This is a beautiful emotional middlegrade about a twelve-year-old violin prodigy with synesthesia. The way the author uses this to connect and homage the family is one of the most beautiful chapters I've read.

Sometimes middle-grade books are not just to help children cope with changes and how hard it is to be this age, sometimes they are the perfect tools for parents who micromanage or force a child down a path thinking they are doing the best for their children. These books become wonderful windows into both sides of the story and experience (child and parents' feelings and issues).

I love that Rosie is curious about herself as an individual but also curious about her family history, culture, and religion. Her growth as a person was very positive and inspiring.

Explores themes such as: what it means to be a good friend, identifying being selfish or not, connection with family (different generations), abandoning ego, self-centered perspective of the world, and acknowledging others as people with their pain or joy. Self-discovery, Jewish family, Holocaust memories, loss of a family member, learning to apologize at the right time. Being brave and honest. Synesthesia, classical music.

The best lesson here is compromise, a healthy balance, and mutual respect.

Thank you publisher and Netgalley for this e-ARC.

Twelve-year-old Rosie is a musical prodigy whose synesthesia allows her to see music in colors. Her mom has always pushed her to become a concert violinist, but this summer Rosie refuses to play, wanting a "normal" life

A beautiful an poignant middle-grade novel that is perfect for any kid who feels like they're too different from their peers. I may have cried a little toward the end.

A multilayered gem of a book about Rosie, a preteen violin prodigy with synesthesia, which lets her see music in colors. The author has the gift too and brings this form of neurodiversity to vivid life.

There is so much depth in THE COLOR OF SOUND: family secrets and conflict, the generational trauma of the Holocaust, what it means to truly connect, what it means to be oneself. Highly recommended for YA readers 11-14 and adults who love beautifully spun stories.