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nerolynnn's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
my main concern is how eva didn’t get tss or a uti
loved loved loved this book as an aussie teenager, also an easy read as it’s set over a weekend!
loved loved loved this book as an aussie teenager, also an easy read as it’s set over a weekend!
bournea's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
anfaal's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
thunderhead's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nishana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
one song follows four high school kids as work together they try to create the song that will win them the triple j unearthed high competition.
i picked this book up on a whim and i was pleasantly surprised. this book takes place over a few days in one house, which worked very well for the story. generally, when ya books take place over a short period of time, it ends up with what we know as "insta love" and overall generally unrealistic character development. this book, however, was perfect in its execution related to time. the confined sense of time and place made the story feel more intimate and less distracted. additionally, the characters already have established bonds prior to the beginning of the story, and the book simply expands on these and adds conflict.
i really enjoyed seeing the process of how these characters developed a song. all the conflict and later resolution that occurred all felt very natural given the context of the story. this made for a very engaging read.
there were, however, some things that i believe held this book back from reaching its full potential:
- the singular pov: the addition of an extra four povs from the other characters/band members could have benefited the story. for a story that felt like it was supposed to be about this entire group, it felt too focused on eva's perspective. this becomes especially apparent with the ending, which focuses on a conclusion for eva and neglects the others.
- similarly, whilst most of the story felt very focused on the relationships, this feels neglected right at the end, as most of eva's relationships are left unresolved. i understand the intention of an open-ending, but this instead feels like these bonds were just... forgotten.
- this one more is personal preference, but the constant references to the covid lockdowns felt like they could have been avoided.
that being said, this was a very fast and enjoyable read from an australian author! i highly look forward to reading a.j. betts future works
i picked this book up on a whim and i was pleasantly surprised. this book takes place over a few days in one house, which worked very well for the story. generally, when ya books take place over a short period of time, it ends up with what we know as "insta love" and overall generally unrealistic character development. this book, however, was perfect in its execution related to time. the confined sense of time and place made the story feel more intimate and less distracted. additionally, the characters already have established bonds prior to the beginning of the story, and the book simply expands on these and adds conflict.
i really enjoyed seeing the process of how these characters developed a song. all the conflict and later resolution that occurred all felt very natural given the context of the story. this made for a very engaging read.
there were, however, some things that i believe held this book back from reaching its full potential:
- the singular pov: the addition of an extra four povs from the other characters/band members could have benefited the story. for a story that felt like it was supposed to be about this entire group, it felt too focused on eva's perspective. this becomes especially apparent with the ending, which focuses on a conclusion for eva and neglects the others.
- similarly, whilst most of the story felt very focused on the relationships, this feels neglected right at the end, as most of eva's relationships are left unresolved. i understand the intention of an open-ending, but this instead feels like these bonds were just... forgotten.
- this one more is personal preference, but the constant references to the covid lockdowns felt like they could have been avoided.
that being said, this was a very fast and enjoyable read from an australian author! i highly look forward to reading a.j. betts future works
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
sergeom's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
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