Heartbreak Symphony: review

Thank you NOVL for the review copy!

Laekan Zea Kemp is a writer living in Austin, Texas. She received her B.A. in Creative Writing from Texas Tech University and her M.F.A. in Teaching from the University of North Texas. She’s the author of the paranormal romance series, The Girl In Between, and the forthcoming young adult novel, Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet. When she’s not writing she’s religiously re-watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, reading anything by Melina Marchetta, and teaching English as a Second Language to the most amazing teenagers from all over the world.

Follow her on Twitter @LaekanZeaKemp

Title: Heartbreak Symphony

Author: Laekan Zar Kemp

Publisher: Little, Brown for Young Readers

Release date: April 2022

Page count: 368 pages

Genre: YA contemporary

Clap When You Land meets On the Come Up in this heart-gripping story about navigating first love and overcoming grief through the power of music.

Aarón Medrano has been haunted by the onstage persona of his favorite musician ever since his mother passed away. He seems to know all of Aarón’s deepest fears, like that his brain doesn’t work the way it should and that’s why his brother and father seems to be pushing him away. He thinks his ticket out is a scholarship to the prestigious Acadia School of Music. That is, if he can avoid blowing his audition.

Mia Villanueva has a haunting of her own and it’s the only family heirloom her parents left her: doubt. It’s the reason she can’t overcome her stage fright or believe that her music is worth making. Even though her trumpet teacher tells her she has a gift, she’s not sure if she’ll ever figure out how to use it or if she’s even deserving of it in the first place.

When Aarón and Mia cross paths, Aarón sees a chance to get close to the girl he’s had a crush on for years and to finally feel connected to someone since losing his mother. Mia sees a chance to hold herself accountable by making them both face their fears, and hopefully make their dreams come true. But soon they’ll realize there’s something much scarier than getting up on stage—falling in love with a broken heart.

B

This book was everything I expected! This book covers so much: mental health, racism, police brutality, and poverty...but the author navigates them in a realistic and raw way. This book will impact you in ways you never imagined. It will give you hope and will even make you sniffle a bit. I didn't sniffle, though. I full-on CRIED.

Barring my tear-filled face, I loved seeing Aaron and Mia grow and I rooted for them every step of the way. They both know loss very deeply. Aaron's mother died whereas Mia's mother left her family with an alcoholic father who eventually dies himself. Both deal with their losses through anxiety and hopelessness. I loved how the author put them together to not only share in their grief but to grow in hope and love.

This compelling and powerful story set before the theme of music will make you laugh and cry and I think everyone should read it. (I know I ask a lot of you)

TW: death, depression, grief, substance abuse.