Book Review: Guitar Notes by Mary Amato

Hey, this is my first attempt at a book review… hopefully it goes well, haha. The book I chose to review today is Guitar Notes by Mary Amato. It’s a somewhat new book (published last year), so it might a little hard to find at a library. However, I really enjoyed this book, and I think it would totally be worth searching for if you’re interested.

Click the jump to read the review!

Summary:

Taken from the book’s website, www.thrumsociety.com

“On odd days, loner Tripp Broody uses a practice room to let loose on the guitar he’s borrowed from the school after his mom took his own away. One even days, Lyla Marks uses the same practice room. To Tripp, she’s trying to become even more perfect–she’s already a straight-A student and an award-winning cellist. But when Lyla begins leaving notes for him in between the strings of his guitar, his life intersects with hers in a way he never expected. Challenging each other to write songs, they begin to connect, even though circumstances threaten to tear them apart.”

What I would rate this book:

5/5 Stars

Who I would recommend this book for:

Pretty much anyone thirteen or older, however, I think younger kids might enjoy it as well. Also, if you’re a musician, you’ll probably like Guitar Notes even more (the back of the book has all of the chords and stuff for the songs in the book, and it centers a lot around music).

My Review:

I was in Barnes & Noble browsing the YA books, and I picked Guitar Notes up because I liked the cover. Yeah, I know, don’t judge a book by its cover and all that, but it’s pretty awesome. I read the blurb, and for some reason, it reminded me of “Dear Diary” (FM Static album), so I added it to my little list of books to read. I don’t know why I thought of that CD when read it over; maybe it was the notes that Lyla and Tripp write each other. Anyway, I got it from the library a few weeks later, and I could not put it down! I fell in love with Tripp and Lyla (Tripp is on my list of boys from books that I would date) and their friendship. I guess the best way to put it is that it felt very real to me. It wasn’t just like bam! they’re BFF’s, but they didn’t hate each other either. Sure, they had a few disagreements at first, but eventually, Tripp starts giving Lyla tips and they become friends.

There were a few things I didn’t like about this book though. One, it was just too short! I know that sounds really silly, but I after I was finished with it, I just wanted to read more! Like, what happened to Tripp and Lyla next? Two, the ending seemed really rushed. Like, there were probably three chapters dedicated to the resolution of the book. And third, this really has nothing to do with the book itself, but I really, really, really disliked Lyla’s “best friend,” Anna. This really isn’t against the book or the author, but I hated the way she treated Lyla. Without giving much away, she acts very controlling, like she’s in charge of what Lyla does, who she’s with, who she can’t  be with, etc. Those kinds of people get on my nerves.

But still, I love Guitar Notes to death. It’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, and it really made me feel good after reading it.

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So… that’s my little review. If you’ve read the book, don’t be afraid to tell me what you thought about it in the comments! And also, if you would tell me what you think of my review, so that I know for the future… that would be great. Talk to you guys again soon!