Review: Shayna and Carter's story
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 14, 2014
Shayna was not an easy character to like in Grounding Quinn, so when I saw that Stephanie Campbell was writing Shayna's story with Quinn's brother, Carter, as the hero, I was worried that their connection wouldn't work. But as I thought back to Carter's struggles and the demons he kept hidden below the surface, so he could support Quinn, it made more sense to me.  Their issues are similar. Both Shayna and Carter are struggling to find where they fit in...where they won't feel restless or want to run away.Shayna and Carter's relationship begins on Christmas Eve when they are helping Quinn reunite with Ben. While they aren't completely honest with each other, Shayna is more open and real that night than she has ever been with anyone else. Their attraction is there, but Carter is not ready for anything because he is trying to work on himself first, so he leaves Shayna behind feeling rejected. That night only gets worse for her and a huge secret is exposed about her life that changes everything. From that night on, she becomes a persona - someone who her parents can be proud of, even though it is not really who she is. Through their months apart, Shayna and Carter stay in contact via text and a few phone conversations, but they never discuss their feelings and they both are hiding significant secrets.Shayna feels stifled playing the role of the "good" daughter, so she decides she needs a break and travels across country to California as a way to discover her true self, but it's also an attempt to see if what she and Carter have is beyond friendship. As Shayna and Carter move past friends, they both still have a lot of work to do to heal themselves, so it causes a bit of stress in their new relationship. As they struggle to find their way both separately and together, readers get to experience their journeys with them and cheer them on, hoping it all works out for them.Overall, I really enjoyed Friend is a Four Letter Word. Personal growth and self discovery stories always resonant with me because everyone has experienced those growing pains and can relate to them. I did have a change of heart about Shayna as well because she definitely grew as a person once she fully accepted herself and found her place to belong. Where I struggle with this story is with the lack of depth. I wanted to see more about how Carter and Shayna healed themselves and their past. I wanted to know more about Shayna and all of the feelings she was going through and the reasons she acted out for so long. I felt like Shayna and Carter's relationship only scratched the surface. I wanted to see how they grew as a couple by hearing their conversations and witnessing them opening up more to each other. I guess I just wanted more, which is never a bad thing, but in this case, it left me a bit deflated at the end because so much still felt unresolved. I would love to read more about these two - maybe in a novella??Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.3.5/4 poison apples