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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
What a fantastic, quirky ode to music. I loved that the chapter titles were also song titles and I was launching into a song as I read the book. Even now when I hear songs I think about this book. I loved the ending.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
3.5. A record shop in England in 1988? SIGN ME UP. However I probably would have enjoyed this a lot more when I was younger. Frank was so painfully self conscious it made me very frustrated - he is almost verging on covert narcissism. It is very slow paced which is something I usually like, but something about this didn't quite click for me. I really enjoyed her writing though and would still recommend it, especially if you're a music fan, but it definitely didn't quite satisfy as much as I hoped it would.
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-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
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is coming from an extremely biased place, because I absolutely love music. I was in my school's band from fifth grade until my junior year of high school. I've been in choirs and musicals, and there's always music playing in my head. Someone who doesn't have as deep a love and connection to music might still end up enjoying this, though. I feel like there's enough passion and love for the art through the story and characters. I just related to it a lot more.
Truth be told, there's not a lot going on. There's a guy stubbornly selling vinyls during the 80s when CDs were becoming a thing, and the neighborhood around him slowly being taken apart by a developing company. People either lose their business or are scared off. Frank and Ilse each have issues they struggle with, and through flashbacks the reader gets to see how Frank was shaped in his early years.
My favorite bits were when the pieces of music were discussed. Talking about what the artists were thinking and feeling at the time, how they expressed those things through sound and silence. It's also pretty cool that there's a Spotify playlist for this book. I was listening to it while reading and it's a wonderful mixture. There are definitely things you can express through music that wouldn't come across in any other medium. And of course like every other piece of art, once it hits the audience it's open to any number of interpretations. I really loved how this book showed what listening to a certain piece of music could do for a person: how it could open them to emotions or memories, how daring to go outside what they think they like could show them something amazing.
Whether you are a fan of music or not, I would still recommend giving this novel a try. And I would also recommend listening to the playlist. There may very well be a track that you need to hear, and it may just be one you didn't expect.
Truth be told, there's not a lot going on. There's a guy stubbornly selling vinyls during the 80s when CDs were becoming a thing, and the neighborhood around him slowly being taken apart by a developing company. People either lose their business or are scared off. Frank and Ilse each have issues they struggle with, and through flashbacks the reader gets to see how Frank was shaped in his early years.
My favorite bits were when the pieces of music were discussed. Talking about what the artists were thinking and feeling at the time, how they expressed those things through sound and silence. It's also pretty cool that there's a Spotify playlist for this book. I was listening to it while reading and it's a wonderful mixture. There are definitely things you can express through music that wouldn't come across in any other medium. And of course like every other piece of art, once it hits the audience it's open to any number of interpretations. I really loved how this book showed what listening to a certain piece of music could do for a person: how it could open them to emotions or memories, how daring to go outside what they think they like could show them something amazing.
Whether you are a fan of music or not, I would still recommend giving this novel a try. And I would also recommend listening to the playlist. There may very well be a track that you need to hear, and it may just be one you didn't expect.