Caleb + Kate [Paperback]

"Caleb + Kate" is a young adult romance novel. Though Caleb had a point-of-view role and was portrayed well, this novel will appeal most to female teens. The story switched between Kate and Caleb's point-of-view with both sections clearly marked and written in first person present tense ("I stand" instead of "she stood"). Though I noticed it, the present tense read smoothly and didn't bother me.

On the actual printed cover, Caleb's skin is darker than it looks in the above cover picture. This is good since Caleb is full-blooded Hawaiian and is described as having deeply tanned or brown skin.

The pacing and world-building were very good. The characters were realistic and usually very likable. Caleb's a great character. I was irritated by Kate's selfishness in deliberately doing things that tempted Caleb physically when she knew that they tempted him and that HE wanted to wait until marriage, but it did fit her "if you want it, you can have it" upbringing.

Kate, after seeing affairs and divorces in other families, doubted that there was such a thing as lasting love. I liked that the author brought up this issue. But I was a bit disappointed that Kate's "this is what true love is like" answer started with lust at first sight (on her part) and an "electric" feeling at every touch. The lasting loves I've seen (like my parents and grandparents) started with no excessive attraction or 'spark' at first sight but grew due to similar interests and time spent together. However, it was a nice love story about building trust and overcoming prejudice, and it finished with the idea that staying 'in love' was a decision rather than based solely on feelings.

The teen characters did muse some about their faith--about God and how what's in the Bible and in sermons (like forgiveness) worked out in real life. There was no sex (though a lot of temptation). There was a minor amount of "he cussed" style bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this novel as well-written, clean reading.

I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.

Review by Debbie from Genre Reviews

I will now declare that Cindy Martinusen-Coloma is one of my new favorite YA writers. Seriously, this lady knows how to write good YA. And it's not just Christian YA we're talking about. Her stuff is just as good as the general market YA offerings that are out there. This book sets itself apart from most Christian YA books. For starters, the cover is just wonderful. It doesn't look like stock photography and neither does it look like clip art put together hastily. The image portrays a wonderful clue to what the story is about.

Kate is one of the popular girls in the school while Caleb is the new kid who works for Kate's dad at their hotel. Their story revolves around Kate potentially losing her popularity and falling for the kid from the other end of the class spectrum. Martinusen-Coloma's writing is topical and relevant to teens who will be able to relate to the feelings both Kate and Caleb have in this book. The use of technology is frequent as characters text each other quite a bit but never annoying as teen speak is kept to a minimum. I would have loved to read a story about Kate's friends especially Oliver as I felt that his character has so much more to say.

I'm always on the lookout for multiculturalism in Christian books (sadly because of the lack of it in Christian fiction) and once again I find it in a YA book. Caleb is Hawaiian and is proud of his heritage. I was glad that while class issues are a focal part of the story, race issues are never a factor other than to point out obvious differences. While this book does mention God and the fact that both Caleb and Kate are Christians, it is never preachy and adds to the story instead of being a distraction.

The only minor quibble I had was that I felt that the disagreement that caused the feud between the two families wasn't expounded on enough. Basic details are told as well as hints given towards the true feelings of the two men, but I never felt as if the whole story was really told. I guess I felt that there had been a lot of build up throughout the whole story and nothing really came of it. Other than this, I really enjoyed this book. Finding your true love as a teenager is a popular subject but it's always downplayed in Christian fiction. I'm glad that instead of ignoring it and giving out the message that "you're too young" or "dating is wrong", Martinusen-Coloma embraces the fact that teens DO fall in love. It all comes down to whether or not they can handle the emotions and growth that come from it. Looking forward to her next releases as from her track record, I can predict it will be another winner. HIGHLY recommended.

I couldnt put this book down! it was amazing. i cried and laughed and had those emotional ups and downs with the chaacters. it is deffinitly one of my all time favorites. i read a lot and this was the first book i read by cindy. im a young teenager and its very rarely find romance books-my favorite- that are appropriate and use no profanity or sexual involvement so i was very excited to find this book.