A Thousand Perfect Notes (REVIEW)

A Thousand Perfect Notes by C.G. Drews

Rating: 5/5

Yes. That’s right. I’m sticking with 5/5 because this book actually made me cry. Like, I tried to contain it and felt teary eyes but dang it, near the end I couldn’t even stop. I was reading with tears streaming down my face while I simultaneously laughed and cried and it was GLORIOUS. I’m just going to point out that this is the only book so far in 2018 that I have rated 5/5. ONLY. ONE. (I looked back and double checked just to be sure.)

In this debut novel, a boy named Beck Keverich is forced to play the piano for his mother (The Maestro). He loves music, but he also hates it because… well, if you were forced to play 24/7 by an evil witch of a mother, you wouldn’t want to play either. It’s a beautiful and tragic story about a boy learning to believe in himself with the help of a friend.

I loved the way this story was written. Usually, with contemporary YA it takes me a second to get acquainted with a writer’s style and characterizations. This felt comfortable and familiar. It felt like the inner monologue that goes through my own head. It wasn’t too childish and it wasn’t too strained. It was simple and fun to read.

I fell in love with Beck the moment the book started. Actually, I fell in love with all three of them as soon as I was introduced to them. Joey, Beck’s little sister, is adorable and hilarious and totally foul-mouthed. It was just so fun to read her interactions with her brother and August. August is absolutely amazing and so kind and perfect I just really love these kids, okay? Like I don’t even know how to explain them properly without ruining the experience and the story so I’m just going to leave it here. They’re all amazing and in desperate need of hugs please love them.

Also, I just really want to see all the fanart for these characters because like, imagining them with their wild hair just made me think that If I could draw I would totally want to draw them. (If you need suggestions for what scenes, hmu I will name literally every scene, but at least you’ll have prompts haha)

The story itself is just heartbreaking and beautiful (as I’ve said multiple times already). My heart broke every time The Maestro spoke to Beck. My heart broke every time Beck doubted himself because he still wanted his mother’s approval (because HE IS JUST A CHILD STOP HURTING HIM). My heart warmed every time August helped him and just wanted to be his friend, and didn’t back down even when he pushed her away. Or how she didn’t push him to say anything he didn’t want to. She was just there. (Excuse me, I’m crying again)

The thing about books with music is trying to find a way for non-musical people (aka: me. I don’t know how to read music, and don’t really know much about it except you know… that I love it) to understand the music without getting super technical. And though this novel wasn’t really about the technicalities of music or anything, it described music so beautifully. It described the way it is supposed to make you feel. And when told in Beck’s perspective it’s just gorgeous. There’s one scene in particular where the imagery really got me. “…His heart breaks and skids across the universe the diamond beams of starlight…” I mean, I can’t put the whol quote because that scene would spoil you but I mean, that imagery is so vivid and pretty and when you read this part with the whole scene, you’ll see why I totally cried.

I would recommend this book to ANYONE AND EVERYONE WHO HAS A HEART OKAY? Fans of contemporary, YA novels. If you like reading about love and friendship and music, this book is definitely for you. If you like having your heart shattered into a thousand pieces, this is most definitely for you.

 

P.S. This book is about abuse (so if you’re triggered by that, here’s a little heads up).

 

Parts that made me cry:

End of Chapter 8. End of Chapter 13. And basically from there on out I was trying to contain tears until that scene with the quote above. Because that part tore me apart!