Review: This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales
- Queenie
- Dec 26, 2015
- 2 min read
Title: This Song Will Save Your Life
Author: Leila Sales
Series: Standalone
Publication: September 17, 2013
Ratings: 3.5 Crowns
Summary: Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, This Song Will Save Your Life is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.
This was a book I wasn't sure what to rate it as. But I eventually settled on 3.0 crowns because while the story was remarkable, it still lacked a bit of something to it. I must warn readers, if you're looking for something happy and sappy, you're not going to find it in this book. This book is about struggling, suffering, and overcoming.
I don't think it was particularly funny too. There's nothing funny about bullying or suicide ideation. Nonetheless, I think it is a good story.
What this story did NOT lack was contemporary cruelty. We live in a time where people can certainly be cruel to one another, and not only involve threats of murder or war. There is cruelty but we see a different kind of cruelty in our daily modern world; it is different but it is still inhumane. Bullying. Peer pressure. The idea we should--are required--to conform to certain styles and aspects exists.
In this book, the main character struggles to conform. All she wants to blend in, but when her peers target her as easy entertainment, she gains their attention that she does not want. There were times where her reactions to events that happened to her felt very real to me, but in some cases, it felt too unbelievable.
Maybe the character was supposed to be painted as a person who does not know how to defend herself. And yes, all humans have a degree to which we cannot defend ourselves.
What I do enjoy about the plot is the main character's ability to find something she loves to do and that becomes the light at the end of the tunnel. It is inspiring and I do hope the audience absorbs at least that from the plot. No matter what happens to you, there's always something you love and enjoy and that is what can keep you going.
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