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A review by kfriend
Rifts & Refrains by Devney Perry
4.0
Devney Perry never disappoints- but even so, Rifts and Refains was a surprise treat. I’m pretty convinced that Devney can take any trope and give it her magical touch- the captivating, sincere, emotional, and intimate storytelling that makes her books so emotionally resonant, and thoughtful and profound.
This novel is about rifts- the distance between people, the loss and pain that comes with estrangement, being alienated not only from loved ones and your home but also from your former self. Quinn, the sassy and edgy drummer of our central cast, the band Hush Notes, is a jaded loner. She hasn’t seen her family in almost a decade- but the death of her Nan, the only family member that she has not removed from her life, has passed, leaving her no choice but to go home to Montana for the first time since she left everyone behind to pursue her rockstar dream. But this means facing those that lovingly but misguidedly attempted to control her, those that judged her- her pastor father, her mother, her siblings, even the nieces and nephews she’s never met. And that means facing the childhood sweetheart that she left behind- the causality of her cutting the strings from her former life. The man still hurt and angry about their end.
The rift between this family is deep- and no break is one-sided. Everyone has wronged and been wronged, and the passage of time and Quinn’s alienation has only deepened wounds and amplified anger and pain. Some are bitter, some are remorseful, and all are conflicted-because no one is the same. Emotions are high, love is complicated, and Quinn still feels on the outside. Only now, she wants to stay there. But a week at home can change everything-including her confused and regretful feelings about her ex, Graham. Can they mend what has been broken? And what if the rift isn’t just with your family- but with parts of yourself- with your former identity? Can you reclaim any of your former self while also owning who you are in this moment? For Quinn and Graham that is their journey- repairing what is broken between them but also repairing the tiny breaks they’ve made in themselves over time.
Devey is such a moving writer- she has a gift in creating stories that are both accessible and emotionally complex. In part because she writes characters who are real- who are relatable and dynamic. In part because she so beautifully captures the emotional range of this story by focusing on those characters- the moments that matter to them, their connections with others. And that makes us FEEL it. We feel Quinn’s loneliness, her alienation and sadness, her family’s hesitancy and remorse, the longing and emotional tension between her and Graham. This story PULLS on your heart- because it is unapologetically intimate. This is a rockstar story, yet every moment in this story is quiet and personal. You feel such a profound connection to both the characters and the place- like you are smelling the Montana air or hearing the clicking of the ivory keys as Quinn composes. We are immersed in the emotional labyrinth of this family paralyzed by their own breaking, drowning in past pain and unresolved conflict, all while saying goodbye to the one person who kept them all connected.
Finding that connection- without their glue- that is this journey. Repairing the rifts. Finding the refrains, though forgiveness and love. But even that has a double meaning. On one hand, this is about finding your way back to someone you’ve lost, and also back to your full self. Replaying a melody that was once beautiful but that got lost, one that now has more meaning and surer notes, because you’re deeper into the song. And to do that, you have to refrain in a different way, too- refrain from falling into old patterns, refrain from falling into the traps that lead to the pain. For our entire cast of characters, it is hard and emotional, but restorative, to find their way home, with each other and with themselves. But the journey is magical, a beautiful and rewarding ballad- an emotional song full of hope and healing.
Series Note:
For those wondering, this can be read as a standalone. I did not read the first book, mostly because I did not realize it was a series since each book is by a different author- and it did not influence my enjoyment at all. That said, I suspect book one left us with some serious questions about Quinn, and the little taste I got of Jonas in this book has me one- clicking book one. I look forward to seeing just what Nixon’s story is all about.
This novel is about rifts- the distance between people, the loss and pain that comes with estrangement, being alienated not only from loved ones and your home but also from your former self. Quinn, the sassy and edgy drummer of our central cast, the band Hush Notes, is a jaded loner. She hasn’t seen her family in almost a decade- but the death of her Nan, the only family member that she has not removed from her life, has passed, leaving her no choice but to go home to Montana for the first time since she left everyone behind to pursue her rockstar dream. But this means facing those that lovingly but misguidedly attempted to control her, those that judged her- her pastor father, her mother, her siblings, even the nieces and nephews she’s never met. And that means facing the childhood sweetheart that she left behind- the causality of her cutting the strings from her former life. The man still hurt and angry about their end.
The rift between this family is deep- and no break is one-sided. Everyone has wronged and been wronged, and the passage of time and Quinn’s alienation has only deepened wounds and amplified anger and pain. Some are bitter, some are remorseful, and all are conflicted-because no one is the same. Emotions are high, love is complicated, and Quinn still feels on the outside. Only now, she wants to stay there. But a week at home can change everything-including her confused and regretful feelings about her ex, Graham. Can they mend what has been broken? And what if the rift isn’t just with your family- but with parts of yourself- with your former identity? Can you reclaim any of your former self while also owning who you are in this moment? For Quinn and Graham that is their journey- repairing what is broken between them but also repairing the tiny breaks they’ve made in themselves over time.
Devey is such a moving writer- she has a gift in creating stories that are both accessible and emotionally complex. In part because she writes characters who are real- who are relatable and dynamic. In part because she so beautifully captures the emotional range of this story by focusing on those characters- the moments that matter to them, their connections with others. And that makes us FEEL it. We feel Quinn’s loneliness, her alienation and sadness, her family’s hesitancy and remorse, the longing and emotional tension between her and Graham. This story PULLS on your heart- because it is unapologetically intimate. This is a rockstar story, yet every moment in this story is quiet and personal. You feel such a profound connection to both the characters and the place- like you are smelling the Montana air or hearing the clicking of the ivory keys as Quinn composes. We are immersed in the emotional labyrinth of this family paralyzed by their own breaking, drowning in past pain and unresolved conflict, all while saying goodbye to the one person who kept them all connected.
Finding that connection- without their glue- that is this journey. Repairing the rifts. Finding the refrains, though forgiveness and love. But even that has a double meaning. On one hand, this is about finding your way back to someone you’ve lost, and also back to your full self. Replaying a melody that was once beautiful but that got lost, one that now has more meaning and surer notes, because you’re deeper into the song. And to do that, you have to refrain in a different way, too- refrain from falling into old patterns, refrain from falling into the traps that lead to the pain. For our entire cast of characters, it is hard and emotional, but restorative, to find their way home, with each other and with themselves. But the journey is magical, a beautiful and rewarding ballad- an emotional song full of hope and healing.
Series Note:
For those wondering, this can be read as a standalone. I did not read the first book, mostly because I did not realize it was a series since each book is by a different author- and it did not influence my enjoyment at all. That said, I suspect book one left us with some serious questions about Quinn, and the little taste I got of Jonas in this book has me one- clicking book one. I look forward to seeing just what Nixon’s story is all about.