SPOILERS BELOW!!
I confess, i had seen the film adaption of this long before i picked up the book, something i hate doing, but, i cast aside the film when i picked up the novel. Charlie St Cloud accidentally killed his younger brother Sam and their family dog in a car crash as a teenager, after dying and being brought back to life himself by fireman Florio in the same crash, Charlie discovers his trip to the other side has left him with a gift, he can see the dead before they move on. Using this gift, Charlie gets to keep spending time with his dead brother, however this tie to his hometown and brother leave him unable to leave, travel and sail the way he wants too. Instead he works at the cemetery, lives in a small cottage on the grounds and spends every evening until sunset playing baseball with his brother. Until he meets Tess, about to embark on a solo sail around the world Tess and Charlie connect and he starts to doubt his choices.
Because i had watched the film, i was prepared for the twist, Tess was lost on a sailing trip and whilst she lays slowing dying on some rocks in the sea, her spirit is falling in love with Charlie. Even knowing it was coming, the twist was still brilliant and heartbreaking.
I really loved this book, the writing is gentle and beautiful, Charlie is such a mournful yet graceful character you root for him from page one. His interactions with Sam are genuinely warm and lovely. Tess is a likable female protagonist and you can feel the beauty of the setting through the pages. The references to Salem are a nice throw considering Charlies gift. My favorite part however was the old fashioned elements to the romance between Charlie and Tess, the entire novel is just so beautifully constructed, Ben Sherwood has a definite talent for this genre.
Its a four star for me, it was a refreshing read and is my stand out book that I've tackled so far this year.
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