Review: The 4th Floor Lounge by Amanda Hamm

I've sort of been MIA from posting lately...truth be told, I was in the middle of a light fantasy series, and while I absolutely loved it, it doesn't really fit into my regular categories of "Christian Fiction" or "Young Adult", so I decided not to feature it here (although I did post reviews at Amazon).
Anyway, now that I've returned from the fantasy world, regular reviews will now resume! :) Here's The 4th Floor Lounge by Amanda Hamm.

Book Cover and Synopsis:

Where does an extreme introvert draw the line between being lonely and being left alone? One quirky college student is looking for the answer in the 4th floor lounge.

Her goals are simple: make one or two good friends and avoid talking to everyone else. Achieving those goals will not be easy for this gorgeous yet socially awkward heroine. She’s constantly approached by guys who are not interested in friendship. And when she finally forms some solid bonds it’s her own romantic feelings that get in the way.

My Thoughts:
Okay, I admit it: I'm an introvert, so obviously I was able to connect with Charlotte, the title character, immediately. And I do mean *immediately*! Many of her actions and thought processes were....um, well, lets just say very familiar! In a way it's nice to know other people have similar thoughts and feelings, but then again, to see some of them down on paper staring back at me was actually a bit sobering...however, it was also extremely entertaining!

The writing style is rather simple in a way, but it has a very comforting quality to it. It's written in first person style, with Charlotte narrating most of the book, so it often has the fun and easy feeling of a friend telling a story about them self. Although extroverts (or "talkers", as Charlotte calls them) may think the whole book is a bit over the top, it really isn't far off the mark; Charlotte's personality is very genuine and her thought processes are completely authentic for someone who struggles with social settings.

Overall, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when I first picked this up, but I'm very glad I didn't pass it by. I really enjoyed following Charlotte through college, and watching the ups and downs of her friendships and awkward interactions. Some people might think she's weird, in fact she knows it and acknowledges it, but it's extremely refreshing to see that she doesn't let those opinions change who she is. I really had fun with this book, and the ending was very sweet. I'm looking forward to checking out more of this author's works!

My Rating:
5 stars

For those interested in content:
This isn't really a "Christian" novel, but I was very comfortable reading it. Charlotte and a few other characters are Catholic, but their beliefs aren't really discussed, basically all that's mentioned is people going to church/mass. The content is pretty clean; Charlotte lives in a co-ed dorm so there's a couple of light veiled innuendos (mostly from guys trying to get Charlotte to go out with them), but certainly nothing extreme at all.