The Tragedy of Us

By: R.G. Angel

Narrated by: Charlotte Claremont

I thought I had life figured out: Finish high school, go to college, and become a Pulitzer prize winning journalist with a passion for activism.

Simple, right?

Then, my smart mouth got me in trouble and I wound up as the tutor for cocky star athlete Gabriel Johnson. I expected him to be unbearable. Thankfully, I was proven wrong when he gifted me a glimpse of his charming, softer side.

What develops between us could truly be incredible...if he could shake off the persona others have cast him in. But when Gabriel finds his old patterns impossible to break, I’m faced with a gut-wrenching decision.

If being with him means hiding, is that a price I am willing to pay?

Or, will I break his heart and mine by waking away?

©2019 R.G. Angel (P)2020 R.G. Angel

So good

This book was so well written. Loved everything about this. There were times we I was laughing out loud and crying and anticipating what’s going to happen. The connection between the couples made it easy to step into the story. Charlotte Claremont did such a great job!

Emotional and real

The heart of this story is Charlotte and Gabriel, their love story. They were very different, she was an activist, outspoken, very smart student, he was a popular jock, but also very smart. They’re thrown together when he needs some help with his literature assignments, and Charlotte begrudgingly agrees to tutor him after pressure from the principal and her mother. I wouldn’t call this a bully trope, or even enemies to lovers type of trope. It’s really much more basic than that, but in the end, it’s young love challenged by social norms and expectations. It’s also not insta-love, which is much more realistic, and the build up is quite lovely. They are faced with a number of obstacles and events that challenge them and their relationship, and in the end, they get what I feel is the perfect ending for them.

But secondarily, almost not even secondarily though, are the other relationships in the story. I absolutely adored Charlottes relationship with Chago and Logan. They have such a wonderful friendship, especially her and Chago. Also Chago’s brother Matteo, another interesting, and ulitmately very sweet relationship that we get a glimpse into. There’s also the very strained relationship that Charlotte has with her mother, especially after the death years ago of her father. All these relationships play such a huge role in her life, and they add such a great layer of depth to the story beyond the sweet love story at the heart of it.

Overall, this book was a bit of a surprise. It’s YA, so there’s always the chance that it could get too angsty and melodramatic, but that didn’t happen at all. The events unfolded very realistically, and it was a very wonderful overall story. I very much enjoyed it. The narration was also very well done, adding to my enjoyment.

A heart catching YA story

This was such a good coming of age story. It hit me right in heart. Charlotte and Gabriel are from two totally different worlds and social circles in school. Charlotte ends up being forced by the school and her mom to take a tutoring job and she ends up tutoring popular jock Gabriel. She just wants to get it over with. She didn't expect to form an unlikely friendship and a romance too. They keep their tutoring and romance on the hush hush. They both have people in their lives that wouldn't accept it. But when things get messy they start to see how much of their heart the other has. But it might be too late when a near death experience hits. That's all I'm telling you. This was a whirlwind of a story. And it was so real. This narrator really brought it to life. What I loved more than the romance was the friendship aspect of it. Both Charlotte and Gabriel have friends that go out of their way for their happiness. Everyone needs a good best friend growing up. I love this book.

love it

Highly recommend this for YA listeners. Thia is a modern twist on Romeo and Juliet. Charlotte, the school nerd, has plans for her life and it doesn't include guys. She's forced to tutor Gabriel a jock. after school, It doesn't go well at first. Both have the typical stereotype of each other,. It wasn't until their walls come down, to reveal their true selves. An emotional story with plenty of teenage angst. I thoroughly enjoyed listening !
Charlotte Claremont narration was very good.
🎧audiobookobsessionreviewer🎧

Be sure to get your tissues ready!

God, this book has ruined romantic love for me. Going in, I did not expect the story to evoke such strong emotions. I salute R.G. Angel. I don't think I have ever cried so much after a book has finished. Even though I don't think I could listen to this again any time soon, I know I'll come back to it eventually. I mean, how could I not? There was joy, friendship, chosen loyalty, tragic loss, sustained grief, strained familial relationships, hidden identities, self-discovery, lies, tragedy, regrets, reconciliation, and a happy ending. Charlotte Claremont did a great job of narrating (although, it was a bit difficult to distinguish Lotte and Briel towards the end because they seemed to have suddenly developed a thick Spanish accent). I'd recommend this for anyone who has seen and loved "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." #AudiobookObsessionReviewer

This book had me listening all night

I didn’t expect to fall in love with this story, but the patience paid off. Charlotte is a school nerd, an outcast who relishes her role and has no time for high school or its nonsense. Gabriel is a “jock,” but has an undercurrent of kindness, intelligence and artistic ability. When Charlotte is roped in to tutoring Gabriel, she learns that her own stereotypes of others has the potential to hurt and cause damage. Coupled with the fact he has a girlfriend he can barely tolerate, they both begin to question what is they really want for themselves and each other. Charlotte also learns that her sarcasm and other defenses that she uses to push people away, will cost her dearly- even as she begins to truly love herself.

The book’s dialogue is very realistic, and the narrator did an excellent job giving every character their own distinct voice. Charlotte is believable as a real teen character. Her thoughts and actions display at times a certain amount of immaturity, yet the listener begins to see the real growth at work during this pivotal time in her life.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s a little slow to start, but once it picks up, you don’t want to stop listening. Highly recommend for fans of YA.

The truth is powerful

This is my first audiobook by RG Angel and I enjoyed the spin of the modern day story of Romeo and Juliet. Gabriel and Charlotte’s relationship was initially filled with misunderstandings and misconceptions that later worked out for their benefit proving that courage and forgiveness aren’t easy but doable!! This is a very well written story about grief, regrets, expectations and love!! The truth is powerful. Charlotte Claremont did a great job narrating!