e-Book, 219 pages
Release Date: March 9, 2010
Published by: Dial
Stand alone
Source: Library
For fans of Chick-lit, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Music, Grief
Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life – and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey’s boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie’s own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they’re the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can’t collide without the whole wide world exploding.
This remarkable debut is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block. Just as much a celebration of love as it is a portrait of loss, Lennie’s struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often hilarious, and ultimately unforgettable.
*MY THOUGHTS*
I asked all my Twitter friends what book they could recommend me that is contemporary romance and features some bigger issues. This book came up a lot. So I decided to give it a go. And I’m so glad I did. After a few humps along the way, I ended up really enjoying this one.
This is a book all abut grief. Lennie loses her sister Bailey and thinks no one understands what that feels like. Except her sister’s boyfriend who is also struggling with Bailey’s absence. They end up making some really decisions where they end up in each other’s arms. Then on top of that there is a certain new boy named Joe who fell for Lennie the very first time they met.
There were so many ways I connected to this story. I was in band in high school and i certainly know the competition that goes on in between the chairs. Also, when my godfather died I remember calling his cell phone over and over just to hear his voice. Then there was the grief stricken emotional ties. I understood this as well. This connection is what I loved most about the story. It was so completely relate-able at some points I felt like I was reading my own story.
The only thing I didn’t like was the juvenile nature it put off. For the MC to be 17, she spoke like she was in middle school. Maybe its just me, but where I’m from people didn’t think things like that in high school. And people quit writing on their shoes in middle school.
After I got over what I thought was the age difference, I was able to enjoy the writing style. I fell in love with Jandy Nelson’s words. So many quotes I wrote down while reading this one like: “You can tell your story any way you damn well please. It’s your solo.“ and “You can chop the Victorian novel to shreds with garden shears but you can’t take it out of the girl.” I was able to fully enjoy it towards the end.
I’m actually glad that I waited this long to read this because reading it now I could really enjoy it. This tale of sadness and grief is one that that is truly unforgettable.
