A review by belles_bookshelves
Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly
3.0
With only 3 stars it may seem like I didn't like it very much, but that's not really the case. There were things that I just really didn't like. Or maybe the better word is that I didn't get.
Quick Overview: Drea and her mom have just moved from San Francisco to Bellingham, Washington to move in with her hard to please grandmother. Their first day there, a purple haired girl named Naomi from across the street talks to Drea and surprisingly seems to like her, despite the way she acts and her obsession with music and sound design. Drea has mild Apserger's and ADHD and because of that she doesn't have any friends. This is uncharted territory, as is the new guy Justin who thinks she's "interesting", and whom she does not understand. Drea is surprised to find that she not only has a friend, but two. But both Justin and Naomi aren't all that they seem.
Like I said there were certain aspects of the books that I liked. Like the music, but I guess I was expecting something different from this. The band doesn't play as big a role as I'd thought and neither does the Asperger's. Sometimes I didn't even remember that Drea had anything because she acts and thinks so normal. Just blunt and rude, and really who hasn't met someone like that? Justin is really sweet, although maybe a bit too good to be true, even with the "secret". Hopefully this isn't spoiling anything, but the relationship was a bit weird. It doesn't make sense that Drea has never even been kissed then all of a sudden she is in a serious relationship. Just too big of a jump. Plus, because of the way she acts sometimes I imagine her being younger, which makes it even stranger. Naomi was nice and funny (sometimes) but she still made me want to pound her head in. First off she's always doing things and saying pervy jokes to try and embarrass Drea. Maybe I'm being a prude but I got enough of the sex jokes riding the bus all through middle school AND high school. I've paid my dues. It could also be the fact that Naomi reminded me of someone I used to know, and just like then I'm totally frustrated, angry, and confused by her decisions.
Despite all that though I thought the writing was done well. Drea's voice was authentic and easy to read. Even though she has Asperger's you can really relate to a lot of the things that confuse her about how people act. I also thought it was pretty cool that I actually knew what a didgeridoo was and that I knew some of the bands she mentioned. Although I'm not sure how much credit I should give myself since I'm pretty sure everyone and their dog knows Snow Patrol and Bjork, but moving on. Although the characters are admittedly a bit stereotyped, they are given good dimension throughout most of the book. The grandmother although having a huge stick up her butt, was also funny and strangely lovable.
So like I said, I thought the writing was done well although I think the description of the book is a bit misleading since the band isn't given much attention and the Asperger's sometimes gets lost in the story. It seems more a story about friendship and acceptance than anything else. Okay, I'm going to be motherly for just a second here, but I should warn unsuspecting readers that there is sexual content, drug use, and some cussing. If that doesn't bother you and it still sounds interesting than I think it's definitely worth giving a shot. This just isn’t what I typically read.
Quick Overview: Drea and her mom have just moved from San Francisco to Bellingham, Washington to move in with her hard to please grandmother. Their first day there, a purple haired girl named Naomi from across the street talks to Drea and surprisingly seems to like her, despite the way she acts and her obsession with music and sound design. Drea has mild Apserger's and ADHD and because of that she doesn't have any friends. This is uncharted territory, as is the new guy Justin who thinks she's "interesting", and whom she does not understand. Drea is surprised to find that she not only has a friend, but two. But both Justin and Naomi aren't all that they seem.
Like I said there were certain aspects of the books that I liked. Like the music, but I guess I was expecting something different from this. The band doesn't play as big a role as I'd thought and neither does the Asperger's. Sometimes I didn't even remember that Drea had anything because she acts and thinks so normal. Just blunt and rude, and really who hasn't met someone like that? Justin is really sweet, although maybe a bit too good to be true, even with the "secret". Hopefully this isn't spoiling anything, but the relationship was a bit weird. It doesn't make sense that Drea has never even been kissed then all of a sudden she is in a serious relationship. Just too big of a jump. Plus, because of the way she acts sometimes I imagine her being younger, which makes it even stranger. Naomi was nice and funny (sometimes) but she still made me want to pound her head in. First off she's always doing things and saying pervy jokes to try and embarrass Drea. Maybe I'm being a prude but I got enough of the sex jokes riding the bus all through middle school AND high school. I've paid my dues. It could also be the fact that Naomi reminded me of someone I used to know, and just like then I'm totally frustrated, angry, and confused by her decisions.
Despite all that though I thought the writing was done well. Drea's voice was authentic and easy to read. Even though she has Asperger's you can really relate to a lot of the things that confuse her about how people act. I also thought it was pretty cool that I actually knew what a didgeridoo was and that I knew some of the bands she mentioned. Although I'm not sure how much credit I should give myself since I'm pretty sure everyone and their dog knows Snow Patrol and Bjork, but moving on. Although the characters are admittedly a bit stereotyped, they are given good dimension throughout most of the book. The grandmother although having a huge stick up her butt, was also funny and strangely lovable.
So like I said, I thought the writing was done well although I think the description of the book is a bit misleading since the band isn't given much attention and the Asperger's sometimes gets lost in the story. It seems more a story about friendship and acceptance than anything else. Okay, I'm going to be motherly for just a second here, but I should warn unsuspecting readers that there is sexual content, drug use, and some cussing. If that doesn't bother you and it still sounds interesting than I think it's definitely worth giving a shot. This just isn’t what I typically read.