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A review by jmbq_reads
Stay with My Heart by Tashie Bhuiyan
4.0
Liana wants to work in the music industry and has an internship at her workaholic father's record company, where she hopes to impress him and get a little more of his attention (something that has been missing since her mother died). When one attempt to impress him results in her sabotaging an up-and-coming band she knows, Lia can't bear to confess her mistake to her father. Instead, she focuses all her efforts into helping the band, Third Eye, get their own chance at success. But the more she fits into their friend group -- and feels an attraction to their leader, Skyler Moon -- the more she realizes that she's living on borrowed time before the truth comes out.
I've read Bhuiyan's previous work and really like how she weaves her stories for young adults, revealing the flaws and friction of the teenage years but providing hope for the future. Liana is a well-drawn character, determined to succeed but grappling with grief, anxiety, and depression on top of some less-than-stellar choices (which are likely influenced by her mental health struggles), and while she can be frustrating at times, she's someone the reader can easily empathize with. Her father is somewhat less developed but in no way comes across as a stereotyped "Brown dad" or immigrant father -- there are references to other immigrant parents in the book to show that one person's behavior doesn't represent all immigrant parents. The boys in the band, even with their occasionally clashing personalities, demonstrate the power and beauty of male friendship.
Overall, it's a feel-good story about how we (teens mostly but all of us really) often have to reckon with difficult decisions, questionable choices, and challenging consequences -- and how leaning into honesty and care for one another will help us right our course. 4 stars.
CW: death of a parent (past), anxiety, depressive episodes, suicidal ideation
Thank you, Inkyard Press and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.
I've read Bhuiyan's previous work and really like how she weaves her stories for young adults, revealing the flaws and friction of the teenage years but providing hope for the future. Liana is a well-drawn character, determined to succeed but grappling with grief, anxiety, and depression on top of some less-than-stellar choices (which are likely influenced by her mental health struggles), and while she can be frustrating at times, she's someone the reader can easily empathize with. Her father is somewhat less developed but in no way comes across as a stereotyped "Brown dad" or immigrant father -- there are references to other immigrant parents in the book to show that one person's behavior doesn't represent all immigrant parents. The boys in the band, even with their occasionally clashing personalities, demonstrate the power and beauty of male friendship.
Overall, it's a feel-good story about how we (teens mostly but all of us really) often have to reckon with difficult decisions, questionable choices, and challenging consequences -- and how leaning into honesty and care for one another will help us right our course. 4 stars.
CW: death of a parent (past), anxiety, depressive episodes, suicidal ideation
Thank you, Inkyard Press and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.