Brie. The evil, blonde Queen of the School.
Also… do American girls really wear pink frosted lipstick? Or is that only if they're a bitch?
Anyway, I digress.
Like I said this book was fine. It didn’t blow me out of the water but it didn’t make me want to put rocks in my pockets and then go paddling.
I know in my heart of hearts that people who aren’t as cynical and impatient as me will love this book and if you’re looking for a cute, romantic, easy read then this book is definitely from you and I would wholly recommend it.


I received a copy of this book from the publishers.

You can read this review and lots of other exciting stuff on my blog here.

[Reynje · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars


Oh, Chloe. If I came across you on a street corner (most likely while you were dressed in your burrito costume), I’d probably scurry past giving you the side-eye.

But secretly I’d be wishing I’d had your kind of enthusiasm.

This basically sums up my feelings about Welcome Caller This Is Chloe. It’s an earnest, fun, enthusiastic book – but, ah, not really me, as much as I wanted to love it.

The story follows perpetually positive, extroverted Chloe as she stumbles down the social ladder, navigates a family battleground, deals with the deterioration of her grandmother’s health, and is compelled to join the school’s struggling radio station for an independent study project.

It’s a story that trips lightly from cute and fluffy to serious with, to be honest, varying degrees of success. Illness, addiction, best friends gone MIA, persistent guidance counsellors and reticent boys all feature in plot – which is largely centred around Chloe’s personal growth and eventual epiphany about really listening to people.

I found Chloe herself quite grating and unsympathetic initially, which was possibly the point. Endowed with charm, confidence and a deep belief in the power of vintage shoes, she’s occasionally over-the-top, larger-than-life, and somewhat oblivious to what’s really going on around her. As she confronts her ostracism, tackles a radio station revival, and gains a deeper insight into her own loneliness, Chloe develops into a more empathetic person – yet without losing her trademark charisma.

What didn’t work for me was the romance and the slightly forced “quirkiness” - the repetition of Chloe’s various zany habits and tastes. She’s bright and bubbly and unique – I get it. On the other hand, Chloe’s characterisation as essentially a text-book extrovert, energised by social contact and struggling with those who shut her out, felt spot-on.

The radio station and talk-show scenes with Chloe’s fellow 88.8 The Edge “misfits” were well done and interesting. However, by the end it did feel a little like too many storylines were being juggled, and not all played out with equal success. I feel like a narrower focus here would have strengthened the book.

Welcome Caller This Is Chloe is a light read that never fully delves into the deeper issues it brings up, but it does have some genuinely entertaining and sweet moments (if a little cheesy). I don’t think it will leave a particularly deep impression, but hey, it was fun while it lasted.

Anyway - here's the one thing Chloe and I have in common:

Gratuitous shoe photo!

[Jasprit · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some reviews that come real easily that before you know it, you’re reviews already done. But this review for Welcome Caller this is Chloe was so difficult to write. I think it was largely because after finishing it I was still in two minds about how I felt about it. On the one hand it was funny and full of laugh out loud moments and then at other times I kept questioning myself why am I still reading this?

Chloe finds herself in a tough spot, her two best friends Merce and Brie don’t want to know her, with the whole school whispering behind her back and feeling like a social leper Chloe’s all alone. She doesn’t think that things can get any worse; until she finds out from the schools new guidance counsellor that her original JISP (junior independence study project) is no longer acceptable. And that she has to re-submit a new JISP. The interfering cat like counsellor even goes far as forcing a JISP project on Chloe; she has to become a promotions girl for the school radio station. She can’t be serious; only the schools outcasts work there. To top it all off, world war 3 seems to be taking place at home, with Chloe’s grams Parkinson’s getting progressively worse, she’s refusing to accept any help, she seem to be constantly arguing with Chloe’s mum about what would be the right steps to take.

Welcome Caller this is Chloe definitely had an interesting set of characters which thoroughly kept me entertained. Chloe was a whole lot of fun she was really chatty, over -enthusiastic, had an overactive imagination and was always in her element. I think one of the reasons l liked Chloe’s character was because I could see a lot of myself in Chloe, like Chloe I’m known to be a right old chatter-box and on so many occasions my friends have told me to reign my chattiness in or just shut the hell up. I also adored Chloe’s grams I thought that because of her Parkinson’s she’d have a sense of fragility about her but no she was a right old fire- cracker. She was always on the move never wanted to be bogged down, she had feistiness about her but also a nurturing side, she’d be there for Chloe when she needed her, being a great listener and dishing out the best advice possible. Duncan didn’t really do it for me but with his character there was always an element of intrigue, you’re constantly left guessing what is he hiding? Where does he keep disappearing to? Brie, Chloe’s ex best friend that caused the problems in the first place I couldn’t stand, but Clementine; the radio show’s fire breathing dragon I liked, I especially liked her passion for the radio show. I actually liked the entire radio team, each brought something different to the station, whether it was a zany idea or a quirky hobby, and I definitely would have liked to got to know these characters a lot more.

It’s really difficult to explain how I felt about this book, I started off pleasantly enjoying it, it was fun watching Chloe get thrown into an awkward situation interacting with people she would never normally would and the story dealt with serious issues that many teenagers have to deal with such as isolation and drug issues really well. But then towards the middle the book lost the sparkle that it started off with, it really left me with conflicted feelings, I really wanted to enjoy it and be swept away with the humour and fun of it all, but it just left me slightly underwhelmed. Nonetheless if you’re looking for a quick easy-going fun read then Welcome Caller this is Chloe is the book for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and Abrams books for giving me this opportunity to read this book.

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book starts with 16-year-old Chloe Camden willingly and cheerfully dressed in a burrito costume so, naturally, this book started with me rolling my eyes at Chloe Camden. I'm not the only one as Chloe's best friends are freezing her out for reasons unknown to her. She figures this will blow over and returns to more pressing concerns, namely her Brad Pitt-loving grandmother dealing with the onset of Parkinson's and her Junior Independent Study Project (JISP) being rejected by the new school counselor. Chloe, though, Pollyannas through and says things like,

"Fun is everywhere. You just have to find it. Or make it."

What is her deal, right? Is this really a book about the effects of uppers on high school students?

When the counselor hands her a new JISP focused on the school's failing radio station, Chloe uses her experience as a burrito for Dos Hermanas Mexican restaurant to come up with a plan to possibly save the radio station.

Insufferable, optimistic cow!

Now Clementine, the nose ringed girl with an attitude who runs the radio station, is someone I can get behind. She loves the station and dreams of someday owning one. For the sake of the station, and the fact that she is outvoted 5 to 1, she agrees to a call in show hosted by Chloe called -- wait for it -- Chloe, Queen of the Universe.

Chloe isn't oblivious to her ridiculous over-the-topness though. It's just who she is -- someone who wears her heart on her sleeve and her mouth. She loves to talk and she loves people regardless if they love her back, which she's just now realizing may be the case with more people than she thought. Somewhere along the way though, I realized that my cold, black heart was actually (willingly and cheerfully, no less!) Team Chloe. She called to mind another redhead and his farewell speech on The Tonight Show:

I encounter people when I walk on the street now, who just give me sort of a sad look; I have had more good fortune than anybody I know. And if our next gig is doing a show in a 7-Eleven parking lot, we will find a way to make it fun, we really will, I will have no problems. I don't want to do it in a 7-Eleven parking lot, but whatever.

Finally, I have something to say to our fans... Here's what all of you have done: you made a sad situation joyous and inspirational. So to all the people watching, I can never, ever thank you enough for the kindness to me, I'll think about it for the rest of my life, and all I ask is one thing, and I'm asking this particularly of young people that watch:

Please do not be cynical. I hate cynicism. For the record, it's my least favorite quality, it doesn't lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen. I'm telling you, amazing things will happen. I'm telling you, it's just true!

I rag on rappers who put on a hard, tough persona even though they're really from the suburbs (of Canada!), but by that token, I couldn't fault Chloe for being who she so effervescently was. Her personality, which annoyed me at first, was a reflection of the charmed life she's lived. I decided to put on my skates and go along with her for the ride.

This book touches on subjects like bullying, Parkinson's, addiction, and poverty, and it may be said that it glides blithely right over them. I agree to a certain extent and would refer you to books like Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler if you want something with more depth. However, what this book does well is show a positive approach to those situations -- even if it means gliding over them. I'd recommend this book to the younger end of the YA spectrum (junior high school), but I think older fans will like it as well. Before you know it, you'll be on Team Chloe too!


3.5 stars

[Stephanie (Stepping Out Of The Page) · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the first line of a novel is 'I loved being a burrito', you could easily guess that you're in for quite a different read! I didn't instantly love this book or the main character - it did take a little while to get into, especially as a British reader - there was quite a few americanisms and slang - but once I'd read a few chapters, I was easily drawn into this easy to read page turner.

When we meet our protagonist, Chloe, for the first time, she is standing on a street, dressed as a burrito and wearing her trademark vintage shoes. As soon as we meet Chloe, we are introduced to her confidence and quite outlandish personality. I actually found her loud personality to be a welcome change in the Young Adult genre. She was extremely optimistic and self assured, which I understand could grate a little on some readers, as it certainly annoyed one character, Clementine, in the story. Some may find Chloe a little over confident at first, but as the book progresses, it's easier to warm to her - I certainly did. Although Chloe may seem like a happy go lucky, once popular, positive 'It' girl - she does know that she isn't perfect and neither is her life.

Whilst, for the most part, there is quite a light tone to this book with a lot of humour thrown in, it's clear that Coriell isn't afraid to deal with real issues, from Chloe's grandmother having Parkinson's disease to dealing with substance abuse and abusive relationships. She has managed to weave these tough subjects into her story with ease in a realistic and sensitive manner. I think that including these aspects certainly helped to add something extra to the novel and give it a more credible undertone to the story. I found some of the scenes to be quite touching and though it did give a good representation of the problems, it didn't get dark or depressing.

This book isn't just about Chloe - it's about a whole bunch of people around her.
At the beginning, we learn that Chloe has been snubbed by her 'BFFs' for something that she's not quite sure of. It would've been interesting to learn more about these two girls, Mercedes and Brie who are mentioned several times throughout, but we gather that the three of them had a sister-like bond and were pretty popular. After being rejected by her once-friends, she then discovers that her new guidance counsellor is forcing her to start a new Junior Independent Study Project (JISP) - at the school radio station, KDRS The Edge. There, Chloe meets an eclectic mix of characters - misfits, outsiders, who consist of Clementine, Frick, Frack, Haley and Duncan. These people aren't trying to be quirky or 'unique', but they are - they are all quite quiet, yet still very distinct. Along with Chloe, I formed a connection with, and started to love, all of them - they did feel like a family and worked together amazingly well.

Duncan was the guy in the group who also formed as Chloe's love interest. Their chemistry seemed to build naturally and I enjoyed watching their relationship progress. Personally, I really liked Duncan. He was the boy-next-door figure - he wasn't perfect, but he was sweet, caring and his heart was in the right place - he also had some mystery about him, which was good.

As aforementioned, another character who plays quite a large role in her life is her Grandmother - 'Grams', who is at war with Chloe's mother over going into a care home because of her deteriorating health. It was really lovely to see how Chloe and her Grams interacted, they had a very loving, trusting and loyal relationship. It was interesting to see how Chloe reacted to the issue of care for Grams.

The only thing I could complain about is the fact that I didn't feel as though everything was completely concluded - I would've liked to hear a lot more about some of the characters, particularly Brie, and the aftermath of the big twist at the end could've been explored more, but maybe that is me being greedy for more!

Overall, this was a really fun read. Don't expect a literary masterpiece and don't take Chloe's attitude so seriously - embrace her enthusiasm, expect fun, laughing out loud and something that you won't want to put down for long.

[Mitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I shouldn't even have liked this book, but I really do. Sure, Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe has more than its share of flaws and Chloe's clueless and shallow and obsessed with shoes, but she's just so enthusiastic and means well, it's infectious. I think my grinchy little heart grew two or three sizes bigger while reading this. And anyone who knows me also knows that's no mean feat.

My rating's probably definitely inflated by how much I loved Chloe as a character though. She's the kind of over the top, overly optimistic, slightly annoyingly self-centered but big hearted character that I'd describe as endearing, but I can also imagine others describing as cloying, annoying, or someone to be avoided at all costs. She's such a big part of, ok the entirety of, this book that I don't think you can love the book without loving her character, and will probably hate this book if you hated her. Even the minor characters, her former best friend Brie, Duncan, Clementine the station manager, they work because they're foils for Chloe, Clementine's the serious to her free spirit, Duncan's the good at fixing things to her need to fix people, Brie's the dour pessimist to her eternal optimist. Just look at the radio segments with Queen Chloe and Jester Clem and you'll see how these characters work by playing off of her.

The plot, well it's almost exactly as advertised by the summary, the only other major plotline in the book is Chloe's family dealing with her grandmother's progressing Parkinson's, which is played mostly for laughs although a bit heartwarming too at times (obviously, I like reading about fun, hipster grannies). Honestly, the plot's not that great, it's cute and cheesy yet full of contradictions and has more holes than Swiss cheese. Everyone agrees that Chloe's so great around people, knowing just how to please, but yet most of the time she's too focused on herself to notice the big signs pointing to her friends' problems. My opinion of her really dropped when the reason for her fight with Brie came out, but even then I liked how she still tries to fix it, and when she can't, she move on yet still tries to do the right thing. Maybe some of the things she did here or there may have been a little too needy, but it fits with her character and I didn't care. And most important of all, Chloe's all about fixing people who she sees needing fixing, she doesn't hesitate, she goes for it, and it really shows.

I guess my rating all comes down to I really loved Chloe as a character. She's outgoing, optimistic, concerned about her friendships, wears her heart on her sleeve, it all reminded me of someone I know really well, I couldn't stop smiling as I was reading this book. If that's not the kind of character that sounds appealing to you though, this probably isn't the right book. But Chloe and Chloe worked for me.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread:

I seriously love the characters in this book - especially Chloe! :)

--

First read:

I didn't quite know what to expect from this book but I really enjoyed it, more than I thought I would.

Chloe Camden's best friends are acting strange and her new guidance councillor has rejected Chloe's proposal for her independent study. Instead Chloe is forcesd to join the failing radio station. Chloe is initially met with hostility, especially from radio-lover Clementine but things start to look up for her when she convinces the crew to take a chance on her radio talk show. Chloe ends up with a new group of friends and a hobby that she loves.

I really enjoyed Chloe's character, finding her a refreshing change from your usual young adult heroine. Chloe is the type of person I look up to; outgoing, smart, fun, friendly and extroverted. I loved reading her voice.

Her initial friends, Brie and Merce I just didn't understand. Chloe wasn't there for them once (even though it's mentioned that otherwise she's always been there for them and even helped Merce get through a difficult period after her mother's death) and they fell out with her. Not only that, they spread horrible rumours and refused to talk to her. WHY? Just 'cause she wasn't there one night? They weren't exactly there for Chloe when she was dealing with her Gram's progressing illness either. It just came off as incredibly petty and stupid.

Duncan, the love interest, was adorable. He was really sweet, quiet and an interesting character. I really felt for him and loved how Chloe was there for him. They balanced each other really well and there interactions were really sweet. I loved how smart Chloe was; she knew Duncan came with baggage and she really thought about that before she decided she wanted a relationship anyway. She dealt with a lot of things in a very mature way, which - after reading the ridiculousness of most teens in young adult books - was such a refreshing change.

The characters were really the highlight of this book. Each of them were a great change, not your typical characters and I loved them for it. The radio crew were also really fun. The plot was great and really kept me interested throughout. If I had to criticize, I'd say that the ending appeared a little rushed.

A really good story! I can't wait to read the author's next book.

[A.G. Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! And I'll never look at a Mexican cantina the same again. Or burritos. Or vintage shoes. Or hand-knitted scarves. Chloe was such a loveable protagonist! I was rooting for her from page one. :)

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, Chloe Camden, I think if you were a real person, you and I would likely be good friends. To be honest, Chloe would likely be friends with many people given the rather bubbly, infectiously spirited attitude towards life that she has. She's a cool character, maybe a little on the side of being too talkative, too brutally honest, and maybe too willing to jump ahead into any situation that strikes her fancy.

At least one can say that her heart's in the right place and that she means well.

So what's the problem in Chloe's world? She has a grandmother who suffers from Parkinson's, her mother and grandmother don't seem to get along given their concern for her grandmother's condition, her best friends are all of a sudden shunning her, and her advisor threatens to fail her if she doesn't find another community project to do for her JISP assignment. To say she's in over her head is an understatement.

Chloe has to shoulder quite a bit of responsibility in "Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe", after being assigned to her struggling school's radio station for her JISP project. It's the one positive thing that Chloe has to hold onto in the midst of many things in her life that are either fragmented or falling by the waysides. The way that Coriell writes the narrative for this story is genuine, funny, and also thought-provoking in a way I didn't expect. Each of the characters are dimensionally sound, have their own struggles, and Chloe perceives them in a way that's enlightening for a girl her age. Even as her relationship develops with the quiet tech Duncan, you can see how she grows and changes alongside him. Duncan himself is a great character - I not only liked his chemistry with Chloe, but just his overall personality. He also has to deal with some very tough situations, but he deals with them in a way that tries to make the most of what he has - and that's very refreshing for a male leading character in a YA novel.

The supporting cast of "Welcome Caller, This is Chloe" is no less charming. Even Clementine's "off/on" dynamic with Chloe is well done (and she made me laugh in quite a few scenes in the book). While the struggles Chloe faces can become harrowing in certain places (Brie, Chloe's friend, seems to really have it out for her in quite a few places in the book), it never feels overdone or out of context. It's a read that's quite suited for its age group and that I think many will enjoy. That doesn't mean that I didn't think it had some flaws, but it's enjoyable for what it has to offer. I would certainly recommend it for those who want a read in YA with a vibrant, funny protagonist who has to deal with some rather tough issues, but in the same vein finds ways to make things work out for her in the end.

Overall score: 4/5

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher ABRAMS/Amulet Books.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chloe Camdem is a girl of large enthusiasms and small self-consciousness. She's pretty, popular, and the youngest child of a large, happy and wealthy family of doctors (who are all a bit too busy for her, actually). Despite those trappings of entitlement, Chloe's the kind of girl who's not too cool to enthusiastically wear a burrito costume advertising the Mexican restaurant where she works and finds friendship, inspiration and guidance. She also spends lots of time with her grandmother, whose failing faculties place Chloe in the center of the ongoing and rather bitter conflict between Grams and Chloe's mom over Gram's continuing independence. For a smart cookie, Chloe can be rather clueless, I must say, and she never really does comprehend why her former bff's have turned on her so abruptly and ferociously, just after Chloe was crowned queen of the Winter Dance (hint, green eyes may be involved). But the biggest challenge Chloe faces is the cancellation of her big required Junior year project by the new guidance counsellor, who definitely seems out to get her. When her new project involves resucitating the ailing school radio station, even the irrepressible Chloe finds the challenge daunting, although not without its rewards (enter swoony mysterious scarf-wearing dude).

I enjoyed this quite bit, mostly because Chloe is such a charming MC. It's a bit of an issue-o-rama, what with addictions, aging, bullying, bitchiness, true crimes and loneliness all playing a part in the plot. Chloe is a bit too good to be true, but that's part of what makes her and the book appealing. I really felt like reaching in and shaking more than one of her antagonists, and relished the various vindications that mercifully are sprinkled throughout. This is a good solid fun read, and Chloe will stick with you long after 88.8 "The Edge," has signed off for the evening!

[stardustreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ADORE THIS BOOK! It's such a cute, easy read and I highly recommend it for the spring/summer time. I like Chloe's personality, all bubbly and fun, and her character arc. The events that happened in the book was realistic and pinched my heart! +1 for Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe

[Racquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review also posted on my blog: The Book Barbies

Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe was not what I expected and that's a good thing! Going into the book, I thought it's going to be a cute, fun one sitting read and while yes it was fun, cute and I finished it a few hours, Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe still managed to weave serious issues into it's plot while still remaining to be a light read, A perfect balance between fun and meaningful!

Chloe has lost her best friends, her five brothers are away at college, her parents are busy surgeons and her Grandma's disease is becoming a serious problem and Chloe's junior project, a very important assignment that will determine her college acceptance has changed. But when Chloe is forced to join the radio station team at her high school she slowly regains her liveliness despite her being against being part of the radio station from the beginning.

From the first paragraph (if you didn't believe the summary) Chloe tells us she loves being a burrito or in other words, the center of attention.

I loved being a burrito. Not the actual costume, a stinky ankle-length tube of compressed foam with scratchy shoulder straps. No I loved the physical act of being a burrito- more precisely, of getting people to notice me- and I was good at it.

Bam, first paragraph of the book and I knew it was a winner! We all read the story of the shy girl, the bullied girl, the underrated girl, the innocent girl, the shy girl, the underrated girl, the quiet girl and yeah I'm just repeating myself now. There is nothing wrong with reading those stories but it gets... boring. However, Chloe was a breath of much needed fresh air. She loved wearing vintage shoes, she was fun and outspoken and made sure her purpose in life is to make people laugh. Definitely NOT your typical YA main character and I can kiss Shelley Coriell a million times because she broke through the usual trend.

Chloe liked being the center of attention but she also had a big heart with the best of intentions always in mind even if sometimes her actions say otherwise. But guess what? She's a teen girl! She's not perfect nor is anybody. Shelley Coriell portrays this quirky, funny girl in such a realistic teen way, I swear to you this Chloe character is real somewhere out there. I actually see a lot of her in some people I know and I just loved that so, so much. Some reviews I have seen say that sometimes Chloe's annoying but that's all the better! Have we ever met a person in our life who didn't once get on our nerve? Mom, dad, sister, brother, husband, wife, friend, teacher or boss! Chloe is now one of my new favorite characters thanks to her being comfortable in her own skin, extremely, extremely realistic, super well developed, different than your average cliches, and all around fun, nice girl.

I hope I have convinced you that I adore Chloe and you should too but besides that, the book was also filled with an interesting plot and a cast of enjoyable characters like Chloe's bosses and Chloe's grandma who is her closet friend and the rock in her life and an absolute hilarious, amazing 82 year old lady! Also the radio station group was a fun one, especially dragon Clementine. I cannot tell you how many times I laughed during her's and Chloe's banter.

Also, Duncan, the radio station technician, was an absolute treat to the book! He had home problems which broke my heart but seeing him with Chloe and how they both helped each other through their tough time was really heartwarming and sweet. Their relationship wasn't just built on attraction, but friendship and the tough times that they got through together and I completely loved that.

Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe wasn't just a fun book, it also presented serious issues like drug abusive, home and parent neglection, mental illness and loneliness but Shelley Coriell managed to still make the book an enjoyable and often funny read. I think she presented her characters very realistically which is something I don't say often when it comes to YA books and the romance was definitely sweet and swoony. I would recommend Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe a million times!

Rating: 5 hearts~ absolutely adored everything about it!

-thank you&come again.

[Riya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted at http://www.teenbookguru.com/2012/07/r...

**A review copy was provided by Amulet Books (thank you!!)**

"Sometimes change sneaks up on you, carried in on the breath of spring, sliding through the sun-soaked waves of summer, breezing along the whisper and crackle of fall. Other times change prefers a more direct route. It comes down fast and hard. Wham! Like a ginormous hammer."

Chloe Camden's purrrrfect (as her counselor would say it!) life, has taken a change... seemingly for the worse. Her two best friends have completely ostracized her, taking her place in the A-list with them; her Junior Independent Study Project has been rejected by the review board; and things at home between Grams and Mom have gone from bad to worse.

But Chloe is determined not to let any of it get the best of her - not even when Brie (her EX- best friend, and the most popular girl in the grade) starts spreading nasty rumors about her... or when Grams floods the house... and ESPECIALLY NOT when her new puurrfectly kitty-like, green eyed Counselor suggests joining the school's set-up-for-failure Radio Station, KDRS 88.8 The Edge. Still, Chloe's always up for a challenge, and with super brooding, misunderstood, broad-shouldered, hunk of a guy Duncan Moore alongside her, she steps up to the plate... and tries to make this old, forgotten about Radio Station popular again, not only for her JISP (Junior Independent Study Project), but to show herself that she can do it.

This book was a light, refreshing read with a lovable, funny heroine. While I didn't fall madly in love with it, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The beginning was a little bit slow, and it took a while for it to pick up pace, but once it did, I was fully absorbed. I finished it in one sitting! Chloe was a really easy to fall in love with type of MC, and I'll admit, I fell for her, and her lovable, quirky, cast of misfits over at the Radio Station. Where at first they aren't too sure of Chloe and her 'skater girl' ways, it's not long before they are one hundred percent behind her.

Oh my gaaaaaaawwwd (as Jester Clem would say!), I loved Duncan Moore. He was hard-working, sweet, caring, and patient. AND he had broad shoulders!!! Hehe I kind of have a thing for broad shoulders if you haven't noticed already. When Chloe started noticing him, my heart dropped, because I was pretty sure that Chloe would just 'use' him, but she didn't!!!

Chloe surprised me in a lot of ways, actually. At first I thought she was just the kind of girl who didn't really care about anyone else and was so self-absorbed in her own problems and life, but later on I started to notice that she started caring and noticing other people, and I think she really started to realize that she's not the only person with problems. Chloe, while she was definitely not perfect, was one of the most confident female characters that I've read about in a long time! She was strong, and completely believed in herself. It was a really nice, refreshing change!

Welcome Caller, This Is Chloe, is a moving, light read that tackles a whole range of problems, from family issues, and popularity, to alcoholism and drugs... all the while remaining a fairly easy and fluffy read.

Are you feeling down in the dumps? Need a light read to cheer you up and make you laugh? If so, Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe, is the perfect book for you.

[Cheyenne Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just want to give the cover artist for this book a vivacious round of applause. The colors, the clarity, the set-up, all make this cover pop. I can already tell this will be one of my favorite covers of the year.

What I liked:
Chloe has personality, that much is for sure. I respected her because even when it seemed like her life was seriously messed up sometimes, she kept on going. She didn't throw a pity party when her friends went AWOL on her or when troubled brewed at home or when her junior study project is axed; instead, she tried to act on what was happening to help fix a situation.
When you get down to it, what I liked most about Chloe was her heart. You can tell she truly cares about everyone: Even her grandma and her mother when they won't stop arguing. Even the radio's general manager who wants to keep her off-air. Even ex-friends that try to ruin her at every turn.

The radio aspect of the book was, personally, my favorite. Chloe hosts a talk-show, where she highlights different topics of her own choosing, from pet peeves to comfort foods. I loved getting to listen in to her broadcasts and only wish there had been more radio time in the book.

Oh, and if you have a flair for vintage shoes, look no farther than Chloe, girl fashionista, strutting her shoes throughout the pages.

What I didn't like:
Chloe narrates the book with a very 21st century feel: the abbriviated BF instead of best friends, the drawn-out "gawwd" and "stoo-pid" to clarify how the characters talk, and a couple texts in their steriotypical lingo. I think it was meant to accentuate Chloe's style, but I got the feeling I'd been dropped into the hipster clique in middle school, or that I was hanging around that one mom that thinks using the lingo will make her kid's friends think she's cool.
Some points in the book attemped to stray from the radio hi-jinks and high school woes to more serious topics. While I appreciated the author's to merge a deeper tone into Chloe's story, I felt that sometimes they didn't mesh right. Chloe was too caught up in her school life to be really immersed in deeper plot lines, so they were just kind of woven together.


The bottom line:
If I could describe this book in a word, it would be playful. Chloe and her style were a mix-up from what I usually read, and they were a nice, fun, refresher. Chloe knows a thing or two about fun. If you're looking for something lighthearted and upbeat, try some Chloe.

[Stormy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe. I love the writing style, the characters, the cover, the story. It's unique, different, fun, and real.

Chloe is the type of person everyone loves to be around. That is until her best friends block her out and start spreading rumors about her. The whole school acts as if she has a plague. With no friends, Chloe doesn't know what to do with herself. She's gone from being the center of the universe to a lone tumbleweed twirling in a barren desert. She doesn't know what she did wrong. To make matters worse, a new guidance counselor is making her do her JISP project all over, and things are not going well at home. She's lonely and all she wants is to be wanted/needed again. Failing to turn her JISP on time, the counselor signs her up for KDRS, the struggling school radio station. Chloe's bubbling personality is just what they need. Now, she just has to convince them that she can listen and care for more than just herself and vintage shoes.

Chloe, she's so happy go lucky. She believes there is always time for fun. It doesn't matter when, where, or how, she's going to make it fun. She loves to make people smile and laugh with her witty wisecracks and quirkiness. She's outgoing, confident, and has a big heart. I love how different she is from most main characters. I wish I was more like her and that I had all her vintage shoes. I really liked all the characters, really. They each have their own problems, like all people do. They aren't perfect, they have flaws and their lives aren't easy. They're real and that's what I liked most about the book. I could see myself in their shoes, or I had been there before and I loved that I could relate like that to them.

Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe is about change. How change could be good or bad. How a bad change can lead to good things. How in the end everything works out and you just have to believe in that.

"Sometimes change sneaks up on you, carried in on the breath of spring, sliding through the sun-soaked waves of summer, breezing along the whisper and crackle of fall. Other times change prefers a more direct route. It comes down fast and hard...like a hammer."

http://blueeyedbooknerd.blogspot.com/

[Stephanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I expected this to be a glitzy read, and was surprised by the amount of heart lurking beneath it. Much like Clementine, I expected the main character to be insincere, all fluff and no substance, but she was more like one of those busy popular girls who turns out to be really nice as soon as you talk to her alone. The most aggravating person was the guidance counselor; I wanted to slap everyone involved with "JISP" long before the end (I'm an adult and still aggravated by such pretentious and unreasonable demands for teenagers to create their own learning. Even in college I never had to write anywhere near a 20-page paper).

I loved Chloe's struggles with her family, the bewildering loss of her best friends and of course, her Pollyanna-like willingness to plunge into her new project at the radio station and give it her all. I've never been all that into radio, but this book gave me a great behind-the-scenes look and why people would have a passion for it. What really gave the story heart, though, was Duncan. Even with all the other points in its favor, I don't think it would have been nearly as compelling without his mysterious, stoic self sufficiency, the little teases of liking Chloe's company, and moving family circumstances. I just wish there had been a little more time for their romance instead of all the UST.

[Ipshita · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review may contain spoilers.

This story reminded me a lot of Shrinking Violet, except unlike Teresa from the other book, I quite liked Chloe. She's chirpy and cheerful and doesn't lose her confidence even in face of troubles. I loved her role as the peppy new RJ of their school's dying radio station.

The only things that stopped me from giving it four stars is the ending, considering how their radio station caught fire, her new friends instantly abandoned her (though they do realise their mistake soon), with her old friends blowing hot and cold for the entire length of the story (that too without a good reason in my opinion), and then out of the blue, the perpetrator turning out to be someone unexpected (which is a good thing but then the reason behind the arson seemed really lame). It is a good and pleasant novel otherwise.

[Janette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was glad to get an ARC of this book. It's a refreshing change from a lot of the dark, angsty teen books out there. Even though Chloe is dealing with some hard issues like back-stabbing friends and her grandma's failing health, Chloe handles the situations without the self-pity and dreariness you'd find in most books. I look forward to reading many more books by Shelley Coriel.

[Karla Mae (Reads and Thoughts) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Words hurt, whether whispered in hallways, written in frosty pink lipstick on your locker, or keyed in over pictures on blog pages. They knocked you over, pummeled you, and left you with a bleeding heart.

Queen of the Universe. That's Chloe Camden in the eyes of the people on her school - until after their winter break. She finds out that life becomes more difficult with her bestfriends not talking to her , the whole school avoiding her as if she is carrying an epidemic, the nasty rumors floating around about her and she's stuck in doing a project that she doesn't really wanted to do which is to help working on the school radio station which is on the verge of its collapse and run by people who are considered no-one on their school though of course one of them is achingly handsome and cute.

In and out of the job, she faces her loneliness and fears and comes out all better. Armed with a positive attitude, feisty grandmother, a group of supportive people of misfits, they all find the fun and joy in everyday life.

---

Most of the time, I choose what I read depending on how I see its cover for I think lovely covers also depicts good stories, but I could definitely assure you that it is not always like that, but on the case of this book, I guess it kinda lives up to my expectation. It is one of those books that already gave away atleast a part of what it is about and tells you that it is already a great one long before you pick it up. As for this book, the title and the old style microphone screams Radio to it and the cover model, clothing and fashion screams Modern High School thing, so with these things clearly pointed out on the cover we could say that it is something about Radio and Modern Teen drama thing. I guess, the cover didn't really dissapoint me, I actually loved it, its very enticing.

Chloe Queen of the Universe is one quirky character. She is cool, confident but still can come vulnerable at times. The time when she entered her school after the winter break and her BFF's treating her as if she's another piece of trash to throw makes me really feel sympathetic to her, it also makes me feel much more curious to what is the root of all these silent treatments and nasty rumors about her. Chloe's love for vintage shoes and Mexican food seems very nice for me. I could relate with her love for shoes, especially the vintage ones and when she goes describing those shoes I really wanted to snatch it right out of the page. haha. Aside from these two things, Chloe also loves to talk - very much. She is a chatterbox and often forgets to listen to people around her and she can get easily preoccupied with things making people think that she is self-centered which I would like to contradict because I think that she is just more self-involved rather than self-centered. I guess, there's a great difference between that two.

Chloe's BFF's Brie & Merce are two annoying characters. I just want to smash them both. They acted pretty childish on the issue. I know they really have the right to be mad at Chloe after the little pre-occupation she had during their Winter ball, but what they did to get revenge to her was much more extreme and much more unforgivable. I guess they are lucky enough that Chloe really have a soft heart for them.

Then, here comes Duncan. I really enjoyed the contrast between his character and Chloe. He is a quiet and very reserved guy which is the exact opposite of Chloe but it really surprises me that at the radio station he is the one who immediately connects with Chloe, though at times while reading it I'm thinking that he already knows her and already has a big-time crush on her or whatsoever. Also, I really feel hard to connect with Duncan, the story doesn't really tells something about him until the last half of it.And like in the middle of it, I kinda feel annoyed with him and want to knock the beejeesus out of him for not saying anything to Chloe whenever she asks him questions. He for one, should know that silence could do mean more and hurts more. Anyway, the relationship of these two was achingly sweet for me especially on how they both support each other during the rough and bad times they both have to face.

The other radio crew are also pretty awesome! They both have their own things to do and to say but I could say that Clementine is a definite stand out, with her continuos banter with Chloe. I also liked Haley and her 1930's movies.

Of course, not everything is quite good about this one. To be honest, I had a serious problem with the conflict between Chloe and her Bff's, I found the reason behind the rumors to be so minor and I really kept waiting for something more hard to drop. This BFF battle comprises almost half of the book and in the middle of it I just wanted to postpone reading it but I really do wanted to see how Chloe would do to her Radio stints and Junior Independent Study or JISP (which comprises its other half of the book) and that's what keep me hanging on on this story.

Best part of the story for me are Chloe's talk shows. They are just so hilriious even the titles “Chloe, Queen of the Universe” and “Heartbeats” are very very clever ones! She is a very entertaining host and I'm really fascinated with the technical radio stuffs stated in here. Her referance to her listeners as 'minions' and her continious banter with Clementin was freakin' hilarious and makes me smile the whole time and also while reading what she says to her shows, it seems very real to me, its as if I'm really listening to a real radio show.

In all, I think what really stands out about this book is it characters since I've spend many words giving reactions to them.lol, they may seem very stereotype but I think they are very plesant ones that I really wanted to make friends with all of them, well except Brie and Merce.

Honestly, I'm really having a hard time thinking if I really liked this book or not. I liked this for the fact that I do enjoy reading it but not until the half of it which I guess is a bad sign of reading for me. The first half seems pretty dragging and it does not really sinks in to me easily. But, if you are looking for another Young Adult okay read then you must never miss this out.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advance copy for review.

[Deniz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

wow! i am gonna have to think about this one. Chloe was so irritatingly self-absorbed most of the time but there were so many other things that i really loved. There are so many things i need the wrap my head around still.
not even sure how i am gonna rate it... might still bump it up or down.

9/9/12 finally got my review together;

This book is ALL about Chloe. I can state with utter certainty that if you don't like her, you won't like this book. So let me warn you, Chloe is rather self-involved and a total drama queen. If you don't like it you better off moving on. If you do not mind, she will take you on an amazing journey. Any way you have been warned.

Well, the story is about Chloe, a girl who after school break discovers that not only her guidance councilor is gone so has her rather fluffy project. She also to her utter surprise is shunned by her two best friends. Thrown into what for her is seemingly the end of her life, she ends up doing her indented student project at the slightly tattered school radio station.

The book had so many fun dialogues and scenes I laughed and grinned the entire way through it. And it left me smiling for a long while after I finished.

The entire book is written from Chloe's point of view and her voice is definitely the spoilt self involved teenage girl and it honestly rather irritating. The constant reference to her shoes were super annoying to me. The fact that she did associate her life with them, honestly made me roll my eyes every single time. AND I am a girl, so shoe love comes with the territory. But common, while i do so appreciate them, I never thought they could or would change anything.
Chloe was so off the charts in the beginning. Her blatant obliviousness of the problems or difficulties of others was only surpassed by her constant whining about her own, very petty i might add, issues. Yes her friends were horrid to her, but it becomes very clear that she wasn't there for them when they need her, because she was too self-involved to take note of it.
Chloe thinks that being funny solves all problems, if you make someone laugh you helped them. She has a need to constantly talk, since she can't handle silence and if things get serious she need to make joke or play games.
Saying all these sound terribly negative. And i honestly didn't care that much for her in the beginning of the book. I probably wouldn't have stopped reading after 3chapters or so, but Coriell is a fantastic writer and managed to pack all of this annoyances into a fun read. Because while Chloe was really irritating, I also laughed a lot. And i really liked Duncan, Clem and the other radio peps, not to speak of Grams. She was fabulous right from the beginning. And I am really glad I did read on. Because Chloe changes, she sees past her own shadow. Even tries to be silent at times and turns out to be a great and loyal friend. She still has a big mouth and wears her heart on her sleeve, but I actually really liked that and I can totally relate to that.
When Clem accuses her of being a skate queen. I was so annoyed, because I have been accused of the same thing several times in my life. And while I totally could not relate to the bitch politics of best friends and its aftermath, its not like one chooses the family one is in or that one has no huge disasters in life. But as the story went on, I started to get what she meant. Somehow Chloe does pull herself together and makes things happen, always. So I guess thats a good thing.
Duncan was totally my favorite character. I loved him right from the beginning, and I really enjoyed the contrast he was to Chloe. In fact most of the Characters are sort of a contrast to her and bring her out even more. Coriell managed to make him so different and likable, so intriguing and one get to know him slowly. He is fiercely loyal and very strong, decent and despite the difficulties he has in life he is still hanging in there and never complains.
I found that there were such contrast between the Chloes problems and everybody else's. I mean yeah her granny isn't well, but how does that compare to having a teenage pregnancy, ones mother dying, parents going through a nasty life changing divorce or having a drug addict in the family? I am guessing that Coriell done it by purpose, but for me at the beginning anyway it made Chloe super selfish and whinny.
This book managed to touch so many facets of a young persons life, it still amazes me. I think thats what make is actually genius. And I am still between 4 or 5 stars. Well I am not sure if is should round it up or down.
The end for me was probably one of the best things of the book. the fact that it isn't a happy end. But rather a new start is totally awesome. I really liked how Chloe dealt with her BFF's and I found that her friendship to the radio team had grown subtly to something rather beautiful. I think it's those friendships that actually taught Chloe the most and made her a really likable character.

As I said before I totally couldn't relate to the besties dramas. I never was part of a twosome or threesome or a pack…. I always had close friends but we were never 'exclusive' plus I think how good friends were they if they couldn't even be honest to each other? The interesting thing is, that reading about this not only made me ponder over all those thing, the GFF phenomena, popularity and social status, I ended up having the most interesting discussions about it with friends here on GR and in my 'real' life. I think that by it self makes this a great book. Because while its really fun it stayed with me for a while and made me reflect on many issues.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, prvních asi 100 stran jsem si říkala, jaká je to blbost, ale pak mě to začalo i bavit. Autorka rozebírala řadu těžkých témat a hlavně to nebyl jen hloupý příběh o lásce pro puberťačky.

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chloe's friends' complaints definitely have merit. Chloe is kind of annoying and self-obsessed. They definitely were right about that. Under most circumstances, she would be difficult to stomach as a narrator. She's such a brat, but one who thinks she's such a sweetie and so caring. No, honey. Just no. I prefer for selfish brats to OWN it. Like I do. Just sayin'. I mean, there's this scene where she calls one of her former BFs to try to figure out what's going on and she spends forever on the phone just yakking away WHILE HER GRANDMA IS BLEEDING FROM A WOUND AND WAITING TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL. Your social life is a big deal and all but go to the hospital first! This girl is just so clueless.

At first, I was not sympathetic to Chloe's plight like at all. I mean, I know how much it sucks to be friendless in high school, but she brought it on herself. When I thought her friends had just tired of dealing with her, that's what I thought. Then I learned exactly why her reputation was in tatters, and, suddenly, I totally had to hope that she recovered her status somewhat, although I still wanted her to grow up and chill out.

Despite knowing that I would totally be annoyed by Chloe if I knew her in real life, her character was very vibrant and interesting. Most of all, I loved her obsession with vintage shoes. Although I'm not a shoe person myself (I wear flip flops most of the year), that's a really neat hobby to have, and I loved how much joy she got from a pair of shoes. Plus, vintage is cool. I also like the first sentence of the book (in fact, that's one of the best first sentences I've read). When I read the opening, I thought that there was no way Coriell could convince me any self-respecting teen would enjoy a job where they had to dress up in a burrito costume. Well, she proved me wrong. Chloe totally would.

She's one of those people that you can hardly believe exists that can make anything cool, so she just does what she wants. When it comes right down to it, she's a seriously odd duck, but she does everything so passionately that she's really hard to ignore. I also liked that, once she sets her mind to something (a key element), she completely invests herself in it, whatever it is. She certainly is selfish at the outset, and still kind of at the end. However, I can see her being a good girlfriend, because she'll really want to help him, even if that means helping him with his trash job.

The whole crew at the radio station I loved. Bitchy, but good-hearted, Clementine with a fondness for beets, Frick and Frack (I want to know how they got those nicknames, and Duncan especially. I wish there had been a place like that in my high school, although there probably was and I just didn't know it. They were all outcasts, but formed their own little supportive social group. Oh, I also need to give a shout out to the awesomeness of Grams. She is completely batty, but the best kind of fictional grandma, right up there with the grandma from Stephanie Plum and from Inara Scott's Talents series.

There were a few things with which I had a bit of a problem. First off, Chloe has a really weird way of speaking that doesn't strike me as quite natural. She has invented some slang, like gossip being 'jellyfish whispers.' I'm sorry, but that's not a thing. It derived from the fact that jellyfish sting, I think, but I'm just not feeling it. Chloe also always refers to her best friends as BFs. Can you not? I feel like I would have been less irritated by BFF; I've just never heard anyone say BF, except about a boyfriend.

Though the relationship of the book was a slow-burner, it still committed one of my YA romance no-nos. Every time Chloe and Duncan (note: I hate the nickname Dunc) touch, she feels this crazy literal spark. I mean, at one point, he puts his hand on her ankle and she like freaks out mentally about how good it feels. Get over it already. I read about stuff like this all the time in YA, and I really think it's going to give people unrealistic expectation. Sure, touching someone you like or being touched by them will feel good, but I really doubt there's going to be an actual spark, unless there's static electricity in play. Also, why are his eyes silver? I keep reading YA books where people have silver or purple or something. There are plenty of colors in human eyes naturally; please use those, unless you have a way to explain it. At least say that his eyes were grey and so shiny they looked silver.

All things considered, Welcome Caller, This Is Chloe is a really great read. I know I powered through it in no time. In future, I hope to see Coriell do something even better, because I think she shows a lot of potential.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"People need best friends." I waved my arms in the air. "Like oxygen. Without friends I'd die. I'd be all alone."

Chloe Camden is used to being the center of attention. She has a big personality and a good heart, and because of that she's pretty popular. But then her best friends suddenly turn on her, and Chloe, an extrovert who thrives when in a crowd, is alone. She ends up joining her school's radio station, which is at risk for going belly-up. Despite the fact that the students running the station aren't her biggest fans, Chloe ends up hosting a call-in talk show that might just end up saving the station. Alongside techie Duncan, manager Clementine, and the other wacky radio students, Chloe has to learn what it means to listen.

This is not my first time reading Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe, and I'm pleased to say that the book impressed again. It's a fun, slightly kooky book that ends up being a quick and easy read. But, of course, there are some things that I wasn't such a big fan of, so I'm giving this book 3.5 stars.

Chloe is an endearing yet sometimes annoying character. Chloe is loud and exuberant and very, very extroverted. For the most part, she's pretty believable as this quirky character. Of course, kind of agree with other readers when they say that Chloe is unabashedly optimistic (especially for a sixteen-year-old girl who is having issues with her family and her friends) and that she might be trying a little too hard to be interesting and different.

In the beginning of the book, she's not the nicest person. I mean, she is clearly a little self-centered, and that's kind of the point. Chloe is meant to grow over the course of the novel. She's meant to realize that no, not everything revolves around her, and I think that portion of the story was really well done.

Brie had always been one to label others. Outsiders had been her brainchild, although I, too, had labeled Clementine Nose Ring Girl. Suddenly, it sounded mean.

I also liked her relationship with her grandmother, Duncan, and Clementine. Her grandmother is hilarious, and Chloe's worry over her failing health rings true. Duncan is a sweet guy and plays a good love interest. But perhaps it's Chloe's relationship with Clementine - a slightly standoffish girl who definitely isn't Chloe's biggest friend in the beginning - that was my absolute favorite. I was dying for Chloe to build a strong relationship, and I wished her friendship with Clementine was explored a little more.

The other characters - particularly the radio students - are okay, but I think that they're just a little flat. They're not incredibly important to the plot, so I can forgive their simplicity. What bothered me, though, was Chloe's relationship with her former friends. Honestly, I thought this portion of the story was a little unrealistic, though maybe you could blame that on the fact that it's been a while since I was sixteen. I initially thought the cold shoulder wasn't that strange for a jealous friend, but it quickly became hardcore bullying, with Brie spreading lies and actively trying to ruin Chloe's life. I felt that Brie never truly had to pay for her hatred, that their third friend Mercedes never explained herself, and that Chloe let it go way too easily.

The ending was decent. I felt like Chloe grew as a person, and that's what this book was all about, I think. My only issue with the ending was that the whole radio station burning down was a bit of out left field, and the identity of the culprit was left as an open-ended question.

Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe is a fun, lighthearted read with a bit of a lesson in relationships thrown in. Chloe was a refreshingly happy heroine, and her narration was funny at just the right points. Definitely worth the read if you need a little lightness.

[Pooja Sathyanarayanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted here

cover

I love the cover! It's bright and colourful and very Chloe!

review

"People need best friends." I waved my arms in the air. "Like oxygen. Without friends I'd die. I'd be all alone."

A lot can change over one summer. Chloe finds this out the hard way as she skips across the road, dressed up as a burrito for her job at Dos Hermanas while wearing vintage shoes to meet her friend Brie and Brie startles her with harsh words and a quit exit. When the school year begins, Chloe's shocked to discover her BFs, Brie and Mercedes, don't want her anywhere near them. They find her self centered and their issues with her obviously built up over the summer. Brie has even started to spread rumours about Chloe. Add her new counselor Ms. A. Lungren making her change her Junior Independent Study Project (JISP) to the mix and her mother and grandmother being at war for most of the year and happy-go-lucky Chloe is confused and well, not-so-happy.

Let me start by saying that Chloe's probably someone you'd either love or hate and it was full on love for me! She was cheerful and sweet and there was no doubt that she had a big heart! Her obsession with vintage shoes was cute and I loved how she doted on her Brad-Pitt-loving grandmother. But at the heart of it all, she was also a very mature person and this, I did not expect. Despite Brie's attempts to spread rumours about Chloe and impersonate her online, Chloe surprisingly took these things in her stride. She did not attempt to retaliate even once. She seemed beyond payback or revenge!

But Chloe's not perfect. And I liked that too. She had this compulsive need for everyone to like her and there was some truth to her BFs label of her as self centered. Which probably accounts for her need to talk all the time and how she feels personally responsible for other people's problems as well.

Over the course of the book, Chloe ends up having to work at the school-run radio station and hosts a radio talk-show. She meets a bunch of people who aren't very Chloe-crazy and gets to know them better. She bonds with Duncan, a boy at the station who is in desperate need of cheer and fun. Chloe learns to listen and not to chase away solitude all the time.

This book was very Chloe-centric. (Which I guess, I should've expected!) It makes sense as the story is told from Chloe's perspective which is probably why there were these really unique and memorable characters like Clem, Hayley, Ms. Lungren and even Mercedes who I would've loved knowing even more about but we only get little peeks into their lives. Still, I loved what I got to know about these characters. Even Brie, the former best friend who gives Chloe hell, seems justified for hating Chloe in her own way.

Just like Chloe herself, Welcome Caller, This is Chloe is every bit of the cutesy and charming debut it seems to be but also, surprisingly, deals with heavier issues -like drug addiction and Parkinson's- as well. Chloe's grandmother has Parkinson's and the toll it takes on Chloe and her family who struggle to come to terms with it is portrayed well. It's also not very easy to deal with your best friends suddenly hating you. It would make me question the core of myself and even after Chloe makes peace with them, it's obvious that they've outgrown each other. It was a simple yet heart wrenching premise.

Filled with personality, cute shoes, fun and surprises, Welcome Caller, This is Chloe is about a boy in need of laughter, a "princess in skates" who realises that not everybody loves her all the time, a radio station and the coolest grandmother ever. I loved meeting Chloe and I hope you do too!

[Magan · Rating 4 out of 5]

[review originally posted on Rather Be Reading]

I was immediately pulled into Chloe’s world – she was quirky, funny, and used to being in the spotlight. The first scene takes place at Dos Hermanas where she’s on the streets handing out coupons to passerby dressed as a burrito wearing a pair of vintage shoes. If there are two things you should know about me, Magan, it’s this:

The way to my heart is through Mexican food. (All the talk and similes about Mexican food had my mouth watering.)

-My heart beats triple time when face-to-face with a new pair of shoes.
-So you see, Chloe and I were like soul sisters. I absolutely LOVED Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe!

She was dealing with a few big issues that I think a lot of people can relate to. Her best friends can’t stand the sight of her and they’ve concocted a story about something she didn’t even really do. They’ve abandoned her in the midst of dealing with her grandmother’s disease. Her great school record is about to be shot because the new counselor seems to have it out for her. Her family life is stressful – Mom and Grams cannot get along.

Where does this leave her?

Making friends with the kids at the radio station that is about to be removed from the school curriculum due to lack of interest. The radio station is intense and they aren’t welcoming whatsoever. She has to prove herself and force her way into the mix or else she’ll fail the project. Wouldn’t that just be perfect since everything else around her seems to be crumbling?

There were a couple of things that I really loved about this book. The first was Grams. I’m extremely close to my grandmother. She’s loud and extremely opinionated and very set in her ways. I felt the same way about Grams; when I found out she had Parkinson’s, I only connected with her even more. My husband’s uncle was diagnosed with this over ten years ago and we’ve seen the impact up-close and very personally. Every situation where Mercedes and Brie (the ex-best friends) never took the time to listen to what Chloe was really dealing with just broke my heart a little bit more. There’s much that’s misunderstood when it comes to sickness and to have two best friends abandon you in the midst of one is just…detestable.

The people Chloe befriended (ever so slowly) at the radio station were awesome. They didn’t allow her to be whiny, obnoxious, or annoying. It was all about tough love. I loved getting to see the inner workings of the radio station. (Another little known fact about me is that I love talk radio. There’s a local Austin station that I listen to on a pretty regular basis in the mornings. I’ve been a fan for 8 or 9 years.) Clementine runs the show, quite literally, at the radio station. She was crazy bossy and fiercely unfriendly. The radio crew was extremely protective of one another. They dealt with many big, real life issues and this book didn’t glorify anyone or anything.

Ultimately, the multiple layers and story lines that were woven throughout made this book awesome. It was about dealing with life changes – between friends, with health, love, and dealing with loneliness. It was about falling in love for the first time (gotta throw in how much I adored Duncan’s character). There were strong contradictions between families falling apart – those that were upper-middle class and those barely scraping by. It was about growing up and learning how to deal with all the consequences of life.

I highly recommend Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe. This is a debut novel for Coriell and I applaud her for successfully writing a character I could connect with in so many ways.

[Chanelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a contemporary book, this was pretty long. But I definitely wasn't bored and I definitely didn't feel like there were filler scenes or pointless chapters. Everything that happened needed to happen.

Chloe, for me, is probably one of the most infuriating characters I've come across in a long time. Seriously. I know, for the purpose of the book, she's supposed to learn some hard life lessons. But my gosh is she the most self centred person on the planet. She's the baby of her family, so she's used to getting all the attention. She thinks of herself as a people person, but really, she's a Chloe person. Which means she does things for people only if she gets a gain out of it, or if she feels bad about not doing it. And by gain, I mean because she wants to get to know someone better out of a crush, or because she wants to feel assured or like she belongs.

I mean, I could go on forever about how bad of a character Chloe is. She doesn't have one redeeming quality, actually, that's a lie. She never gives up. Even when she should. I suppose I liked that when her friends turned their backs on her, she didn't melt into her shell and cry for days about it. She tried to fix it. She tried to talk to them and find out what had happened. But her motivations behind it were all wrong, and then she found other friends and pretty much forgot about her old friends who she claims to have been there for their whole friendship.

The novel is written in first person, which means it's a whole book in Chloe's head. A lot of the narrative is long winded and focuses too much on Chloe and what she thinks and feels about everything. Which only adds to how self centred she is as a character. Coriell did a great job in making Chloe realistic of someone in her situation and position. I didn't once doubt she could really be that way. I did find myself skimming over some of Chloe's monologue, though.

The description and the characters were all done exceptionally well. I can't fault that. The writing was quirky, and things were given cute nicknames to help us remember. Chloe's fascination with vintage shoes was a nice little add on. I had fun picturing the shoes described. I also very much enjoyed the developing romance between Chloe and Duncan and found myself wanting them to just kiss already! Always a good sign.

Best parts of the novel were the radio show scenes. And anywhere that Chloe had to face up to the real world and realise she had to start thinking about other people for once. I mean, the girl named her radio show 'Chloe, Queen of the Universe!' Fitting. Very fitting. But you know what? I wanted her to make up with her friends. I wanted the radio show to be a hit. And I wanted her to get with Duncan and her Grams to be okay. So she wasn't a horrific character if I wanted nice things for her, I suppose.

For the record, I LOVE the cover. Very quirky. I know some people have issues with it, but it fits the book perfectly.

All in all, a great, well developed read. The pacing was great. It was a realistically written teen novel. It dealt with life lessons I know a lot of people Chloe's age need to learn. And I wasn't bored once. A little on the long side, but definitely worth it for great characters. 4 stars.

[Jack Goff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won my advanced copy of Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe from http://www.abook-loversreview.com/ . Before I start my review I want to say thank you to Trini Contreras ! Be sure to check out her blog sometime !

Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe tells the story of Chloe Camden and her high school radio show that started out as nothing more than a school project and turned into a catalyst for major change in her life. What I loved about this book is that despite its adorable cover and its cutesy moments, it deals with real life, difficult issues such as Parkinson’s, drug abuse, relationships, and the power of listening to others.

I was completely blown away by this book. When I saw the cover and read what the book was about, I thought that this would be a fun, cute read. I was wrong, but in a good way if that makes sense. The book has moments of being really funny and cute, but there are also moments where I found myself tearing up about things that were happening.

I instantly fell in love with all of the characters, and I was able to connect instantly with Chloe. It was refreshing to find a main character who was interested in helping others and who for the most part, did her best to put her feelings on hold and put others before herself. At the same time, Chloe was not a perfect character and did not have a perfect life. She had a lot to deal with. Her friends kicked her to the curb, her mother and grandmother were fighting, and Chloe had a huge school project looming over her the entire time. Not to mention she had to try to find her place in the crazy little family that was the high school’s radio staff. The main love interest, Duncan, was sweet and a little mysterious, but distant. Even though he was a kind of jerk at some points, I really loved Duncan and found him to be a very realistic character. It was refreshing to see a good girl like Chloe falling for a good guy like Duncan. Best thing about it? No love triangles! I don’t mind them, but it was nice to have a break from the whole ‘who should I choose?!’ drama that has been in a lot of YA books lately. I could write pages and pages about the characters and how each of them had their own personalities and quirks, about how realistic they all were, about how I loved each and every one of them… especially Clementine! But I will let you meet them for yourself when you read the book.

The plot was so amazing. I loved that there were real issues mixed in with the high school drama and romance. There were so many real-life topics discussed in this book, but it was done in such a way that the reader would not be overwhelmed, which in my humble opinion is a major accomplishment. Some books that have heavy subject leave me feeling bogged down and blue, but not this book. This book gave me the bitter along with the sweet. To quote Mary Poppins, the author gave me a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down. I got real-life problems along with sweet romance, brilliantly written, fun characters, and lots of juicy high school drama.

I cannot wait to read more from this author, and while I do not have a radio show (yet ::wink wink:: ) I will be singing this book’s praises to everyone I know!

[Reut · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally reviewed on reutreads, a young adult book blog.

I've been talking about Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe for a while now. I loved the radio element to the plot--I've had a slight fixation of high school radio ever since I started watching Radio Free Roscoe when I was 6-8 years old. If you've watched that show, HOLLA!--and I also love the kind of humorous high school contemporary sub-genre Chloe seemed like it was a part of.

Anyway. I started reading Welcome, Caller, and was kind of struck by a few things. The first: Chloe's kind of annoying. She's totally self-absorbed, painfully so, and this leads to complications, shall we say. Her constant, "I'm so great lalala" gets old very fast. Her radio show, when it starts, is called Chloe, Queen of the Universe, and she ever refers to her listeners as minions. And of course, we had this quote, and I'm not really sure why it stuck with me but it did:

"I'm in the drama club, so I'm used to getting attention."

But the second thing I noticed was that her characterization was amazing. Chloe is a flawed character, of course (but aren't they all?), but she's also a girl with an extremely big heart who genuinely cares about others. The constant juxtaposition of these two traits was conflicting, so ultimately I just give kudos to Shelley Coriell for really, really good characterization, in her main character at least--central to contemporary lit, of course.

However, where Chloe almost jumps off the page, Duncan and most of the supporting characters just fall flat. There is (you knew there would be) a romance in Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe, but I never rooted for the romance because I just never connected to Duncan. He's the strong and silent type (a perfect match for Chloe), but this just doesn't translate well to YA of this sub-genre.

I've focused a lot on the characters in this review, but I would like to talk about some other things quickly. The pacing in CHLOE is well done; I got through the first 100 pages without even realizing. It slows down for while at certain parts, but I suspect that has to do with my reluctance to read eBooks and not entirely with the book. The radio show was really well done. There were a couple small areas of the book that bothered me, like the plot thread at the end, the way the whole plot device that should have resurfaced was barely mentioned at the end, and the constant, CONSTANT reiterating that Brie's lips were "frosty pink." Seriously, I should have counted.

Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe was a fun contemporary read. It has its flaws, but I recommend it for fun, escapist fiction.

[Jessi (Novel Heartbeat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

From my blog Auntie Spinelli Reads

Welcome Caller was bittersweet and touched on some difficult subjects like drug addiction, Parkinson's, and change, but still managed to stay light and fun.

The characters were wonderfully flawed and different in their own way. I hated Chloe at times, but she grew on me towards the end. She was self-centered and a bit vain, but her wit charmed me and made me giggle quite a few times. In the beginning I kind of just wanted to slap her - she was selfish, too girly, and snobby. Her friends dump her on her ass, seemingly out of nowhere and her lonely sob story is pitiful...but, come to find out, she had turned her back on them when they needed her. So, I didn't feel very sorry for her. Especially when she just blew it off and didn't seem to feel any remorse. It made me want to slap her even more.

But, soon she apologized to her former BFF, Brie, for not being there. Instead of forgiveness, Chloe earns a nasty rumor, a hacked online account (with ugly pictures), and cruel harassment. At that point, even I felt the unfairness of the situation. Brie acted like a total bitch and if I had been Chloe, I'd have marched up to her and knocked her pretty little teeth out for all of the nasty and vile things she did.

I enjoyed Chloe's growth as she spent more and more time at the KDRS station. At first, it's just an obligation for her JISP (Junior Independent Study Project), but it becomes so much more as she gets attached to her fellow radio mates - Duncan, Clementine, Frick, Frack, Hayley, and Taysom. Clementine is a total bitch, always snapping and snarling and making snide remarks, but even she couldn't resist Chloe's charm in the end.

The romance between Chloe and Duncan was gradual, and while I didn't get into it as much as I wanted to, it wasn't cheesy or irritating. Duncan was a sweet guy with a heap of his own problems and was perfect for Chloe, even though they were opposites - Duncan was quiet and held everything in, while Chloe talked too much and wore her heart on her sleeve. They complimented each other very nicely.

Quotes:
No, what I wanted to do was sic my evil kitty counselor on dragon Clementine and see which one came out on top.
Chloe's kitty quips and dragon remarks were amusing!

"The sandwich method. It's a way of telling someone craptastic news. You say something nice, slip in the bad, and slap on another slice of nice."
I'm going to have to try that. :D

Also, I thought the recipe for Tamales De Dulce was awesome!

Favorite character: GRAMS. Hands down. She's a fiery, witty, no-nonsense old lady donned in Converse. She was fantabulous and I just wanted to hug her!


ASSESSMENT
Plot: 3.5/5
Writing style: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Pace: 4/5
Cover: 3.5/5

[Zoe and the Edge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate high school smear wars. They're so backhanded, cruel and frustrating.

Chloe is both snarky and sweet. She's an optimist who aggressively holds onto silver linings no matter what. I loved her confidence and her healthy self-esteem. Reading about heroines who like themselves is always so refreshing. Chloe's dramatic. She's the kind of character that you can only handle in small doses. Her personality is not the kind that authors like to write about. Herr bubbliness has got “BFF” or “secondary character” written all over her.

“I don’t hate you, Chloe. No one can hate you. You’re too”—she waved her hand at me and wrinkled her nose—“too you.”

Chloe's a people person and she can't do without them. She talks too much and she hates being alone.

When I was upset, I wanted to share my pain, to pour it in a sandbox and invite all my friends to come over and dig around in it with shovels.

As the youngest child of a medical driven family, she's way too familiar with an empty house. Chloe's not spoiled, but she is wealthy and I had to smile at her obsession with vintage shoes.

Chloe's nickname is Poppy and I kind of felt like the characters had Tall Poppy Syndrome. Yes, Chloe is well-to-do and her parents love each other and Chloe is chipper. But she's not insensitive and when someone's down she's good at cheering them up. Despite this, everyone tries to guilt trip her for being happy and successful when they're not.

Chloe is accused of being self-centred and sure she made some selfish decisions that landed her in the mess that is this premise. But the later accusations just seem really bizarre and unfair.

Duncan
Duncan is Chloe's polar opposite. He's not good at talking, he's quiet and he works two jobs.

Duncan promised me tomorrow, and for a guy who worked two jobs and lived by the beeping of a watch, that was the equivalent of a ten-pound box of chocolates and two dozen red roses.

I love how Chloe sort of wears the pants in the relationship and makes Duncan blush adorrrrably. Squee! So cute!

This time I reached out and smoothed the line, then trailed my fingers along his cheek and to the center of his chest, where I grabbed his scarf. “Nope, it was today, and, yes, you missed it.” I pulled him closer. “But I can give you a command performance later if you want.”
Duncan made a wonderful, low, rumbly sound at the back of his throat. “I, uh, want.” He nuzzled his cheek along my hair.

This wasn't always a sweet read but I loved that the author dealt with some difficult issues. It's a well-written book with no annoying stereotypes and cliches. I was going to rate this a 3.5 but I loved the wonderful ending so....4 stars.