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A review by dani_reviews
The Sound of Us by Julie Hammerle
4.0
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I went into this expecting a fairly standard YA contemporary. There is nothing wrong with the standard story, especially when you’re in the mood for something easy and predictable in that Happily Ever After kind of way. I love those kinds of stories when I need a break between fantasies and dystopias. They’re great.
But that’s not what The Sound of Us was.
The Sound of Us was about Kiki. Not Kiki and a guy (or girl). Ok, yes, there was a guy in there, but this book was about Kiki. Kiki figuring out who she was. Kiki learning to own who she was. Kiki taking a stand for who she wanted to be, separate from guys and crappy friends and pushy parents.
Kiki was scarily relatable. She wasn’t a supermodel, she remarked on how she had friends online but not in real life and she lived through Twitter. So she and I were basically twins. Sure, I’m not an opera singer (although my cousin is going to Indiana in August to study classical singing!!!), but I think we all have something we’re striving for like Kiki is aiming for singing.
Over the weekend, I had a suspiciously similar experience to Kiki when she shows up for her music camp. I went to something like an orientation weekend for students at the business school I’ll be attending come September. I felt like the odd one out, the quiet, “quirky” one. Kiki tweeted the following during that first day:
Here’s what I messaged my bestie (met through Twitter, funnily enough):
(Yes, that is exactly what I said. I bet a lot of you have also said similar things about yourself to your best friends. We should all stop!)
Kiki had to room with Brie, a Blake Lively-like girl. I had to room with a gorgeous Mexican girl who quickly made friends with a tall, blonde, beautiful Swedish girl.
Ok, so I think you get the point that Kiki came into my life right after my epic disappointment of a weekend in which I felt so out of place that I left a day early. (And then spent an hour dissecting with my therapist.) (You can see why I need a therapist in my last post on body positivity.)
I actually wish I’d read The Sound of Us before I went to the event, as what Kiki learned at camp and the personal growth she experienced over the course of the summer would have been so helpful to me, and I’m a few years older than 17!
There wasn’t a lot on the side of world-building, but I thought the characters were great. I loved how there wasn’t one “perfect” guy, and it showed that guys who you think are perfect are actually human…and also 17 and trying to figure their lives out as well. Characters that initially seemed to be stereotypes (like the Little Miss Perfect Mean Girl) took on more depth through Kiki’s eyes, and she was actually very mature and gracious…maybe even more so than I would be. I had to take a long, hard look at myself while reading this!
Yes, I was initially a little bit disappointed with the ending, as it didn’t follow the normal YA contemporary model and was rather open. But then I slapped myself out of that ridiculous mood and realised that The Sound of Us was one of the most realistic, relatable, mature and empowering contemporaries I have ever read. It would have been WRONG to end it any other way!
I recommend this to everyone who has ever felt invisible, out of place and inadequate. Kiki was so inspiring, and I’ve already ordered a physical copy of this book to serve as a reminder to myself to be who I want to be!
I went into this expecting a fairly standard YA contemporary. There is nothing wrong with the standard story, especially when you’re in the mood for something easy and predictable in that Happily Ever After kind of way. I love those kinds of stories when I need a break between fantasies and dystopias. They’re great.
But that’s not what The Sound of Us was.
The Sound of Us was about Kiki. Not Kiki and a guy (or girl). Ok, yes, there was a guy in there, but this book was about Kiki. Kiki figuring out who she was. Kiki learning to own who she was. Kiki taking a stand for who she wanted to be, separate from guys and crappy friends and pushy parents.
Kiki was scarily relatable. She wasn’t a supermodel, she remarked on how she had friends online but not in real life and she lived through Twitter. So she and I were basically twins. Sure, I’m not an opera singer (although my cousin is going to Indiana in August to study classical singing!!!), but I think we all have something we’re striving for like Kiki is aiming for singing.
Over the weekend, I had a suspiciously similar experience to Kiki when she shows up for her music camp. I went to something like an orientation weekend for students at the business school I’ll be attending come September. I felt like the odd one out, the quiet, “quirky” one. Kiki tweeted the following during that first day:
Opera singers are REALLY attractive people, guys. I feel like I’m a walking, talking, singing “before” picture.
Here’s what I messaged my bestie (met through Twitter, funnily enough):
I'm pretty sure I'm the ugliest girl here. It's like Miss Universe, and I'm the DUFF.
Except I have no friends.
So DUFG.
No one wants to sit next to me.
(Yes, that is exactly what I said. I bet a lot of you have also said similar things about yourself to your best friends. We should all stop!)
Kiki had to room with Brie, a Blake Lively-like girl. I had to room with a gorgeous Mexican girl who quickly made friends with a tall, blonde, beautiful Swedish girl.
Ok, so I think you get the point that Kiki came into my life right after my epic disappointment of a weekend in which I felt so out of place that I left a day early. (And then spent an hour dissecting with my therapist.) (You can see why I need a therapist in my last post on body positivity.)
I actually wish I’d read The Sound of Us before I went to the event, as what Kiki learned at camp and the personal growth she experienced over the course of the summer would have been so helpful to me, and I’m a few years older than 17!
There wasn’t a lot on the side of world-building, but I thought the characters were great. I loved how there wasn’t one “perfect” guy, and it showed that guys who you think are perfect are actually human…and also 17 and trying to figure their lives out as well. Characters that initially seemed to be stereotypes (like the Little Miss Perfect Mean Girl) took on more depth through Kiki’s eyes, and she was actually very mature and gracious…maybe even more so than I would be. I had to take a long, hard look at myself while reading this!
Yes, I was initially a little bit disappointed with the ending, as it didn’t follow the normal YA contemporary model and was rather open. But then I slapped myself out of that ridiculous mood and realised that The Sound of Us was one of the most realistic, relatable, mature and empowering contemporaries I have ever read. It would have been WRONG to end it any other way!
I recommend this to everyone who has ever felt invisible, out of place and inadequate. Kiki was so inspiring, and I’ve already ordered a physical copy of this book to serve as a reminder to myself to be who I want to be!
See this review in its natural environment, Dani Reviews Things.