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A review by lacyerh
When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord
5.0
When You Get the Chance, written by Emma Lord and flawlessly narrated by Jesse Vilinsky is a captivating, poignant, and delightful YA novel about searching for something you longed for desperately and realizing that you had it all along. The novel’s charming protagonist, diverse cast of characters, and intriguing story drew me in immediately, and I found myself listening to the book every chance I got until I finished it with a huge smile on my face. Lord’s description is vivid, writing style active, dialogue excellent, and her characters are well-drawn, evolving authentically over the course of the novel. I loved how she deftly balances humor, angst, anxiety, fear, and the full spectrum of emotions experienced by her characters in their humorous, chemistry-filled, and emotional interactions.
Millie Price’s big dreams about becoming a Broadway star have been the driving force in her life from an early age, and she’s not going to let anything stop her from achieving that dream. She’s all personality, drive, emotion, and drama, none of which she believes can thank her introverted father for, as far as she knows. As a young college student, he raised her from a baby with the help of his sister Heather. At the end of her junior year, Millie finds herself on the precipice of her plans for her future falling apart. When she finds a link to his live journal from his college days, she is set on a journey of self-discovery and growth that will change her life and world in ways she cannot even imagine.
I loved Millie’s relationships and interactions with her father, aunt, best friend, and classmate Oliver, as well as other people she comes to know during the novel. The novel shines in these moments the most. Millie’s interactions with Oliver are fiery, sweet, so funny, electric, butterfly-inducing, and frustrating—all at the same time. Lord brilliantly explores the characters’ inner lives and emotions directly via Millie’s POV and expressively through the characters’ dialogue, personalities, and behavior.
Vilinsky’s narration effortlessly brings Lord’s memorable characters to life, capturing their personalities and quirks and giving them each a distinctive voice. The narrator’s lively narration wonderfully voices the characters' inner lives as portrayed by Lord. Emotion flows through her voice, as she captures the highs and lows of Millie’s emotions, Millie Moods, and her bigger-than-life dramatic personality. On the other end of the spectrum, Vilinsky does an excellent job of voicing Oliver’s low-key, long-suffering patience with Millie’s antics that allows traces of his confusing feelings for her to sneak through. I loved the narrator’s voice for Oliver.
I love musicals, however, my familiarity with musical theater and Broadway musicals as a genre is limited. Yet, it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the novel at all. On that note, I cannot imagine musical theater and Broadway musical aficionados not loving every second of When You Get the Chance. It’s filled with tidbits of musical theatre experiences/moments, song lyrics, titles, etc. Millie’s (and Oliver’s) love for musical theatre flows through the novel, and it’s infectious. I have been a huge ABBA fan since childhood, thanks to my mom, and I think ABBA fans should get a kick out of it as well.
A funny, insightful, emotional, sweet, and romantic YA novel about self-discovery, family, following your dreams, and the importance of connection and being grounded, When You Get the Chance is an unforgettable story about love of all kinds.
Advanced review copy provided by Macmillan Young Listeners via Netgalley for review.
Millie Price’s big dreams about becoming a Broadway star have been the driving force in her life from an early age, and she’s not going to let anything stop her from achieving that dream. She’s all personality, drive, emotion, and drama, none of which she believes can thank her introverted father for, as far as she knows. As a young college student, he raised her from a baby with the help of his sister Heather. At the end of her junior year, Millie finds herself on the precipice of her plans for her future falling apart. When she finds a link to his live journal from his college days, she is set on a journey of self-discovery and growth that will change her life and world in ways she cannot even imagine.
I loved Millie’s relationships and interactions with her father, aunt, best friend, and classmate Oliver, as well as other people she comes to know during the novel. The novel shines in these moments the most. Millie’s interactions with Oliver are fiery, sweet, so funny, electric, butterfly-inducing, and frustrating—all at the same time. Lord brilliantly explores the characters’ inner lives and emotions directly via Millie’s POV and expressively through the characters’ dialogue, personalities, and behavior.
Vilinsky’s narration effortlessly brings Lord’s memorable characters to life, capturing their personalities and quirks and giving them each a distinctive voice. The narrator’s lively narration wonderfully voices the characters' inner lives as portrayed by Lord. Emotion flows through her voice, as she captures the highs and lows of Millie’s emotions, Millie Moods, and her bigger-than-life dramatic personality. On the other end of the spectrum, Vilinsky does an excellent job of voicing Oliver’s low-key, long-suffering patience with Millie’s antics that allows traces of his confusing feelings for her to sneak through. I loved the narrator’s voice for Oliver.
I love musicals, however, my familiarity with musical theater and Broadway musicals as a genre is limited. Yet, it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the novel at all. On that note, I cannot imagine musical theater and Broadway musical aficionados not loving every second of When You Get the Chance. It’s filled with tidbits of musical theatre experiences/moments, song lyrics, titles, etc. Millie’s (and Oliver’s) love for musical theatre flows through the novel, and it’s infectious. I have been a huge ABBA fan since childhood, thanks to my mom, and I think ABBA fans should get a kick out of it as well.
A funny, insightful, emotional, sweet, and romantic YA novel about self-discovery, family, following your dreams, and the importance of connection and being grounded, When You Get the Chance is an unforgettable story about love of all kinds.
Advanced review copy provided by Macmillan Young Listeners via Netgalley for review.