Nyxen's Review of "The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud"

The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood
265 Pages
Bantam Books 2004

In a snug New England fishing village, Charlie St. Cloud tends the lawns and monuments of an ancient cemetery where his younger brother, Sam is buried. After surviving the car accident that claimed his brother's life, Charlie is graced with an extraordinary gift: He can see, talk to,, and even play catch with Sam's spirit. Into his magical world comes Tess Carroll, a captivating woman training for a solo sailing trip around the globe. Fate steers her boat into a treacherous storm that propels her into Charlie's life. Their beautiful and uncommon connection leads to a race against time and a choice between death and life, between the past and the future, between holding on and letting go-and the discovery that miracles can happen if we simply open our hearts.

I first bought this book when the movie adaption came out. And I'll be totally honest. I only bought it because of the fact that Zac Efron was going to be in the movie. I know, I'm a loser but I really am sort of obsessed with him. Haha. I bought it so I could read it before I watched the movie. But I never read it and didn't watch the movie until recently.

Charlie St. Cloud is a very emotional and powerful novel. It's a mixture of life, romance, adventure and even the paranormal. Ben Sherwood really captured what it's like to be a very tough situation.

Charlie St. Cloud doesn't know what to do with his life after his brother, Sam, dies in a terrible car accident; one that Charlie thinks is his fault, one that gives him the power to see his spirit. So he into the old shed of the cemetery, becomes the caretaker and every day at sundown, Sam and Charlie play catch. The love that emits from their relationship is amazing. The way they bond, being brothers, is very heart warming.

Charlie thinks his life is going nowhere, and he's okay with that as long he has his brother. But things start to change after Charlie meets Tess. He wants to be with her but his promise to Sam still lingers. He doesn't know who to choose, he doesn't know if he should live his life.

The character development in this novel is outstanding. You can really see Charlie go from a boy to man, from someone lost to someone who knows what he wants. I just love the fact that this novel made me think. It left me wondering by the end of the novel, of all things in life and how it's so short.

If you want a bittersweet novel with a dash of paranormal romance then this is the one for you.

I rate this Five Stars.