Sweet Caroline

Sweet Caroline, by Rachel Hauck

This book is about a 28-year-old waitress who has not yet had the opportunity to leave her small-town southern roots. But I picked the book up for several reasons. First of all, I love the song. I was also delighted when the author referred to it within the book. Secondly, it says right on the back of the book that there's a country music singer involved in the plot, and a love-triangle plot to boot. Since my computer no longer has the capability to stream Pandora without choking up, there's been a country music lack in my life. And thirdly, it was a $5.00 promo. It is the second book I have bought from the $5 promo deals, and the second one I have loved.

In a nutshell, Caroline is me. Perhaps it is that the book is written in first person, but I have never felt like I connected to a character in quite the same way. Beaufort, South Carolina, like West Milford is a small town with a 45-minute drive to the nearest shopping mall. While West Milford lacks Mercy Bea's trailer park, there are plenty of roach motels around here to choose from.

True, there are quite a few differences. Caroline inherited a cafe, I did not. West Milly is also rarely in the path of a looming hurricane. But, I think that the spirit is the same. Generally those who grow up in the small town (Beaufort or West Milford) spend their days planning how to leave and then spend the rest of their lives remembering the good old days there.

The very end did not go exactly as I would have hoped, however, I was hoping for a cliched ending. The author chose to be unique and provided enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. My one gripe about the book is that Caroline, like me, had problems making up her mind, and often let people make the decisions for her. It hit a little bit close to home.

As I read the book I thought, "I would jump at the chance to see this on screen and oh- I'd love to dream of playing Caroline." We'll see how that turns out, considering I'm in school for something other than theater now.

But if you want a good story, or if you want a glimpse into how I sometimes feel, read this book. I read it cover to cover in 9 hours straight. I couldn't put it down.