Liana wants to work in the music industry and has an internship at her workaholic father's record company, where she hopes to impress him and get a little more of his attention (something that has been missing since her mother died). When one attempt to impress him results in her sabotaging an up-and-coming band she knows, Lia can't bear to confess her mistake to her father. Instead, she focuses all her efforts into helping the band, Third Eye, get their own chance at success. But the more she fits into their friend group -- and feels an attraction to their leader, Skyler Moon -- the more she realizes that she's living on borrowed time before the truth comes out.

I've read Bhuiyan's previous work and really like how she weaves her stories for young adults, revealing the flaws and friction of the teenage years but providing hope for the future. Liana is a well-drawn character, determined to succeed but grappling with grief, anxiety, and depression on top of some less-than-stellar choices (which are likely influenced by her mental health struggles), and while she can be frustrating at times, she's someone the reader can easily empathize with. Her father is somewhat less developed in no way comes across as a stereotyped "Brown dad" or immigrant father -- there are references to other immigrant parents in the book to show that one person's behavior doesn't represent all immigrant parents. The boys in the band, even with their occasionally clashing personalities, demonstrate the power and beauty of male friendship.

Overall, it's a feel-good story about how we (teens mostly but all of us really) often have to reckon with difficult decisions, questionable choices, and challenging consequences -- and how leaning into honesty and care for one another will help us right our course. 4 stars.

CW: death of a parent (past), anxiety, depressive episodes, suicidal ideation

Thank you, Inkyard Press and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Liana Sarkar lives and breathes music, hoping to follow in the footsteps of her A&R coordinator father. Maybe if she succeeds, he’ll finally give her the time of day instead of drowning himself in work to distract from the grief of her mother’s passing.

When Liana accidentally sabotages an up-and-coming local band, Third Eye, she makes it her mission to steer them towards success—without them discovering her role in their setback. But as she gets closer to Third Eye, especially their enigmatic leader Skyler Moon, it becomes harder to hide the truth.

With both her heart and their futures on the line, will Liana be able to undo the damage she’s caused?