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A review by ijill14
This Song Is (Not) for You by Laura Nowlin
3.0
Review originally posted on journeyintotheshelves.tumblr.com & journeyintotheshelves.wordpress.com
**I received an eARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Sourcebooks. This has had no bearing on this review.
This Song is (Not) for You follows the story of Ramona, Sam, and Tom - three “weird” teens who make music together - and their intertwining relationship over the course of a year.
Because it follows their relationship and it’s progression, there really isn’t a direct, streamlined plot; it’s very much a “day in the life” kind of book which allows Nowlin to really develop her characters, their voices, and struggles a lot more than in some other contemporary YA books that I’ve read. However, because of that, the writing of this book is really jumpy. It is told in alternating perspectives between the three characters, so you do get to see the variety of their worlds, but some moments are disjointed and, frankly, jarring to read. There were also certain subplots that seemed really unnecessary to development, both plot wise and character wise, and they slow down the book’s momentum.
The relationship between Ramona, Sam, and Tom is extremely intense, and it gets really intense very quickly. The characters themselves were also have very intense personalities, but they do show different life choices in regards to the future - college, work, etc. - that is (sadly) rarely seen in YA. Nowlin is able to make interesting commentary on various real world topics and discusses several philosophical ideas simplistically that I really enjoyed both reading and thinking about long after I finished.
The characters themselves are fairly well-rounded and each have very distinct personalities and quirks. Ramona is zany and can be a turn off for many readers, but I thought she was very enjoyable to read. Sam is very much the boy you wish would fall in love with you. Tom’s storyline, however, was the most interesting to read and my favorite part of the book. Throughout the novel he deals with sexuality issues (I’m not going to say exactly what because of spoilers), but Nowlin handles his mindset and his thought process very well. It’s not a coming out moment in any sense, but rather, a path toward acceptance that Tom goes through that was truly captivating.
Overall, This Song is (Not) for You is a quick read with an intense relationship and a character focused plot that explores ideas that not many YA novels attempt to tackle.
**I received an eARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Sourcebooks. This has had no bearing on this review.
This Song is (Not) for You follows the story of Ramona, Sam, and Tom - three “weird” teens who make music together - and their intertwining relationship over the course of a year.
Because it follows their relationship and it’s progression, there really isn’t a direct, streamlined plot; it’s very much a “day in the life” kind of book which allows Nowlin to really develop her characters, their voices, and struggles a lot more than in some other contemporary YA books that I’ve read. However, because of that, the writing of this book is really jumpy. It is told in alternating perspectives between the three characters, so you do get to see the variety of their worlds, but some moments are disjointed and, frankly, jarring to read. There were also certain subplots that seemed really unnecessary to development, both plot wise and character wise, and they slow down the book’s momentum.
The relationship between Ramona, Sam, and Tom is extremely intense, and it gets really intense very quickly. The characters themselves were also have very intense personalities, but they do show different life choices in regards to the future - college, work, etc. - that is (sadly) rarely seen in YA. Nowlin is able to make interesting commentary on various real world topics and discusses several philosophical ideas simplistically that I really enjoyed both reading and thinking about long after I finished.
The characters themselves are fairly well-rounded and each have very distinct personalities and quirks. Ramona is zany and can be a turn off for many readers, but I thought she was very enjoyable to read. Sam is very much the boy you wish would fall in love with you. Tom’s storyline, however, was the most interesting to read and my favorite part of the book. Throughout the novel he deals with sexuality issues (I’m not going to say exactly what because of spoilers), but Nowlin handles his mindset and his thought process very well. It’s not a coming out moment in any sense, but rather, a path toward acceptance that Tom goes through that was truly captivating.
Overall, This Song is (Not) for You is a quick read with an intense relationship and a character focused plot that explores ideas that not many YA novels attempt to tackle.