Sandy Hall

The distinctive new crowdsourced publishing imprint Swoon Reads proudly presents its first published novel—an irresistibly sweet romance between two college students told from 14 different viewpoints. The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common—they believe that Gabe and Lea should get together. Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese food, and hang out in the same places. Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and despite their initial mutual crush, it looks like they are never going to work things out. But somehow even when nothing is going on, something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. You'll be rooting for Gabe and Lea too, in Sandy Hall's quirky, completely original novel A Little Something Different, chosen by readers, writes, and publishers, to be the debut titles for the new Swoon Reads imprint!

Fourteen Viewpoints, One Love Story

A Little Something Different

alexandra

i slowly made my way through this ebook on bus rides and the like, but personally it wasn't my cup of tea. a full review may or may not come.

Colleen

I didn't realize that this was a YA book when I came across it on Goodreads. I thought that since the main characters were college students, it wouldn't be written for teenagers. It was still a cute read, but a little fluffier than I was expecting. 

This was certainly a different book. I still feel undecided about whether it was a good different or a bad different. But it was unique. A Little Something Different is the story of Gabe and Lea, two college students whom everyone around them has decided are perfect for each other. The story is told from fourteen alternating viewpoints, including friends, restaurant workers, a teacher, a squirrel, and a bench. Yes, parts of the story are told by a squirrel and a bench. It was confusing sometimes to switch around so much. It was like looking at the same view from fourteen different windows. Although the end notes mentioned that it was originally told from twenty-three perspectives, so thank goodness that got chopped down! Overall, it felt like a fun writing exercise more than a real novel. In fact, it reminds me of a college assignment I had where we had to rewrite a story from another character's perspective. It was like Hall just wrote the same story over and over from different perspectives and then squished them together. 

None of the narrators are the two main characters though. Because you never know what the central characters are thinking or feeling, the story lacked depth or real emotion. It had lots of "awww" moments, but no intensity. At least Gabe had an interesting back story that you gradually find out as the novel progresses. But Lea's complexity is limited to two brief mentions of divorced inattentive parents. She felt very two dimensional. 

Fewer than half of the narrators really know Gabe and Lea. The rest are tertiary characters who barely cross paths with them such as a bus driver and a food delivery guy. Yet everyone instantly senses their chemistry and is convinced they need to be together. They are divided between the meddling matchmakers and the haters who just want them to get together so they can stop rolling their eyes about all the awkward flirting. No matter how well-meaning, I am not a fan of matchmaking: in real life or fiction. It is one thing to encourage a friend; it is a totally different thing to see two strangers and be convinced that you know what is best for them. I am a complete wet blanket on that subject. Don't presume you know what is best for other people.

The creative writing teacher was the worst. Every semester, she tries to set up a couple. She goes to great lengths to ensure this. In fact, she seems to care very little about actually teaching her class, because she is too busy trying to meddle and match-make. She even goes so far as to try to discourage another girl from taking her class because that girl also likes Gabe, and the teacher is afraid she will get in the way of her scheming. Teacher of the year. NOT. So glad she had her priorities straight. I hated all the sections narrated by her after that. I could not get over what a vapid, interfering person she was even though the other narrators were not nearly as bad.

It was a nice, fluffy, sweet read for the holidays. I was routing for Gabe and Lea in the end in spite of everything.

Hall, Sandy (Librarian)

College students Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class and have the same interests, but it looks like things are never going to work out between them because Lea is a little aloof and Gabe is a little shy.

[fourteen viewpoints, one love story]

A little something different

Super cute!! But the ENDING was soooo short!! (view spoiler)[Like they just got together and book ends!! (hide spoiler)]

Emelie

3,5 owls.. 
First of all, My favourites was Viktor (omg, such a funny guy!) and the squirrel (i want one now!).
Even though i Didnt liked the relationship between Lea and Gabe, i found the writing and story-telling pretty funny. Even if it was from 14 different perspectives, u still Didnt lose the plot!

Julia Lotz

Inhalt: Zwei Verliebte, 14 Erzähler – eine außergewöhnliche romantische Komödie zum Mitverlieben und Mitleiden

Lea und Gabe wären das perfekte Paar. Das erkennen alle um sie herum: der beste Freund, die Mitbewohnerin, ja sogar der Busfahrer und die Starbucks-Bedienung. Sie haben denselben College-Kurs belegt, sie bestellen das gleiche Essen, die mögen dieselben Filme. Aber obwohl die Luft zwischen ihnen knistert und alle Vorzeichen stimmen, scheinen sie den richtigen Augenblick immer zu verpassen. Werden Lea und Gabe es schaffen, trotzdem zueinanderzufinden? (Quelle: Verlag)
Meine Meinung: Ich habe mich sehr gefreut als ich Klar ist es Liebe völlig unerwartet in meinem Selection Paket gefunden habe. Denn das Büchlein ist mir schon beim Durchblättern der Vorschau aufgefallen und die besondere Idee des Buches hat schon damals mein Interesse geweckt. Klar ist es Liebe ist eine Liebesgeschichte. Aber es ist eine Liebesgeschichte der anderen Art. Normalerweise hören wir den beiden Protagonisten gerne dabei zu, wie sie über ihre Gefühle zueinander nachdenken und auch in schwierigen Situationen einen Weg finden, zusammen zu sein. Hier ist es anders. Hier haben nicht Gabe und Lea das Wort, sondern 14 andere Erzähler, die die beiden mehr oder weniger gut kennen. 
Diese Idee ist etwas für mich völlig neues und hat mich angezogen und interessiert. Jetzt, nach dem Lesen ist es immer noch besonders. Aber mein Fall war es leider nicht so ganz. Ich greife nicht oft zu Liebesgeschichte. Ich lese zwar gerne über Gefühle in Büchern aber meistens ist es dann eine Liebe, die sich zum Beispiel in einer Dystopie entwickelt oder etwas a la Selection. Zu reinen Liebesgeschichten und YA Büchern greife ich eher selten, wenn ich dann in der Stimmung dazu bin, lese sie aber dann unheimlich gerne. Was mich an Liebesromanen so reizt, das sind eben die ganz großen Gefühle, die Liebe und das Verlangen, was Fantasybücher mit Liebe nur sporadisch vermitteln. Auch bei Gabe und Lea scheint es die ganz große Liebe zu sein, obwohl beide ihr Päckchen mit sich herum tragen und lange brauchen, bis sie zusammen kommen. Und so kommen wir auch zu dem großen Punkt, der mich am meisten gestört hat. So toll die Idee mit den verschiedenen Erzählern auch ist und so amüsant es auch war alles aus so vielen Blickwinkeln zu erleben, mir haben die großen Gefühle gefehlt. Was hätte ich nach der Hälfte des Buches dafür gegeben, von Leas Gefühlen zu reden oder mit Gabe zusammen zu verzweifeln. Aber das erfährt man alles nur aus zweiter Hand, was zwar einen anderen Blickwinkel verspricht, die Gefühle fallen aber größtenteils weg. 
Dieser Punkt ist der große Kritikpunkt, der mich wirklich sehr enttäuscht hat. Aber Klar ist es Liebe hat auch viele positive Punkte. Ich bin so zum Beispiel sehr begeistert von Sandy Halls Schreibstil. Deshalb hoffe ich sehr, dass Klar ist es Liebe nicht ihr erstes und einziges Buch bleibt sondern ich noch viel von ihr lesen werde. Sie hat mich in diesem Punkt auf jeden Fall überzeugt und wenn ihr mit meinem Kritikpunkt klar kommt, dann wollt ihr wahrscheinlich in diesem Buch versinken und nie wieder auftauchen. Auch die Charaktere waren toll. Wenn auch Gabe und Lea sehr, sehr schüchtern waren und ich die beiden des Öfteren hätte anschreien können. Denn es braucht unglaublich lange bis sich die beiden annähern. Auch die anderen Charaktere waren teils absolut liebenswert, teils super lustig und teils auch richtig nervig. Aber auf eine gute Weise, die sehr gut ins Buch gepasst hat.
Obwohl man schon vor dem Lesen weiß, wie die Geschichte ausgehen muss, macht das Lesen besonders durch die Kürze des Buches dann sehr viel Spaß. Ich habe es in einem Rutsch gelesen denn auch wenn ich die großen Gefühle vermisst habe und eine Zeit lang brauchte, bis ich mit der Vielzahl von Erzählern zurecht kam, hat mich Klar ist es Liebe auch des Öfteren mit unerwarteten Wendungen und einigen Geheimnissen überrascht, die unbedingt aufgedeckt werden wollten. 
Bewertung: Klar ist es Liebe konnte mich auf der einen Seite mit seiner Außergewöhnlichkeit, den liebevollen Charakteren und den vielen spannenden Wendungen im Buch überzeugen. Leider haben mir ganz eindeutig etwas Überblick aber vor allen Dingen die Gefühle der Protagonisten gefehlt, weshalb ich letztendlich von der Idee doch etwas enttäuscht war. Deshalb gebe ich dem Liebesroman 3 von 5 Füchschen und hoffe, dass wir in Zukunft noch mehr von Sandy Hall lesen können. Ihr Schreibstil hat mich auf jeden Fall überzeugt. 
Vielen Dank an den Fischer Verlag, der mir das Buch als *Rezensionsexemplar zugesendet hat.

aulona

Gisela Ayala 

I've fallen in love with love all over again! I read this book while waiting for my plane to arrive and finished it super quick because I couldn't put it down! Sandy Hill's book is so original. I have never read a love story from the point of view of others and it was so interesting to see what happened and how it would play out especially since you didn't know what the main characters were thinking unless they were talking. Very cool honestly! Definitely for fans of Rainbow Rowell since she is another author that makes me swoon!

Debbi

If you're looking for a book to read on the train or something light before bed, then I recommend this novel. It is adorable, light-hearted and a little something different because it showed a squirrel's perspective. Some may argue that the author's nuts by writing an animal's POV, but I think that it is adorable and unique.

Ellie B

I was intrigued by this book by the fact the story of the two main characters is told from the point of views of the people around them instead of them. It was an interesting concept which I think was written well. The characters themselves were all likeable but I did find myself getting bored of them towards the end of the book, hence the four stars! But overall it was enjoyable and the unique concept was a great twist on the story!

Kathryn 

This book was very interesting. It's about the relationship of Gabe and Lea told from the perspective of everyone and everything besides Gabe and Lea. I actually enjoyed the switching of perspectives but the their relationship got a little exhausting after awhile and it's hard to really relate to the main characters since we never get too much background on them. It was however still an alright read and I would recommend it.

Becky

This book was everything I wanted it to be. It was sweet and it was simple. There were romance without it being ridiculous, it was cute and sweet without being cloying and it represented people in a very real way.

I think I related to this book a lot becasue the characters are shy and you got that and it was nice. It was endearing but also showed how debilitating shyness can be at times and how it can stop you from being more. There was just something great about it.

I admit that the different view points often made this book feel like it was something done for a school assignment. An author showing their ability to write in different voices and show different perspectives of the same events. I enjoyed it, but it did get to you atimes as narratives switched. It worked in this book but it's certainly not something you would want all the time, but maybe that is what made this book so good, it was different.

Jimena Vázquez Oliver

Listen. Is it a literally masterpiece? No. Did I have a stupid grin on my face the entire time? Absolutely. I also LOVE multiple perspectives.

Fiona Coffey

It's really rare that I write book reviews talking about how much I disliked a book, because I usually feel bad for not liking it, but this is going to be one of those times. 

I decided to make a list of what bothered me. 

1. The Cover: Okay, don't get me wrong. I like silly romance stories (almost) as much as the next girl. I am a huge fan of Rainbow Rowell and John Green. The thing is, I don't especially like a glaringly girly book cover. It's so pink. It's got hearts all over it. When I read a book, I don't like to be embarrassed about pulling it out of my backpack and reading. The cover is actually cute. But it was embarrassing in public. 

2. The Multiple Points of View: This book has fourteen different viewpoints. That's a lot. I usually like books with alternating viewpoints, but this one just had too many. A lot of them felt unnecessary, like the bench, and the squirrel, and the writing professor's wife, and the jerk kid from the writing class, and the buss driver and the lady who works at the diner. In fact, they literally had the point of view of everyone except for the two main characters. This only succeeded in making the story confusing, and distracting, and gave the main characters no personality. 

3. Lack of Personality: Yeah, the main characters had no personality. Or they did, but it was so hard to tell because we were always viewing them through the eyes of other people. What little personality they had was so bland it was practically invisible. Also, the characters who's point of view we did read from all sounded exactly the same. It was really hard to keep up with who was who. 

4. Why is Everyone So Invested in Their Relationship?: This irritated me to no end. Every single person we hear from in the story's only aspiration in life is to get these two boring people together! Even Victor, the jerk kid from the creative writing class constantly is thinking about how irritating Gabe and Lea are, but still goes on to talk about how they're cute and how he wants them to be together. Victor shouldn't care! Everywhere he goes he runs into them, which is unrealistic! I realize it was necessary due to the way they were telling the story, but UGH. WHY DOES VICTOR CARE SO MUCH. VICTOR NEEDS OTHER THINGS TO FOCUS ON. PLEASE FIND YOURSELF A LIFE VICTOR! 

5. The Love Story: Gabe is painfully shy, which could be cute, but is actually just really awkward and was a little bit painful to read. Lea is supposed to be your average 18 year old girl, which bugged me because I am one of those, and I couldn't relate to her at all. Their love story could have been cute, if we weren't constantly hearing about how much everyone wanted them to be together. It was like reading your friend's constant babble of her crush. It was annoying.

6. Lack of Description: So apparently Lea is Asian, and Gabe is Hispanic. They didn't actually tell you until halfway through the book, and by then I'd already developed images in my mind that were very different from those. I don't like having to change my idea of a character partway through a story. Meh. 

Okay enough negativity. Now some things I liked: 

1. The Humor: There wasn't a lot, but I liked what they had. The bench's point of view was funny until it started complaining about everything. I liked Inga, the English teacher's POV. She was pretty cool. And I liked the Starbucks Baristas. 

2. I liked that they didn't have all 23 viewpoints that the book was originally going to have. Thank God for editors. 

I'm actually sad about writing a bad review. I hope no one actually really liked this book and then I crushed their dreams and tore open their souls. If I did I apologize. 

This book just wasn't for me.

Cindy Nataly

"If I miss my moment, I may never get another chance. And if I don’t get another chance, he’ll never know that I was looking in the first place. Because that’s the kind of person he is, the kind of person that makes you want to look."

Erin Pitstra

Alice

Elaine

5 stars for this one!!! this was such a unique take on your typical romance. It is told in 14 perspectives!! usually I'm not too keen on several perspective narrative, but here it just seems to work perfectly! There are even two extremely weird perspectives, which shouldn't work, but do!!

the story is just too cute!! it was such a unique experience to see these two characters fall in love, from so many different perspectives, but not from the two main characters point of views!!

Sarah Hall

Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop-culture references, order the same Chinese food and hang out in the same places. Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and despite their initial mutual crush it looks like they are never going to work things out.But somehow, even when nothing is going on, something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative-writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at the local Starbucks watch their relationship like a TV show. Their bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically seats them together. Now they just need to realize that they're meant for each other, and start falling in love . . . This irresistible romance is told by all the people who are willing love to blossom in a unique multi-voice narrative structure. It is perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell and John Green.

Zoe Smolen

Entertaining. I wished the overall book had been as clever as the title. As a recent college graduate there were things I thought were unrealistic. Overall, though, it was a fun read.

Diego

I loved getting the story through the eyes of everything around the main couple, some of the points of view were hilarious. some aspects of both characters were too relatable...
The conflict at the end dragged a little bit too long for me.
It was fun and weird and quirky.

Find this review and more at 
  kimberlyfaye reads
.

A Little Something Different is destined to go down in history as the most unique and charming book I read in 2014. I knew from the minute I saw this delightful cover that I *had to* read this book. I suspected I would love it. I was absolutely right. With 14 different POVs (and not one of them who you would consider to be the "main characters"), A Little Something Different is exactly what it promised – something different from everything else I've ever read.

Six months ago, if you would've told me I would read (and LOVE) a book that contained both bench and squirrel! point of views, I would've been likely to look at you like you were completely out of your mind. I would've also been completely wrong. It's difficult to point out which POV I appreciated most, but the squirrel! is definitely at the top of the list. I loved reading about the goings-on between Gabe and Lea through the eyes of each of these other characters. From the annoyed cynical classmate, to the park bench that insists all butts aren't created equal, to the creative writing professor who makes it her mission to get them together, each of the 14 narrators brings something special to this story.

A Little Something Different is a light, quick read. It's perfect for those of us who love to observe others and make up stories about them. (Yes, I confess. I'm a people-watcher. I'm a people's-stories-maker-up.) I read the majority of this book with a giant, goofy grin on my face. I pretty much challenge anyone to try to read it without said goofy grin. And giggles. Lots of giggles. Particularly at the squirrel!

Aside from being a great all-around book, A Little Something Different had a great message about the difference between how you see yourself and how others see you. We're often our own worst critics and don't see ourselves as clearly as others do. We're also not always quick to pick up on the vibe between ourselves and other people. This book shows that by showing us the main characters and their developing relationship (even if they didn't know that's what was happening at the time) through their own eyes. Even though there wasn't one single chapter written from either Gabe or Lea's POV, I still feel like I know them really, really well. And it was so easy to root for them. They were adorable together.

Some of my favorite quotes:

  "I've got a theory," I say.
"That it's a demon," Lea says, so quietly I almost miss it, and I probably would have, but she slaps a surprised hand in front of her mouth. I see Gabe turn to her and smile.
"A dancing demon?" he says quietly.
And then in my finest Rupert Giles impression of all time I say, "No, something isn't right there."


  I hope they like acorns. Maybe I'll throw some acorns at them. No, that's a bad idea. I don't want to lose my acorns. I don't want to share. Call be a bad squirrel, but I do not like to share my acorns.
Maybe that makes me a good squirrel. The consummate squirrel. The very definition of a squirrel.


  "I don't want you waxing poetic about love between a stoner and some random chick in my face."
"I totally ship them," Tabby says, leaning her hand in her chin and staring at the door, like she's willing them to come in together.


If you're looking for a light-hearted novel about love, I can't recommend this one highly enough. Sandy Hall is definitely on my radar now. I loved her writing style and the originality of this story. I can't wait to read more from her. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


  Pssst. I'm giving away my print ARC of A Little Something Different. Check it out.

Hayley 📖🌈💜🌸

Meh. DNFing this at page 42. 
Just not feeling the format of this. I don't feel connected to any of the characters because no one gets enough page-time and there's not enough actual information about the so-called protagonists.

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

A Little Something Different was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. The fact that there were 14 perspective in and of itself was something that was totally new to me. And honestly, the thought of it scared me a bit. But once I began this story and experienced it for myself, I knew it would just work for this story.

This was such a sweet and warm love story, told through the perspective of all of these other people, including a squirrel. Yes, a squirrel. He was definitely my favorite. Oh, and there was a bench too. The bench’s point of view definitely had me giggling describing the different bottoms that were sitting on him. It was very cute. Hearing a story told through the eyes of everyone else surrounding this couple, yet never hearing from the couple themselves, was so endearing and warmed my heart. This is a straight-up warm-and-fuzzies cute fest.

I believe this is Sandy Hall’s debut novel, and I will definitely keep an eye on her. Authors that have her silliness and sense of humor always shine through for me. An extremely quick read that was enjoyable and fun-loving from beginning to end. A perfect relaxing read for all types of readers. You’ll find yourself routing for this adorable couple that, though you’ve never met, you feel like you know personally. It’s not a book that will blow you away, but it will leave you smiling. And sometimes that’s all you really need. :)

(Thanks to Nereyda for letting me borrow your review copy!)

Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!

Giulia 

Ho letto un libro in un giorno... WOW 😲 saranno anni che non mi riusciva una cosa simile 🙌🏻 (manga esclusi ovvio xD). 
Mi spiace dire che è un colossale no 👎. L'idea di base è carina, ma dopo un po' annoia. Sono arrivata non so come agli ultimi capitoli in uno stato che definirei quasi comatoso 😅😶. I protagonisti sono stati un po' meh, Gabe non lo comprendo e Lea è una pettegola. Mi aspettavo decisamente meno dramma da parte di due studenti universitari, sembrava non avessero altro da fare che parlare dell'altro ai loro amici. O meglio sparlare nel caso di Lea. 
Il finale è stato decisamente scontato. Non mi ha entusiasmata, anzi semmai ero felice di essere finalmente giunta al nocciolo della questione. 
Ora ho decisamente bisogno di un Fantasy con guerre e sangue 👍🏻

Kate

Such a lovely and easy read. I really enjoyed the point of views in which Sandy Hall decided to write this book.

A Little Something Different Fourteen Viewpoints, One Love Story

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