Charlie Quinn Lets Go, Jamie Varon (Review by Elizabeth Burchfield)

Rating: 4.1/5 Stars

A light refreshing read with a poignant message carefully weaved throughout. I found myself reaching for this book each night as a way to relax and turn my brain off. Initially, my approach worked as Charlie Quinn’s life somewhat comically fell apart in one day. Food poisoning on your birthday would be bad enough, but for Charlie that was far from the worst thing that happened. Any of my life’s problems seemed pale in comparison and I was instantly hooked. I felt compassion for Charlie in her pathetic state.

As I continued reading, Charlie returns to her roots and her quirky family, shifting the story into one of self-reflection. I realized how I also can take life a bit too seriously. Despite her family’s best efforts to loosen her up, including a new haircut, ultimately, Charlie has some past hurt she needs to work through on her own before she ‘Lets Go.’

This sense of connection deepened as Charlie fell for her high school crush later in life. It was like watching a favorite familiar rom-com and also helped Charlie to reflect on the past and change her ways. The cheesy puns and chef jokes were a welcomed escape and not too over the top. I thought I had the book completely figured out and Charlie was going to ride off into the sunset. I was rooting for her and felt that she had learned her lesson and was a changed woman.

However, Varon had other plans. The twists at the end of the book stunned me to the point of saying out loud to my family what was happening. A Christmas Carol approach to the ending ensured that Charlie would learn her lesson and poetically, I would, as well. It turns out Charlie let go and I started to let go, too. I highly recommend Charlie Quinn Lets Go as an effortless approach to a very important life lesson.