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franuary's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this so much. I've really enjoyed what I've read of Sara Zarr previously, especially Sweethearts. But as much as I tried to ignore it, I couldn't get past the complete ick factor of a "will they or won't they?" romance between a teenager and a 30-something year old man. Even though it's ultimately revealed that her married mentor has been leading her on for his own gain and not because he's interested in her romantically, I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened to Lucy if Will was just a run of the mill ephebophile rather a manipulative scum bag.
Two stars for the potential this book had, but I can't imagine a situation where I would feel comfortable recommending this to a teenager.
Two stars for the potential this book had, but I can't imagine a situation where I would feel comfortable recommending this to a teenager.
missbookiverse's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 Sterne
Ich liebe Klaviermusik, von daher hatte die Protagonistin Lucy hier schon mal das perfekte Hobby. Allerdings übertreibt ihre Familie es ein wenig und triezt Lucy und ihren Bruder immer über den Rand der Perfektion. Spielen zum Spaß scheint es nicht zu geben. Diese unglaublich reiche, erfolgsorientierte Familie fand ich spannend zu beobachten. Das war mal was ganz anderes. Zwar irgendwie abgehoben, weil mir so eine Welt völlig unbekannt ist, aber gleichzeitig hat es sich realistisch angefühlt.
Neben Lucys persönlicher Entwicklung ist ein zentrales Thema des Romans die Spannung zwischen Lucy und älteren Männern. Zum einen gibt es ihren Englischlehrer, zum anderen den Klavierlehrer ihres Bruders. Letzter ist auch noch verheiratet. Am Anfang fand ich dieses Knistern in der Luft aufregend und habe gehofft, dass sich die Geschichte in diese Richtung entwickeln würde. Die Autorin lässt einen aber ganz schön lange zappeln und umso mehr Lucy sich in einen der beiden verguckt, desto unangenehmer wurde mir das ganze. Ich weiß nicht, ob Sara Zarr das beabsichtigt hat. Irgendwann fand ich es einfach nur noch eklig wie Lucy von einem erwachsenen Mann behandelt wird (nicht im Sinne von sexuellen Tätigkeiten).
Am Ende
Ich liebe Klaviermusik, von daher hatte die Protagonistin Lucy hier schon mal das perfekte Hobby. Allerdings übertreibt ihre Familie es ein wenig und triezt Lucy und ihren Bruder immer über den Rand der Perfektion. Spielen zum Spaß scheint es nicht zu geben. Diese unglaublich reiche, erfolgsorientierte Familie fand ich spannend zu beobachten. Das war mal was ganz anderes. Zwar irgendwie abgehoben, weil mir so eine Welt völlig unbekannt ist, aber gleichzeitig hat es sich realistisch angefühlt.
Neben Lucys persönlicher Entwicklung ist ein zentrales Thema des Romans die Spannung zwischen Lucy und älteren Männern. Zum einen gibt es ihren Englischlehrer, zum anderen den Klavierlehrer ihres Bruders. Letzter ist auch noch verheiratet. Am Anfang fand ich dieses Knistern in der Luft aufregend und habe gehofft, dass sich die Geschichte in diese Richtung entwickeln würde. Die Autorin lässt einen aber ganz schön lange zappeln und umso mehr Lucy sich in einen der beiden verguckt, desto unangenehmer wurde mir das ganze. Ich weiß nicht, ob Sara Zarr das beabsichtigt hat. Irgendwann fand ich es einfach nur noch eklig wie Lucy von einem erwachsenen Mann behandelt wird (nicht im Sinne von sexuellen Tätigkeiten).
Am Ende
Spoiler
entpuppt sich diese Person auch als Verräter, was ihn wiederum zu einer vielschichtigen Figur gemacht hat. Krass fand ich wie leicht Lucy ihm dieses Verhalten verzeiht.readmoreyall's review against another edition
1.0
Enjoyed the style but the creepy relationship and her selfishness turned me off. 1/5
lindsaysc310's review against another edition
3.0
I liked it and gave it to my mom to read. I can identify with the child prodigy story line in a way. In the end, though, I kinda wanted Lucy to be the child of an immigrant trying to fulfill her parents' dreams of success, instead of being white & upper class. The other story would have been a LOT more interesting to me.
cari1268's review against another edition
2.0
I wasn't a fan of the writing or the characters. But the thing that bothered me most, was the morality.
The two stars is solely because I thought the story had a lot of potential. This book could have been a lot more interesting if the author would have gone in a different direction. As it was, my emotions went between bored and mad.
Two Stars.
Spoiler
A 30-something MARRIED man wooing a 16 year-old is flat out wrong. However, that little fact was glossed over and considered nothing compared to how he manipulated Lucy to play for his own selfish purposes. If there's one thing that gets me piping mad, it's infidelity in marriage. Add to the fact that Lucy was a minor and I found the book creepy.The two stars is solely because I thought the story had a lot of potential. This book could have been a lot more interesting if the author would have gone in a different direction. As it was, my emotions went between bored and mad.
Two Stars.
aoosterwyk's review against another edition
4.0
Lucy has been a concert pianist for years at the highest levels. She quits it all at 15 when her family hides the fact that her grandmother is dying so she'll perform at Prague. She goes back to high school and tries to live life as a normal teenager, but something is missing from her life. Music.
When a new teacher is hired for her younger brother, Lucy finds that he has a few lessons to teach her as well.
This is a fantastic story of an incredibly strong and gifted young woman, discovering what she loves and wants and needs from life. She grows into herself with her family and friends and becomes the agent of her future. Just great! It is a quick read, but maybe because I didn't want to put it down.
I put the playlist on Spotify for inspiration.
When a new teacher is hired for her younger brother, Lucy finds that he has a few lessons to teach her as well.
This is a fantastic story of an incredibly strong and gifted young woman, discovering what she loves and wants and needs from life. She grows into herself with her family and friends and becomes the agent of her future. Just great! It is a quick read, but maybe because I didn't want to put it down.
I put the playlist on Spotify for inspiration.
dianametzger's review against another edition
3.0
Certainly enjoyable, but not my favorite Zarr offering. I don't know what it was--very satisfying ending and she is the pinnacle of realist YA authors in my book but something about this book just didn't spark like some of her others. An interesting topic--a piano prodigy but I just didn't like any of the characters. They all felt off and maybe bc they were a wealthy family they felt uninteresting to me--low stakes storytelling.
merkyr's review against another edition
4.0
As a kid who was raised on classical music and started and quit a number of things around that age, YA about young performers always speaks to me, but this had a ton of unexpected layers and was really lovely. Highly recommend to others who are looking for a more introspective YA contemp, almost bordering NA.
aylea's review against another edition
4.0
Lucy Beck-Moreau had a promising future as a concert pianist and was gaining fame in the musical world until she quit after her parents and grandfather lied to her about her grandmother’s death so Lucy would be more focused on her music. Now, she is in regular school and everyone instead expects her ten-year-old brother, Gus, to be the star of the family. When Gus gets a new teacher, he encourages her to go back to piano, not for her family but for herself and the music. Going back to music involves the possibility of a forbidden romance, distancing herself from her family, and losing her friends, but finding the music inside of her might be worth the risk.
The Lucy Variations captures a wide spectrum of emotion. Lucy’s emotions are varied and real, and so are the emotions of other characters, particularly Gus and how she still loves him even though he is jealous and angry. The family drama feels realistic and just as frustrating for the reader as it for Lucy. It explores a teenage girl’s attraction to a teacher and a married man in a mature way, showing that some relationships won’t and shouldn’t work out. Lucy learns through these that what she thought she wants is someone to support her passions and interests, but she has to do things because it’s what she wants to do and not because someone else approves of it. Because of this and other reasons, Lucy grows up a lot in the course of the story and has a great character arc. This book is perfect for those who are looking for something that’s a little different from a lot of contemporary books, focusing more on decisions of who you are rather than outside circumstances and relationships.
The Lucy Variations captures a wide spectrum of emotion. Lucy’s emotions are varied and real, and so are the emotions of other characters, particularly Gus and how she still loves him even though he is jealous and angry. The family drama feels realistic and just as frustrating for the reader as it for Lucy. It explores a teenage girl’s attraction to a teacher and a married man in a mature way, showing that some relationships won’t and shouldn’t work out. Lucy learns through these that what she thought she wants is someone to support her passions and interests, but she has to do things because it’s what she wants to do and not because someone else approves of it. Because of this and other reasons, Lucy grows up a lot in the course of the story and has a great character arc. This book is perfect for those who are looking for something that’s a little different from a lot of contemporary books, focusing more on decisions of who you are rather than outside circumstances and relationships.
scythefranz's review against another edition
4.0
"Yes, the world was beautiful. But music made that beauty personal. Nothing else could do that. Nothing."
What I love about Sara Zarr is how she can manage to fully reveal her characters emotionally. I mean I can feel with my heart the genuine emotions these characters carry with them, either it's joy or grief. It's contagious, too, that made me get attached or connected with them in any way possible.
Sara Zarr wrote about life issues and she was really good at it. Her novels I've read were moving, uplifting and very much realistic. Lucy Variations is not an exemption.
Lucy Variations is a great read. Heartfelt, hopeful and complicated. Reading this book is like being surrounded by different emotions. I can't describe the complexity of it. But, all I know is I can feel it all.
This book has family drama, the elements of dreams being shattered into pieces, disappointments, jealousy, exploitation and the joy of getting on the right but different track. Which were accumulated and delivered very well by the author. It's not confusing. It also has an almost forbidden romance that has been treated and handled properly. And of course, it has classical music.
I may not be fully connected to the classical music on this book but I am sure I knew the feeling of being stucked in doing a specific thing for your family; because they wanted it for you. That, it feels like they are grabbing away your right to be normal, to do normal things. I also knew the feeling of missing these things you did in the past and now, after some time, you want to do it again for yourself alone and not for the others.