A review by thebooknerdscorner
The Secret Song of Shelby Rey by Rayne Lacko

3.0

An ode to music that brings learning to love oneself and the struggles of dealing with addiction center stage.

Shelby Rey has always been able to hear the secret songs that people hide deep within themselves. With a single touch, she can know a stranger's deepest secrets and their darkest fears. Her life has been a living nightmare after her father committed suicide, which led her mother to rely on alcohol and pills to numb the pain. Shelby's only escape is in music. When she meets Zac Wyatt, a moody rockstar with a charming side that only Shelby can hear, her life begins to change drastically. Feeling seen for the first time in her life, Shelby gets caught up in the world of fortune and fame. Shelby begins to discover that the brightest lights often hide the darkest secrets. Now, she must learn to walk to the beat of her own drum or be lost within the confines of everyone else's issues forever. 

Whenever a book is centered around a musical element, my interest is piqued. Shelby's musical gift that allows her to hear other people's life stories is an interesting piece of magical realism. Stories that showcase the music industry and boy bands are also usually pretty fun, so I signed up for this one immediately. However, this book wasn't exactly the fun ride I was hoping it would be. 

This book dives into many hard topics that many people experience. Addiction, suicide, domestic abuse, and mental disorders are all front and center in this novel. Shelby comes from a horrendous home situation where she has to sleep on the couch, share her mother's clothes, and deal with her mother's constant toxic behavior and badgering. My heart really goes out to Shelby, but she also doesn't make very many intelligent decisions throughout the course of this novel. She refuses therapy, hooks up with a sus guy she just met, and allows herself to be wrapped up in a whirlwind of toxic masculinity and abusive situations all over again. I know that she's the victim here, but I wish she would have advocated for herself a little better. I'm glad to report that by the end of this book she does stand up for herself and starts to pave a decent life for herself, which is certainly inspiring. 

I have read several books that feature boy bands, K-pop groups, and other communities that thrive in the spotlight. This book was similar to them in many ways, which had me zoning out at moments. This isn't the book's fault, per se, but it is worth mentioning that it's pretty typical celebrity drama. There is a ton of drug abuse, toxic relationships, false reports in the media, and lots of people backstabbing each other to get ahead in the industry. If you love gossip and drama, this is a positive, but I found it a tad tedious at times. 

The thing that I disliked the most about this one is Shelby and Zac's romantic relationship. I know that it is supposed to be toxic and Zac taking advantage of her is an important life lesson for Shelby to learn, but that didn't make it any less icky. The sexual tension between these two is quite. . . intense, and they certainly act upon their inclinations as soon as they possible can. The way that Zac forces Shelby to dress as well as the way he tries to take credit for her work is also gross; it all makes Zac a truly unlikable character. 

I think the think I like most of about this book is the way that it speaks about music. A well written song can invoke so many feelings in a person and let them feel seen in a way that few other things can; Lacko captures this feeling so eloquently. Being able to connect with a songwriter's life even though I've never met them is a truly magical experience. Music brings people together so effortlessly and a song that one relates to dearly can feel as though someone is looking directly into one's soul. Shelby's gift is a physical manifestation of this, which I found to be pretty neat. 

Overall, "The Secret Song of Shelby Rey" is a moving story about overcoming life's challenges and forging the path that makes you feel good about yourself. The way that this book talks about music and how humanity connects to it is truly magical, and the way this book tackles topics such as substance abuse is mature and impactful. Unfortunately, this book is filled with such toxic relations and circumstances that I found myself often not loving my time with it. Especially when it came to Shelby and Zac's instant attraction to one another. The characters certainly grow, and many lessons are learned through all the tragic situations the characters find themselves in, but it made it hard for me to truly dig this story.