Monday, July 16, 2012

Review and GIVEAWAY of Want by Stephanie Lawton

This book changed my frickin life.
by Isabelle Doan

Website/Goodreads/Amazon

Random Information:

Publisher: InkSpell Publishing
Pages: 318
Series: Nope
My Format: Received for Blog Tour
Rating: Library/Borrow/e-book/Paperback/Hardcover


Julianne counts the days until she can pack her bags and leave her old-money, tradition-bound Southern town where appearance is everything and secrecy is a way of life. A piano virtuoso, she dreams of attending a prestigious music school in Boston. Failure is not an option, so she enlists the help of New England Conservatory graduate Isaac Laroche to help her. She can't understand why he suddenly gave up Boston's music scene to return to the South. He doesn't know her life depends on escaping it. Julianne must face down madness from without, just as it threatens from within. Isaac must resist an inappropriate attraction, but an indiscretion at a Mardi Gras ball-the pinnacle event for Mobile's elite-forces their present wants and needs to collide with sins of the past. Will Julianne accept the help she's offered and get everything she ever wanted, or will she self-destruct and take Isaac down with her?

Let me fill you in on a little secret. Once upon a time, I auditioned for a spot on a junior panel of piano players. It was highly prestigious, and my hands were shaking like crazy. I prepared for this for months now, and I probably played the piece a million times, had nightmares over it, and gained twenty pounds for all the ice cream I ate when I played badly. When I stepped in front of those judges, my life flashed before my eyes.

Guess what happened?

I botched the audition. And then threw up.

I'll let you decide whether that's a true story or not.

I'm pretty sure this was me.
From Parents.com
My point is, I got Julianne as she struggled with her audition to the New England Conservatory, but that wasn't important at all. The story is more than that. It's an edgy coming of age Young Adult novel with characters that made me cry my own pools. (Which was very efficient for the summer season, I might add.)

As she struggled with her crazy mother (and I do mean crazy in the most literal sense), her decade older mentor/ love interest, her decade older hilarious other love interest, and others, my hands were shaking again. What was I doing? I wasn't playing piano or anything. How could a novel make me feel anticipation that I only felt with something important? Why did I feel like I was going to throw up?

No, not because I wanted to throw up on the book. This is, in fact my favorite read of 2012. It was because I was FLAILING all over the place as I read this. Every little thing made me whisper, "Be still, my hairy heart." It was all too much for me.

Well, that, or because I was reading in the car.

The characters are amazing. Dave is perverted, older, and pretty much everything you want in a guy. Issac is akin to Heathcliff literary-wise, and also pretty hot if I do say so myself. And I know you're wary of love triangles, but let me just say, Juli is not some helpless Bella. She doesn't focus on guys. She focuses on her music, with a few sexy excursions here and there.

The writing is stellar- writers, if you want the epitome of show, don't tell, THIS IS IT. There are so many little insinuations and things you have to pick up on yourself. The writing is interactive, which is great.

So why do I refrain from giving it a glorious five stars (other than the fact that I'm afraid of odd numbers?) Well, it's purely personal, but though Juli made the right choice in the end, I DIDN'T LIKE IT. Plus, this novel left me in a literary corner for days, so really, it made me feel four stars emotionally.

Perhaps that's what actually makes WANT such "bejeezus" worthy novel. 

Now, you've probably noticed that I've refrained from saying that "This was a lyrical novel that sang to me" or something like that because I hate praise puns. But, I've got to say it.

WANT was a lyrical novel that hit the notes in all the right places.

HAPPY?


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Oh, hey, there's a giveaway for an ebook copy of WANT, so you can possibly win the awesome.


Duh it's international! Unless your country blocks internet... in which case... how are you reading this?



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4 comments:

  1. I was in a piano competition years ago and I walked into the room thinking it was just the judges and I, like it had always been. Fate was not on my side. IT WAS IN AN AUDITORIUM FULL OF PEOPLE!!! I'm super shy kid so let's just say, that like your audition, my performance didn't go so well. I stopped in the middle of a long run because my hands were shaking so badly, restarted, was critiqued in front of everyone. I bawled my eyes out. Then came in second...I'm pretty sure the judged took pity upon my crocodile tears. Then I auditioned for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's civic group (their youth division) and my instructor changed my song two weeks before so of course during the audition the flute section leader stopped me mid-song. What was even worse was that he used to be my instructors, instructor. Yeah...it all sucked.
    I guess the point of my SUPER long comment is that like you, I really love this book because I can connect to Juli so much! Because I connect with Juli, and Isaac and Dave, on that level I can connect to so many other readers, like you. =D Love your review!

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    1. Thanks for your comment! I definitely understand where you're coming from- nerves have been such a big thing for me when I preform. I was once offered to play in a giant hall in Atlanta, but I couldn't because I was too afraid I would mess up. :P

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  2. Oh my goodness, I understand the nerves. I hate, hate, hate rehearsing a piece for months, then getting on stage and my hands start shaking. I've kind of resigned myself to it, though. I still haven't decided whether I like performing or not. The major feeling I get at the end of my few performances is relief.

    How have I not heard of this book before? I'm definitely going to have to check it out.

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    1. Yeah, that's why I quit performing. In the end I had to decide between taking beta blockers or quitting, and I hate meds, so I quit.

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