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| Read on May 16, 2013 |
Expected Publication Date: September 17, 2013
Publisher: FSG (Macmillan)
Format: ARC
Page Count: 288 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review
Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.
Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.
“Sometimes people think they know you. They know a few facts about you, and they piece you together in a way that makes sense to them. And if you don’t know yourself very well, you might even believe that they are right. But the truth is, that isn’t you. That isn’t you at all.” -from This Song Will Save Your Life
This Song Will Save Your Life is a stunning and marvelous masterpiece that made me smile, made me think, and made me reevaluate the effects that actions can have on people. I can't stress how important this novel - this beautiful, heartwrenching novel - truly is. Absolutely one of a kind.
Bullying and suicide has became a major epidemic in our world, and Leila Sales plays upon that topic in This Song Will Save Your Life in such a fresh, original way. Our main character, Elise, is contemplating ending her life, but finds relief and emotion in something she has a burning passion for: music. The music makes her take her mind off of the social and emotional problems she's having, and Sales brings light upon one of the darkest, yet most important, topics in our society. I truly appreciated how Sales handled the situation and how it was flawlessly executed. Rarely ever does a contemporary grab me like This Song Will Save Your Life did. This Song Will Save Your Life is a must-read!
I love music, and I loved seeing music interwoven throughout the book! Not only do we have lyrics at the top of each chapter (which pertains to the chapter's situation in some way; so cool), but we have music references, Elise is a DJ, and the music in This Song Will Save Your Life has a deeper message far beyond what meets the eye. Plus, bullying and friendship tie in together as a huge factor. Elise has been betrayed and hurt, redeemed and love, and Leila Sales definitely wasn't afraid to tackle her character development head on. This Song Will Save Your Life is a powerful, incredible novel that moved me and shook me - and I loved every moment of it.
And the writing style - don't even get me started! Lyrical like a favorite and familiar song, and ground shaking like an earthquake, Sales is a phenomenal and brilliant voice in realistic fiction. It flowed off the page and played like a melody. Short and sweet, everything about This Song Will Save Your Life is utterly beautiful. One of my favorite books of the year, no doubt.
Overall, This Song Will Save Your Life is an incredibly fantastic and absorbing novel that shines out in the YA market. Groundbreaking and riveting!
M Y R A T I N G
This sounds like a really interesting book. I haven't read it yet, but I've heard a lot of good things. I love it when music is in stories. Great review, Brad :)
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