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danadays 's review for:
The Ensemble
by Aja Gabel
I don't think this book is objectively bad, it just wasn't for me... I forced myself to pick it up every time and I looked at the page number often as I read (wishing it to end). I also basically skimmed the last 30 pages and felt like I didn't miss much.
The music references are really neat and I thought it was pretty understandable, as I had only been in a middle school band, but some people I talked to thought the jargon was too complex and they had to look some stuff up! Hmm... Well I think if you are at all interested in classical music, or even if you have the slightest background playing with other musicians, you would appreciate this book even more. It brought back memories of playing in a quartet, although with much less intensity and fifteen less years of experience. :p
Each of the characters had uniquely complex histories and the concept is interesting that despite their differences, they still have such an intimate bond. I did feel like I really knew the characters and how their personalities and families contributed to their behaviors, but I was disappointed to see a lack of cultural diversity. While their race is unmentioned (and people may view this as "better" because it becomes more "universally relatable"), I would have liked to see the extra layer of how someone's culture further adds to the pressures and how it affected their journey to become a musician. Especially with the author being a woman of color, I wish there would have been a bit of a mention. I also thought that all of the characters having such difficult upbringings seemed quite forced... Really? NONE of them have ANY supportive members in their family?
This is definitely a slow book, it's like a daytime show where you're just following their lives throughout the years. I think it is cool and has an audience, it's just not me at this moment :) It has some merit. I liked the short conversation on balancing family and career, especially the societal pressures put on mothers. I liked the close view of the intimate bond between people who create art together and also the long-term injuries of musicians. I liked Henry and Jana's completely platonic, but very close, friendship - I hate when books always put people together because a straight boy and a straight girl could NEVER just be friends. I pretty much hated every other relationship in this book because it all seemed like they had just settled. (Maybe that makes it more realistic? That's sad.) (Also, even in super romance-y books, I think people are settling. Actually, I think that of most people in the real world as well so...)
I enjoyed parts - just like I would enjoy a few episodes of a super long TV show. So I'll give it an "it was okay" 2 star rating.
The music references are really neat and I thought it was pretty understandable, as I had only been in a middle school band, but some people I talked to thought the jargon was too complex and they had to look some stuff up! Hmm... Well I think if you are at all interested in classical music, or even if you have the slightest background playing with other musicians, you would appreciate this book even more. It brought back memories of playing in a quartet, although with much less intensity and fifteen less years of experience. :p
Each of the characters had uniquely complex histories and the concept is interesting that despite their differences, they still have such an intimate bond. I did feel like I really knew the characters and how their personalities and families contributed to their behaviors, but I was disappointed to see a lack of cultural diversity. While their race is unmentioned (and people may view this as "better" because it becomes more "universally relatable"), I would have liked to see the extra layer of how someone's culture further adds to the pressures and how it affected their journey to become a musician. Especially with the author being a woman of color, I wish there would have been a bit of a mention. I also thought that all of the characters having such difficult upbringings seemed quite forced... Really? NONE of them have ANY supportive members in their family?
This is definitely a slow book, it's like a daytime show where you're just following their lives throughout the years. I think it is cool and has an audience, it's just not me at this moment :) It has some merit. I liked the short conversation on balancing family and career, especially the societal pressures put on mothers. I liked the close view of the intimate bond between people who create art together and also the long-term injuries of musicians. I liked Henry and Jana's completely platonic, but very close, friendship - I hate when books always put people together because a straight boy and a straight girl could NEVER just be friends. I pretty much hated every other relationship in this book because it all seemed like they had just settled. (Maybe that makes it more realistic? That's sad.) (Also, even in super romance-y books, I think people are settling. Actually, I think that of most people in the real world as well so...)
I enjoyed parts - just like I would enjoy a few episodes of a super long TV show. So I'll give it an "it was okay" 2 star rating.