A review by dlrosebyh
We Are the Song by Catherine Bakewell

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Firstly, I’d like to thank NetGalley and Holiday House for providing me an e-ARC of We are the Song in exchange of an honest review.

Fantasy books are either a hit or a miss; you'll either fall in love with them or despise them. That is, in the vast majority of cases. We Are the Song is surprisingly in the middle, however I'm leaning toward making it my entire personality. 

This book didn't get off to a great start. I became bored while reading this book, thus it took me a long time to finish it. However, after I got to the middle of the book, I was completely engrossed and couldn't put it down. I finished the second part of the book in one sitting.

As a result of my father's influence, I've always been a tremendous music enthusiast. That's what intrigued me to this novel in the first place. The title, the cover, and the summary all drew me in to read this book. Despite the fact that I didn't love it, I can confidently state that it did not disappoint. 

I found the main character to be really stereotypical. Despite the fact that she is like every other middle grade protagonist, I adored her. Then there's the typical betrayal trope. We Are the Song is a standard middle-grade story with a musical twist.

The literary style, like the theme, was wonderful. It was poetic, which pleased me because lyrical writing is difficult to master, especially when creating a middle school novel. 

In general, I like this book. I believe that fans of music, great writing, and the ideal balance of plot and character will enjoy this book. I also recommend this book to anyone who are new to fantasy because the world building isn't as difficult to follow.
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