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A review by camilleareads
No Sad Songs by Frank Morelli
4.0
No Sad Songs is a coming of age story about a young man and his ailing grandfather; it touches on the hardships of families and the promises one keeps. It tackles loss, identity, and family values. While reading this book, the words felt both soft and humorous.
Gabriel LoScuda is your typical eighteen year old just trying to get through high school, maybe get a girl, succeed in baseball, but above all he’s driven by the thought of keeping his grandfather safe. The book delivered well in portraying Gabe’s conflicting emotions. I can’t say that he was completely likable, in fact, there were times I found his character to be quite annoying and immature. His drive for popularity, at first, made me wonder why I should care about this character. But as I followed Gabe’s story it occurred to me that maybe all his life Gabe has had this certain expectation to live upto, a certain life he had to achieve in order to feel right in himself. He does make a lot of bad choices, sure, but he owns up to them. For me that was the heart of the story; to watch this character struggle with his inner emotions.
I’m especially soft for John and Gabe’s relationship. John is the absolute sweetest; his actions reminded me of J.K. Rowling’s quote, “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” (Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone)
John is portrayed as the quieter and mild mannered of the two, and the more practical. His character acts as a substitute for Gabe’s parents; Gabe’s friendship with John is probably the only stable foundation, or a better way to put is, John is the only emotional fallback Gabe has. I’m in awe of John’s patience with Gabe and Gabe’s strong sense of loyalty. In spite of the unpredictability of his family structure, Gabe pushes himself to take on the responsibility of two adults.
No Sad Songs is such an honest potrayal of the tribulations, and it really does not shy away from showing how young caretakers are affected. Gabe is not shown as the selfless and humble young man but as a typical teenager who gets frustrated and lashes out. I was really worried for his character, to be honest.
No Sad Songs is a lovely and comforting read with laugh out loud moments. I greatly appreciated the author’s inspiration for this book and I believe this is a book that people would benefit from reading.
I'd like to thank the author for sending me a review copy of No Sad Songs in exchange for an honest review
Follow me on Camillea Reads for more bookish adventures
Gabriel LoScuda is your typical eighteen year old just trying to get through high school, maybe get a girl, succeed in baseball, but above all he’s driven by the thought of keeping his grandfather safe. The book delivered well in portraying Gabe’s conflicting emotions. I can’t say that he was completely likable, in fact, there were times I found his character to be quite annoying and immature. His drive for popularity, at first, made me wonder why I should care about this character. But as I followed Gabe’s story it occurred to me that maybe all his life Gabe has had this certain expectation to live upto, a certain life he had to achieve in order to feel right in himself. He does make a lot of bad choices, sure, but he owns up to them. For me that was the heart of the story; to watch this character struggle with his inner emotions.
I’m especially soft for John and Gabe’s relationship. John is the absolute sweetest; his actions reminded me of J.K. Rowling’s quote, “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” (Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone)
John is portrayed as the quieter and mild mannered of the two, and the more practical. His character acts as a substitute for Gabe’s parents; Gabe’s friendship with John is probably the only stable foundation, or a better way to put is, John is the only emotional fallback Gabe has. I’m in awe of John’s patience with Gabe and Gabe’s strong sense of loyalty. In spite of the unpredictability of his family structure, Gabe pushes himself to take on the responsibility of two adults.
No Sad Songs is such an honest potrayal of the tribulations, and it really does not shy away from showing how young caretakers are affected. Gabe is not shown as the selfless and humble young man but as a typical teenager who gets frustrated and lashes out. I was really worried for his character, to be honest.
No Sad Songs is a lovely and comforting read with laugh out loud moments. I greatly appreciated the author’s inspiration for this book and I believe this is a book that people would benefit from reading.
I'd like to thank the author for sending me a review copy of No Sad Songs in exchange for an honest review
Follow me on Camillea Reads for more bookish adventures