Reviews

Perfect Tunes by Emily Gould

jordysbookclub's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

QUICK TAKE: a case of #bookstagrammademedoit, PERFECT TUNES is GILMORE GIRLS meets DAISY JONES AND THE SIX. It starts out as a story about a young woman making a name for herself as a musician in NYC, ends up being a really emotional mother/daughter story with an unexpected dive into mental illness. Great character-development and well-written, grounded relationships and a solid story about the sacrifices mothers make for their children.

tracyreally's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

I really loved this. Funny, observant, plus unexpected twists and turns.

sarahastrid3's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

I have a lot of feelings here. First I loved this book in the nostalgic sense that I am of the same generation as the heroine. Not that I've ever lived in NYC. Or had a baby. In fact this book made me feel really good in my decision not to have kids. Those single mom scenes were painful and seemed very real.
I also got some Frances Bean vibes from Marie. Dead Rockstar dad. Guys wanting her for that.

While I was making breakfast today the Aly and Aj Potential Breakup Song, which had recently come into my lexicon, made me stop and wonder if that was what her I Want My Tapes Back sounded like? Also Callie seems like a kind of shadow character. I mean yeah we get that she's pretty. But can she sing? How did she end up in the band when Laura is the talented one? We all know from people like Paris Hilton that you need more than looks and auto tune to have a music career.

Lastly that end. Like WTF. I loved this book pretty much up until Marie running away then the end seemed forced and rushed. Does she leave Matt? I need closure.

chasityholcomb's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional inspiring tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

genthebookworm's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

This book threw me for a loop in the best possible way. While it starts with a story about a young musician with lots of hope and dreams, tragedy hits. It takes on a raw and powerful look at motherhood and the sacrifices women make for their children. While I am not a huge music person, I connected with both these characters and the storyline and really enjoyed this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for an advanced copy.

awakeinsomniac's review against another edition

Go to review page

reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

casebounder's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

PERFECT TUNES isn’t a book I’d normally pick up, but I have to say I did enjoy it. And unbeknownst to me, this novel also fit into reading for #mentalhealthawarenessmonth which I used to focus on in May before switching to AAPI.

This book was clever and quick, and moved at a pace I was unprepared for. Do yourself a favor and skip reading the synopsis, like I did — just know that it’s about young artists struggling in NYC and then takes off from there. PERFECT TUNES is a heartfelt story of family, talent, proximity to fame, mental health, and je ne sais quoi.

codecat's review

Go to review page

emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.0

irwine's review against another edition

Go to review page

2.0

Giving 2 stars because part 1 was kinda interesting but it fell so flat. Felt zero connection to any characters. The plot was so bland.

sp3cia1j's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

I’m having a hard time describing Perfect Tunes. From the publisher’s description, you’d think it was a little more eventful. It’s definitely character driven and because the main character, Laura, is not a very dramatic person, even the action seems a little subdued. Because of this, it can be easy for the book to seek a little boring or unfinished. It seems like some of the characters could have been fleshed out more.

That being said, I really enjoyed reading this. It was quick and easy and it held my attention. I also DNFed three books directly before it, so it definitely wins points for holding my attention.