The Tunes of Lenore is a very unique story that takes place a in California few decades in the future. Things aren't too different, but America has two presidents, global warming has seriously affected the environment, and technology has made some amazing advances, including genetically engineering dogs to make them smarter and able to communicate on a whole different level.

Ella and her mom and Ella's very special dog, Jenny are headed to a new type of boarding school called Wandering Pines. Ella has been in trouble in school, with her boyfriend and with her family. Her parents are splitting up - Mom spends to much time in her art studio with her artist friends and Dad is developing a new type of marijuana called "Enlightenment" that is a miracle cure for addiction and small mindedness. Of course Ella snuck in and sampled some and now she's headed out to the wilderness of California to a new school that will challenge her and get her back on track. The only upside is that Ella can bring her dog, Jenny, who communicates with Ella by sending her smell signals and pictures of different classical paintings that convey her thoughts.

School ends up being pretty cool. Her roommate Kerri, and the other students are awesome and Jenny gets along great with the other dogs. Ella finds a boyfriend in Peter, the teachers are kind and interesting and her junior project in the garden could have a genuine effect on agriculture and disappearing natural resources. Jenny loves Branden's dog Max and Ella soon suspects that Max has abilities like Jenny.

Ella brought her prized possession with her - a unique violin bequeathed to her by her grandfather on his deathbed. Playing Lenore soothes Ella, but she's reluctant to share her talent with the other folks at Whispering Pines.

Throughout Ella;s Junior year, as we meet the other students and teachers, J.T. Blossom presents a variety of philosophies on life and the state of the world. Nothing is forced or too confrontational but presented as part of the tale. I really enjoyed the story and Blossom's use of the paintings as part of Jenny's communication was engaging. Middle and High School aged kids would love this book. There are some frank discussions about sex and the teens sneak around with each other, but nothing is too graphic or offensive. This is a great addition to your library and perfect for kids who are tired of the same old stories and plot-lines. The author's bio mentions that there is a prequel and a sequel coming soon - I look forward to reading them!!

This review first published on Oh Just Books.

The Tunes of Lenore is a beautiful book encompassing music, physics, dogs, ecology, farming, ranches, mechanics, nature, boarding school, sustainable living, farming, biology, research, and literature. It is a beautifully written book and one that I really enjoyed reading, and I'm sure you would too.

It is set in the not-too-distant future, and environmental protection and ecology make up an important part of the story. Almost like it is an important character itself. The titular Lenore is a fiddle owned by Ella Bradley, our wonderful protagonist. She is a wonderful human being with goodness in her heart. If you think she's just another sulky teenager at the outset, you'll realise once Jenny (her dog) and Lenore (the aforementioned fiddle) come up in the story that Ella is anything but a regular teenager. You will come to like her even more as you read more of this book. Jenny is a very special dog, and I don't want to talk more about it because it's best if you read and see for yourself. The pictures in this book are beautiful too. It adds another dimension to the story and is a unique concept.

What I really appreciated was that even though Ella had such wonderful gifts, she still was not shown as a perfect specimen of adolescence. She had a well developed character arc and grew as a person through the progress of the book. She still had her moods and flaws and foibles and moments of insecurity, making her quite relatable to any teens reading this book.

*A review copy was provided to Oh Just Books by the author in exchange for an honest review*

Read the rest of the review here - https://ohjustbooks.blogspot.com/2019/03/review-tunes-of-lenore-by-jt-blossom.html

The Tunes of Lenore is a fascinating look at the near future from the perspective of a young high school student who is sent to a rustic boarding school in rural California. It explores survival and getting along as well as climate issues, animal rights and care issues, population and natural resources. Ella, our protagonist, brings her dog, Jenny, and her violin or fiddle, Lenore, to the school with her. Each is special in their own way, and are important to the development of the story. The writing and story telling grabbed me from page one and I finished it in less than a day. Excellent read that I will remember. I will definitely be looking for other books by J.T. Blossom!

The Tunes of Lenore is a very ambitious book set in the future that delivered well. In this novel, we get to see our protagonist, Ella, adapt to a new surrounding, make new friends and take on more responsibility. We also get to see how insightful Lenore, her fiddle is and get to know her adorable and witty Golden Retriever companion, Jenny.

Ella starts out to be like any teenager these days– critical and curious. As she adjusts to her new school and living situation, she also reshapes how she sees the world. She used to be the type of teenager who takes in whatever she sees at first glance but through the help of her friends, family, Lenore & Jenny, she deals with her problems differently.

This book is a great read. It's such a fresh take for coming-of-age literary fiction novels. I definitely recommend for people who like to read books that are interesting but revolutionary at the same time.

I thought this book was kind of odd. Ella is a California high school junior sent to a boarding school by her parents because they need time to work out their problems. The school is very rustic where the few students that there are have to do all sorts of chores like gardening, chopping/getting wood to heat water for the showers and their rooms (which are not heated--neither is the water). It is a school where they have classes but much of the curriculum is outdoors--the kids live in cabins with their pets and there is little supervision. At first Ella thinks it is weird but the longer she is there the more she fits in. She plays her old fiddle, Lenore, as an escape which help her think and her dog is also very helpful and soothing. She deals with a lot of normal adolescent issues like her boyfriend, her roommate, school projects (about urine) and some not normal like unwanted attention from a teacher and her family issues. She matures and deals with them as an adult, slowly as the story progresses. Throughout the book, there are pictures scattered of things that Ella thinks and encounters which is kind of different and a little weird (some of the pictures too). Also in this book everyone is wearing/using PHONEGLASSES. What are those? I have never heard of them. Maybe they are a California thing and not in the midwest yet? The writing is decent but kind of choppy. Good if you are looking for something different--a quick, interesting read. Thanks to NG for the ARC!

An engaging and well written novel that will make you root for the characters, move and enjoy their story.
I liked the style of writing and the characters.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

This book does a beautiful job transitioning its readers from today to a not-so-distant future. It allows the reader to relate to this time period by having the main character be sent to a school that doesn't have the kids constantly interacting with the technology of the future, but doing many different hands-on experiences on a ranch. There are many numerous issues addressed, including teen pregnancy, neglected animals, sustainable resources, teacher-student relationships, and independence. Interwoven with these are the mystical abilities that 2 of the dogs have (one communicates by smells and sending a picture of paintings to the human eye, while the other can control the actions of other animals) and the magic of the music from the fiddle named Lenore. Though it seems disjointed in different parts, the story descriptions and music/artistry weaved throughout will keep you reading until the end.

I absolutely loved this book! This is 100% unlike anything I've ever read before. I felt peaceful inside while reading it and also afterwards. We follow the story of Ella who is 16 and being shipped of to boarding school. It's a unique school out in the boonies with gardens and farm animals and a really laid back hands on setting. She gets to bring her dog with her and her dog Jenny was a former lab dog and has special abilities like sending scents and visual pictures to Ella. And she also has a very special fiddle she calls Lenore that was gifted to her from her grandfather. She learns how to heat her bathwater with chopped wood, has a crush on a fellow student, is trying to research ways to use urine on lettuce to help it grow and many other interesting things along the way. I really really liked her and I even cried at the end of the book! I heard that there will be a second book and I really hope it's true because she was so interesting and I don't want to leave her just yet. Thank you so much #Netgalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This is my favorite book of the year so far!

This book is like nothing I’ve read before. It was different & interesting; overall a good read. It dealt with many different issues that are very relatable today, though the book is set a bit in the future.
The characters are relatable & like able. You’re cheering on the main character, Ella, & you want her to do well & succeed through the book. You could tell that the relationship with the first guy she likes at the new school isn’t going to work out & that Brandon is more fitted & where the relationships were going.
And I’m a big dog person, so I was rooting for Jenny & Max.
There were some parts where I wasn’t really sure what was going on & then the writer would get back on track. I liked how it ended. But I would like to know what happened to everyone & the animals.

Good summer read for teens. It was a fairly quick and easy read. Maybe a good one for a day at the beach or while on vacation.