Author: Leila Sales
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Number of Pages: 288
Date Published: September 17, 2013
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Amazon:
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, Leila Sales' THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.
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My Thoughts:
This Song Will Save Your Life tells a story of a young girl named Elise who has been drowned by her issues and insecurities of having no friends and never fitting in. This caused her to change and reinvent herself into someone like them, but her attempts were unsuccessful. Driven by frustration and sorrow, she thinks of a better way of solving her problems. And with that, she ends up with an even more scarring life experience to carry on her shoulders. But fate stepped in as she accidentally stumbles into the best underground party in the world that made her experience new things, and eventually changed her life
This book tackles not only the usual inequalities of the hierarchical high school world, but also issues about bullying and it's severe effects to those who people involved. We've heard that a few time before, but what makes this book a stand out for me is that Elise, although she wants to become like everybody else, refuses to listen to the kind of music popular today. It's the one thing she's not willing to let go or change. That was the beam of light in the darkness that surrounds Elise, which became even brighter when she discovers her love for DJing.
Speaking of Elise, there were times that I really had been exasperated with her behavior and her choices. Maybe because I have never felt what she felt, but still, I got irked sometimes. But most of the times, I do get why she acts that way. So for the most part, Leila Sales has created relatable Elise. The other characters, especially Vicks and Mel, were pretty awesome as well. They were their own, exploding with personality and individuality. But I don't want to talk about Char, or Pippa, or Emily. The other characters felt like small extras in a big film due.
For the plot, it was okay. I still have mixed feelings for it. I liked it in general, but I'm not sure if I liked some of the little things that happened on the sidelines. I am still a little skeptical with the ending because of what happened to Elise at school, what happened to Alex, or even Pippa or Char. There were a lot of loose ends that I feel were essential for Elise's characters growth, and even for the satisfaction of the readers.
But all in all Leila Sales has delivered something good. A good coming-of-age stories for those who feel like they don't belong. Plus, the title and cover is amazing!
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I keep reading reviews of this book but just cannot decide if I want to take the time to read it! It sounds a lot like The Perks of Being a Wildflower. Not sure if you've read that one but if you have I wonder if you'd agree? Anyway, I enjoyed your review and look forward to reading more from you!
ReplyDeletextina@ moydrookreads
Just try it out. Maybe you'll enjoy it more than I did. :) I read it because I've seen a lot of good reviews from my goodreads friends. Yes, I have also read Perks... and there's a little similarity in terms of the music references and the "awkward boy/girl meets eccentric people and they become super friends" thing, but the plot is totally different. :) Thanks for reading my review, Glad you liked it. :)
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