This debut novel by Cynthia Salaysay is a hard-hitting look at the cost of perfection, the desire to be loved, and the lengths a teenage girl will go to feel she belongs and to feel affection.

Claire is the single main character in this book.  While there is a smattering of other characters, the story revolves around her and her drive for greatness in piano playing.  I felt her Filipino mother was slightly typecast, as well as the crazy friend and the older attractive piano teacher.  But for where Salaysay was trying to take this novel and the subject matter, it worked.  Claire is relatable and I could draw many parallels from the average high school senior.  The author does not spend a ton of time on her physical characteristics, but I do not feel that detracted from the novel in any way.

This story is set in the greater San Francisco area and the settings where quite easy to visualize.  One of the things I really appreciated about this book was the use of real classical musicians and pieces of music throughout.  I found myself wanting to find the various composers and listen to the music referenced to create a connection to the book and character.  I even discovered new pieces that I had not heard before.  I really liked the use of classical music as a theme throughout the book as it is seldom one you see in modern young adult fiction.

The subject matter in this book is on the more mature side.  But where Salaysay could have made it overly dramatic and outlandish, she handled in a very realistic way which lent a lot of credibility to the book.  She did not over-sensationalize, but she also did not downplay, and I felt like the scenarios were realistic and believable.  Also, highly realistic were the emotions associated with the scenes, and I felt they were very much what a teenage girl of this era would be experiencing without trying to drive political agenda or rhetoric.  Overall, it was a thoughtful and evocative novel that was well done especially for the mature reader.

Review of an Advance Reading Copy

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Candlewick

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  12 religious exclamations; 3 mild obscenities; 3 derogatory names; 4 scatological words; 2 anatomical terms; 6 f-word derivatives.

Violence/Gore:  Injured fingers from playing piano for lengthy periods.

Sex/Nudity:  Reference to masturbation, grabbing of breasts depicted on TV show; 4 kisses on cheek; joke about male erection; 5 kisses; hand-holding; hand on waist; 4 instances of hand on shoulder (adult to minor); 2 page graphic hand-job; 4 page graphic sex scene between minors; 1-page depiction of blow job given by minor to minor; 1 paragraph sex dream; 2-page depiction of blow job by given to adult by minor (consensuality questionable).

Mature Subject Matter:

Death, ethics, rape/sexual assault, sex, terminal illness.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Adults drink wine and alcohol; minors smoke weed (supplied by adult); minors drink beer and wine.