Publisher:
Prizm Books
Date published: 12/4/13
ISBN: 978-1-61040-620-8
MM Young Adult
E-book
Reviewed by Helen
Weblink: http://www.prizmbooks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=81.
Obtained via publisher
Rating: 3.5
Date published: 12/4/13
ISBN: 978-1-61040-620-8
MM Young Adult
E-book
Reviewed by Helen
Weblink: http://www.prizmbooks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=81.
Obtained via publisher
Rating: 3.5
Jeremy is a
talented chorister whose aim is to sing at Carnegie Hall. His high school choir
is one of the best, but only a senior can sing the solo. Finally he’s a senior
and the solo is to be his entree into the best music college and on to his
career. But a new boy with an amazing voice wins the solo, his best friend is
frustrated with his self pity and his entire future vanishes in a moment.
The teenage angst and self-centeredness is very believable as is all the emotion invested in each step of the story. Amber’s character is an excellent foil for Jer’s with her realistic, both-feet-on-the-ground, much more mature attitude. Zac’s feelings are also well drawn although I really would have liked a couple of scenes written from his point of view to round him out more. The author has done a good job of telling through story through Jer’s eyes, and we do see Zac’s reactions. It’s good to let the reader have to take the time to work everything out the way Jer does, but I think Zac would have more depth of character if we saw his thoughts. A couple of things seemed overly mature and perhaps a bit out of left field, although the explanations are believable. But the reader would feel them and accept them better if he or she was standing in Zac’s shoes, I think. (JMO. YMMV.)
The teenage angst and self-centeredness is very believable as is all the emotion invested in each step of the story. Amber’s character is an excellent foil for Jer’s with her realistic, both-feet-on-the-ground, much more mature attitude. Zac’s feelings are also well drawn although I really would have liked a couple of scenes written from his point of view to round him out more. The author has done a good job of telling through story through Jer’s eyes, and we do see Zac’s reactions. It’s good to let the reader have to take the time to work everything out the way Jer does, but I think Zac would have more depth of character if we saw his thoughts. A couple of things seemed overly mature and perhaps a bit out of left field, although the explanations are believable. But the reader would feel them and accept them better if he or she was standing in Zac’s shoes, I think. (JMO. YMMV.)
There were
also a couple of places where the author tried too hard with the imagery. For
example, “lips curled into a thin line”. (A curl, by definition, cannot be a
straight line). “became quick friends” (Can you be slow friends?) Each one is only
a small thing, but they were all just trying a bit too hard, or maybe too much
author tweaking.
However,
overall it’s an interesting story with a good depiction of adolescent angst and
a nicely building young adult relationship and future.
This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.
This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.
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