Reads and Thoughts

Dear Ms. Julie Cross,

This is the first book of yours that I have read and even though I was majorly lost with all the Gymnastics language used on this book, I like to give you a round of applause and a big hug and a huge thanks for giving me-us this awesome story. Now, I’m much more interested in Gymnastics – all those flips and turns and I’m Team Jaren all the way. Please give us more of them.

Love,

Your new stalker-er- fan - Karla

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I don't speak the Gymnast language. Honestly, I feel so lost every time a word or a description about gymnastics is being narrated here, I mean how does a person do an "Arabian Somersault"?

The majority of Letters To Nowhere revolved around the world of elite gymnastics and all those unimaginable flips and turns those gymnast does but it also has a little bit of everything. There is grief, loss and heartbreak with Karen dealing with losing her parents and being an orphan. There is hope, when we get to see Karen strive to be better at her routines and school and just growing to be her own self and of course there is the romance part that very much suites my interest.

Karen has been training to be an Elite Gymnast for years but she's never been quite good enough for it. She is a very likeable character and she never did anything that is annoying! Yipee! I don’t get a brooding, rebellious orphan; instead I get an understanding, grieving and not at all exaggerated protagonist. She shows great maturity and growth throughout the story - she is not perfect and she embraces her imperfections well. The letters she makes not specifically for someone gripped my heart. It was all straight-up to the point and straight to my heart. Karen indeed made a great protagonist for this story.

The camaraderie between Coach Bentley’s gymnastics team with Karen, Blair, Stevie and Ellen was greatly shown on the book. Gymnastics is not easy as it looks and each one of them is going through a lot just to be good enough for what they’re aiming. They don’t have the squeaky clean history of friendship but I know their friendship was real.

The love story really suited my interest! It was not insta-love for god’s sake! I love the progression and those little encounters between Jordan and Karen. Their love was young, sweet, and innocent and there is this natural chemistry that flows between these two.

The story doesn’t entirely revolved around Karen, we also get to see the life of her co-gymnasts and her coach and his son's not the hugging kind of father/son relationship.

Letters To Nowhere is really a great story! I love everything about it (well except for the gymnastic languages). I cried, cheered, sweat, anticipate and join their failures and triumphs. The book feels so realistic and not a thing was overly done, even the phasing was great! All the elements are well mixed, the characters were all well-rounded and the story and world building was fully developed. The character’s voice was so strong and each dialogue feels like they’re all just there in front of me.

I know this one belonged in a series and I don’t know if the next book will still be about Jordan and Karen, but I really like the closure and the life direction that this book brought to our characters. Will definitely put the next book on the look-out.