I always forget how much I love a novel in verse. There’s something truly amazing about finding a way to tell an entire story saturated with emotions in so few words. This book took me to tears so many times, both with its tragedy and its beauty.

The descriptions of Claire playing the piano and composing her piece for the contest were so vivid I felt like I heard the music. Her heartache watching her brothers and knowing what their future holds hit me hard every time. The characters, especially Claire and her two best friends, felt real and full in every scene.

I didn’t expect to be as blown away by this book as I am. I want to read it a second time. I want to tell so many people about it. I love that it’s a fantastic story but also that it raises awareness of a disorder that affects real kids.
If you liked Solo by Kwame Alexander, the family issues and Claire’s courage may remind you of that story. If you’re a fan of novels in verse or moving contemporary fiction, definitely check this one out!

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Claire is a 14 year old high school freshmen who loves creating music very deeply. She enters a prestigious competition for an original composition and is competing against her best friend Juan that she may like as more than just a friend.

Claire's world, however, comes to a halt when her younger brother is diagnosed with a genetic disease known as Batten's Disease which prompts the rest of the family to get tested as well, only to discover that Claire's other younger brother has the disease as well and Claire is only a carrier.

The book, told in verse, speaks into the emotions of the situations where Claire knows that she will be the one left behind and the emotions that go along with that.

While the story itself is a beautiful one, there are times where the verse falls a bit short and reads more like dialogue put into verse form. Additionally, some of the text speak that is used in this book is so obscure that the intended audience won't even know what the characters are trying to say.

However, this is a good read.