About the Book:
Does breaking free require breaking the rules?
Cassie Gilbert lives every day in the shadows of her deceased mom’s rebellion. But now that she’s seventeen, she finds herself longing to break away from her grandmother’s suffocating rules, experience what it’s like to be a regular teenager, and fulfill her songwriting dreams.
James Russo, former American Spotlight contestant, escapes to small town Willow Creek, SC hoping to flee from his tarnished past. When a school project pairs him with the shy principal’s granddaughter, he’s determined to get to know this Emily-Dickinson-obsessed and typewriter-using girl. His plan? Convince Cassie to co-write songs for his demo album.
As Cassie gets to know James over “project meetings” (more like opportunities to match her lyrics with his melodies), she becomes intrigued by his sense of adventure and contagious passion for music. But soon, his past becomes exposed. Cassie’s left to wonder—did she make the same mistake Mom did by falling for the bad boy?
Then, Grandma’s control pushes her over the edge. Cassie must choose between remaining in the chains of yesterday, or delving into her own freedom by completing the melody her mom left behind.
GENRE: Young Adult Fiction
PUBLISHER: Clean Reads
RELEASE DATE: November 10, 2016
PAGES: 253
My Thoughts:
“As long as there’s a tomorrow there will always be a reason to hope.”
Unwritten Melody is a sweet coming-of-age story that captures the ups and downs of being a teenager and ties them all together with a beautifully haunting backstory.
Cassie has all the typical teenage dreams and dreads, but she has the added “bonus” of being raised by her grandparents. She has a special bond with her grandfather, whom she calls “Dad”, but her grandmother takes overprotective to a whole new level. And while she longs to know more about her mother who died when Cassie was just a baby, no one will talk about her and no one will encourage the parts of Cassie’s personality that just might be like hers. With all the restrictions put on poor Cassie, she reminds me of a butterfly struggling to break free from its cocoon.
James is the next heartthrob music superstar on the rise, but for the moment he’s just trying to get past a serious case of writer’s block. He may have found a muse of sorts in Cassie when they’re forced together to work on a school project, and the friendship that develops between them – despite her grandmother’s rules – is really sweet to watch unfold. As romance eventually begins to blossom, the themes of this book also begin to truly shine.
Be who you were created to be. Find your passion and pursue it with your whole heart. And the theme that reminded me of this lyric from a Jason Gray song – “Secrets lose their power when they have no place to hide.”
Bottom Line: Unwritten Melody visits many topics that are important to today’s teens – and adults. From family dynamics to past regrets to underage drinking and drunk driving to suicidal thoughts. But it does so with a light touch and a gentle spirit, one that can safely open the door to discussions between friends or in families. The sweet romance between Cassie and James softens the teenage angst, and the nods to Emily Dickinson made this fan smile. There are some moments when you’ll want to keep a tissue box handy for a possible ugly cry or two, but overall this book is full of hope and inspiration.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)
My Rating: 4 stars / Great YA read!
KissingBook Level: 3 stars / May forget to breathe on occasion
Check out Unwritten Melody here.
Guest review contributed by Reading Is My Superpower. Peek at Top Ten Tuesday and Favorites Friday but also frequent author interviews/giveaways in a style of review that stands out from the rest.
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