2018,  Contemporary,  YA

Book Review- A Thousand Perfect Notes

Title: A Thousand Perfect Notes

Author: C.G Drews
Published: 7th June 2018
Pages: 282
Genre: YA, Contemporary


Rating: 4.5/5 stars

An emotionally charged story of music, abuse and, ultimately, hope.
Beck hates his life. He hates his violent mother. He hates his home. Most of all, he hates the piano that his mother forces him to play hour after hour, day after day. He will never play as she did before illness ended her career and left her bitter and broken. But Beck is too scared to stand up to his mother, and tell her his true passion, which is composing his own music – because the least suggestion of rebellion on his part ends in violence.
When Beck meets August, a girl full of life, energy and laughter, love begins to awaken within him and he glimpses a way to escape his painful existence. But dare he reach for it? -Goodreads

My thanks to Net Galley and Hachette Children’s Group for
the review copy.
I was super excited to receive a Net Galley eARC of this
novel, I have followed Paper Fury on her blog and social media for a few years
now, and I was really excited to read her novel.
This is a really emotionally charged novel. The author deals
with some big, heavy hitting subjects, including physical and emotional abuse,
so beware of this.
But, saying this, this novel is incredible, I was so drawn
in by the premise, and the novel kept me hooked the whole way through. This is
a unique novel, especially in YA, and it stands strong and proud.
The writing style is so beautiful. For a debut novel the
author shows an incredible talent for writing beautifully descriptive and
lyrical prose. She also writes a moving and emotive novel. Her ability to write
and describe the sound of music is quite wonderful to read, and this is a real
talent the author has. I cannot wait to read whatever Drews writes next.
I loved the characters in this novel a lot. Beck is an
amazing boy who cares for his sister so much, and although he appears to have a
very tough shell he is very sensitive and caring. He has so much to deal with
in his life yet he is still able to think of others, and consider the effect he
and his decisions have on others. The relationship between him and August was
so well crafted, and they just seemed so right for each other, and fitted
together so well, it was amazing!
Although this book dealt with some pretty hard hitting
topics it was also very funny. Beck and August have a lot of witty and
sarcastic banter, and Beck’s little sister is another source of hilarity. The
humour woven throughout the narrative allows this novel to glow; the novel is
both sad and happy simultaneously.
The end of this novel did make me cry, but it wasn’t just
tears of sadness, they were also tears of hope, and I think that’s the most
important aspect of this novel.

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