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2.81 AVERAGE
2.81 AVERAGE
This book... I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. I knew from the jacket summary that it wasn't going to be the kind of YA book that I usually read, so that obviously colors my opinion a bit. There were things that I really, really liked about this novel and things that annoyed me, but I'm wondering if the annoying parts were such just because this sort of book isn't my usual cup of tea. The YA I tend to read now (and, well, when I was a YA myself) tended to be on the sci-fi/fantasy/dystopian spectrum. I didn't read much of the "realistic fiction" YA and this book reminded me why: the characters tend to be holier than thou, "I am too good for high school and I am wasting my precious youth in a classroom," special snowflakes. The characters in this book can be like that, too... but they get called out on it or they learn to reshape opinions on things. So they grow, which I like, but the stuff before they grow was annoying. I guess - and this is occuring to me as I write this review - I guess I like the second half of the novel a lot more than the first. I acknowledge that the characters had to start where they did in order to grow and learn over the course of the book, but I like them - and the story - a lot more once the growth has occurred. Huh.
If you're wondering why I picked this book up in the first place, considering I said at the beginning of this review that the summary made it clear it was outside my usual reading zone, it's because I was doing some ordering for the library and trying to expand our LGBTQA collection and I read a review that said this book contained an asexual character and a polyamorous relationship. And really, that's what I wanted from this book. And it's what I got. And I loved all the stuff related to that. (Guys. Seriously. It's a YA book that turned a love triangle into a poly relationship that is honest and true and works for these characters. Holy smokes, I never thought I'd see that.)
So I guess I would say if you're looking for a novel with an ace character, or a polyamorous relationship, or teen characters who grow and mature, or you really like high school drama in your lit, then this was a fun, quick read. I like the author's writing style a lot, and the way the prose sometimes changes into freeform poetry; it surprised me at first, but it works well with the characters and what they are trying to convey. Huh, I guess I liked it more than I thought.
If you're wondering why I picked this book up in the first place, considering I said at the beginning of this review that the summary made it clear it was outside my usual reading zone, it's because I was doing some ordering for the library and trying to expand our LGBTQA collection and I read a review that said this book contained an asexual character and a polyamorous relationship. And really, that's what I wanted from this book. And it's what I got. And I loved all the stuff related to that. (Guys. Seriously. It's a YA book that turned a love triangle into a poly relationship that is honest and true and works for these characters. Holy smokes, I never thought I'd see that.)
So I guess I would say if you're looking for a novel with an ace character, or a polyamorous relationship, or teen characters who grow and mature, or you really like high school drama in your lit, then this was a fun, quick read. I like the author's writing style a lot, and the way the prose sometimes changes into freeform poetry; it surprised me at first, but it works well with the characters and what they are trying to convey. Huh, I guess I liked it more than I thought.
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Book:
THIS SONG IS (NOT) FOR YOU by Laura Nowlin
Thank you SourcebooksFire and Netgalley for the earc (Dec 31)
Review:
3⭐
THIS SONG IS (NOT) FOR YOU follows Ramona and Sam, and eventually Tom. Ramona and Sam are in a band, but they feel somethings missing. When they bring Tom in, they've found their sound and something more.
This book was okay. That's really the only way to describe it. I felt like the pov were short, and it was kind of hard to keep track of the three since almost every page was a new chapter/pov. Looking past that, Nowlin has written a coming-of-age story were three people realize what they want to do when they grow up and who they want be. I think if this book was longer, the characters could have developed in a way that didn't seem so rushed. Other than that, this book was a quick and easy read---perfect for fans of Nowlin's work.
THIS SONG IS (NOT) FOR YOU by Laura Nowlin
Thank you SourcebooksFire and Netgalley for the earc (Dec 31)
Review:
3⭐
THIS SONG IS (NOT) FOR YOU follows Ramona and Sam, and eventually Tom. Ramona and Sam are in a band, but they feel somethings missing. When they bring Tom in, they've found their sound and something more.
This book was okay. That's really the only way to describe it. I felt like the pov were short, and it was kind of hard to keep track of the three since almost every page was a new chapter/pov. Looking past that, Nowlin has written a coming-of-age story were three people realize what they want to do when they grow up and who they want be. I think if this book was longer, the characters could have developed in a way that didn't seem so rushed. Other than that, this book was a quick and easy read---perfect for fans of Nowlin's work.
Points for ace and poly representation, minus for not using anything like a label or definition. Seeing yourself in media helps young LGBTQ+ (or not so young, even) understand that they're not alone. This half does the job.
A cute, unconventional romance. The poetry like line breaks for emphasis were a bit jarring, though.
A cute, unconventional romance. The poetry like line breaks for emphasis were a bit jarring, though.
From my blog, maria-literata:
The teenagers in this book are real. And like real teenagers, they can sometimes be incredibly annoying and supercilious (a word I learned today that fits perfectly; meaning "behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others").
We meet Ramona, a high school senior at St. Joseph's Prep, a school "full of rich kids" and "poseurs". She thinks she's different than everyone and she likes to make it known. Her 'nemesis' is a girl in her year who once commented on Ramona's hair after she hacked it in the school bathroom with craft scissors.
In alternating chapters we meet Sam and Tom. Sam has been best friends with Ramona for years and together they form the band April and the Rain. Sam isn't so bad, like Ramona, he also "can't comprehend [high school girl's] level[s] of superficiality existing" (47). The thing is, Sam's been in love with Ramona forever, he just can't bring himself to say anything about it. He spends most of his time longing after her, his chapters mostly filled with him talking about her or thinking about her.
Tom, like Ramona, spends a lot of time trying to be different rather than genuinely being different. He walks around with shoes covered with the words 'Darfur' and 'Auschwitz' and hands out flyers to whoever asks about them. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, like Ramona, he's incredibly judgmental. An entire chapter of his is dedicated to labeling cliques during lunch time and Tom saying how he doesn't fit in because he's so different.
The most frustrating thing about Tom is his art. There's a scene where his girlfriend is disturbed because he buys a bunch of goldfish and dumps them in a local fountain as a sort of Banksy-like art movement (he knows the fish will die and we later find out that the dead fish clogged up a pipe and cost the city thousands of dollars to repair). To that, he says "this really scared me to death because I was still on probation, and it really did upset me. Causing real harm goes against my ethics" (71). I wanted to scream when I read this. So it wasn't until monetary damage had done that he thought twice about dumping goldfish to their deaths?
However, unlike Ramona and Sam, Tom does redeem himself and show character growth. Upon planning to put up posters with pictures of starving children at the mall during Christmas, he realizes how uneducated on the topic he is and what a bad idea it was.
Back to Ramona. The best part of this novel for me was her nemesis telling her off:
Ramona briefly ponders if she really is a poseur but forgets about this instance fairly quickly which I thought was a wasted opportunity for growth. Eventually the two sort of patch things up, but not before this encounter:
It was a part where I might have honestly groaned in frustration. I honestly could not understand why Ramona had to make it about herself?
Maybe this book just wasn't for me.
I did enjoy Nowlin's style of writing when characters would break into a sort of poetic thought process. Like the above quote, there's more than a handful of sections broken off like that and I think it was the right balance to regular prose. I wish there had been more conflict in this novel, and looking back on it, I'm not sure if there really was any major conflict at all. I wish Nowlin would have touched more on the polyamory relationship the three had going on. Maybe in a sequel?
The teenagers in this book are real. And like real teenagers, they can sometimes be incredibly annoying and supercilious (a word I learned today that fits perfectly; meaning "behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others").
We meet Ramona, a high school senior at St. Joseph's Prep, a school "full of rich kids" and "poseurs". She thinks she's different than everyone and she likes to make it known. Her 'nemesis' is a girl in her year who once commented on Ramona's hair after she hacked it in the school bathroom with craft scissors.
In alternating chapters we meet Sam and Tom. Sam has been best friends with Ramona for years and together they form the band April and the Rain. Sam isn't so bad, like Ramona, he also "can't comprehend [high school girl's] level[s] of superficiality existing" (47). The thing is, Sam's been in love with Ramona forever, he just can't bring himself to say anything about it. He spends most of his time longing after her, his chapters mostly filled with him talking about her or thinking about her.
Tom, like Ramona, spends a lot of time trying to be different rather than genuinely being different. He walks around with shoes covered with the words 'Darfur' and 'Auschwitz' and hands out flyers to whoever asks about them. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, like Ramona, he's incredibly judgmental. An entire chapter of his is dedicated to labeling cliques during lunch time and Tom saying how he doesn't fit in because he's so different.
The most frustrating thing about Tom is his art. There's a scene where his girlfriend is disturbed because he buys a bunch of goldfish and dumps them in a local fountain as a sort of Banksy-like art movement (he knows the fish will die and we later find out that the dead fish clogged up a pipe and cost the city thousands of dollars to repair). To that, he says "this really scared me to death because I was still on probation, and it really did upset me. Causing real harm goes against my ethics" (71). I wanted to scream when I read this. So it wasn't until monetary damage had done that he thought twice about dumping goldfish to their deaths?
However, unlike Ramona and Sam, Tom does redeem himself and show character growth. Upon planning to put up posters with pictures of starving children at the mall during Christmas, he realizes how uneducated on the topic he is and what a bad idea it was.
Back to Ramona. The best part of this novel for me was her nemesis telling her off:
"You just have to make sure everybody knows that you are so special and so weird." She tilts her head higher. "Everything you do, your haircuts and your stupid boots, it's all about proving that you're so fucking unusual. You say that you don't care what people think, but you do. You probably spend more time on your appearance than I do. You act like you're this tortured and misunderstood outcast, but you're really not, okay? You've got friends, and your hair looks like something from a Teen Vogue 'How to Get That Punk Rock Look' column. So get over yourself, Ramona, 'cause we're all sick of hearing about what a unique snow-flake you are." (93).
Ramona briefly ponders if she really is a poseur but forgets about this instance fairly quickly which I thought was a wasted opportunity for growth. Eventually the two sort of patch things up, but not before this encounter:
"You are unbelievable. You're like a five-year old! Didn't your mother teach you to share?" I said.
"My mother is dead, you bitch," she said.
And I was so surprised,
that I said,
"Mine too." (126)
It was a part where I might have honestly groaned in frustration. I honestly could not understand why Ramona had to make it about herself?
Maybe this book just wasn't for me.
I did enjoy Nowlin's style of writing when characters would break into a sort of poetic thought process. Like the above quote, there's more than a handful of sections broken off like that and I think it was the right balance to regular prose. I wish there had been more conflict in this novel, and looking back on it, I'm not sure if there really was any major conflict at all. I wish Nowlin would have touched more on the polyamory relationship the three had going on. Maybe in a sequel?
Memorable Quote
"And making plans doesn't make you safe; it just makes you feel that the future owes you something." (176)
Nope. Just nope.
You're supposed to like at least one character. I didn't like any of them.
DNF
You're supposed to like at least one character. I didn't like any of them.
DNF
*I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
I read through this book very quickly. The story was so darn cute, and mostly relatable, if not necessarily in the most direct sense.
Sam and Ramona are best friends. They are in a band together. They are even auditioning to go to the same music college. They just make sense together. The thing is, Ramona has a crush on Sam. Little does she know, Sam has a crush on her too. But they are both too afraid to ruin their friendship to say something to one another.
Then they meet Tom, who is the perfect addition to their band. He complements their sound perfectly. Ramona soon develops a crush on Tom too.
This book does not have your typical love triangle. It is unconventional and different, and like nothing I have ever read before, which is saying something because I have read many a book with a love triangle. While this book was way different than any of those, it was still intriguing, even though Ramona's choice is something I could never make myself.
These characters struggle with what to do after graduating high school which makes them feel so very real. I remember being in high school and constantly wondering what would come my way after graduation. For some it is an easy decision, but for others the choice of what to do isn't always so simple and straightforward. And this book got that absolutely perfect.
I read through this book very quickly. The story was so darn cute, and mostly relatable, if not necessarily in the most direct sense.
Sam and Ramona are best friends. They are in a band together. They are even auditioning to go to the same music college. They just make sense together. The thing is, Ramona has a crush on Sam. Little does she know, Sam has a crush on her too. But they are both too afraid to ruin their friendship to say something to one another.
Then they meet Tom, who is the perfect addition to their band. He complements their sound perfectly. Ramona soon develops a crush on Tom too.
This book does not have your typical love triangle. It is unconventional and different, and like nothing I have ever read before, which is saying something because I have read many a book with a love triangle. While this book was way different than any of those, it was still intriguing, even though Ramona's choice is something I could never make myself.
These characters struggle with what to do after graduating high school which makes them feel so very real. I remember being in high school and constantly wondering what would come my way after graduation. For some it is an easy decision, but for others the choice of what to do isn't always so simple and straightforward. And this book got that absolutely perfect.
I FREAKING LOVED THIS.
The characters are absolutely all likeable. I literally love all, even secondary ones, because this book doesn't leave them at just being secondary characters, but actually acknowledges that there are stories we might not know behind every personality.
Tom is my favourite, because he's such an edgy artist who wants to educate himself constantly and change the world, and it was beautiful. I also love that he honestly has nice things to say about people he fell out with, and he's actually lovely. He loves glitter! Come on!
They are all very open minded teens and it was beautiful to see this when YA is usually filled with dumb af teenagers.
Also this book contains discussions about gender issues, calls out misogyny and sexism and explores various sexualities and relationship types. It was brilliant.
It's a short one. Make yourself the favour of reading it. Surprisingly nice. I'm not that much of a music person, but if you're into that (making of music, old bands), then this book is even more for you.
The characters are absolutely all likeable. I literally love all, even secondary ones, because this book doesn't leave them at just being secondary characters, but actually acknowledges that there are stories we might not know behind every personality.
Tom is my favourite, because he's such an edgy artist who wants to educate himself constantly and change the world, and it was beautiful. I also love that he honestly has nice things to say about people he fell out with, and he's actually lovely. He loves glitter! Come on!
They are all very open minded teens and it was beautiful to see this when YA is usually filled with dumb af teenagers.
Also this book contains discussions about gender issues, calls out misogyny and sexism and explores various sexualities and relationship types. It was brilliant.
It's a short one. Make yourself the favour of reading it. Surprisingly nice. I'm not that much of a music person, but if you're into that (making of music, old bands), then this book is even more for you.