Sara Zarr is an acclaimed author of YA novels, with her debut, Story of a Girl, an American National Book Award Finalist. She is also a two-time Utah Book Award winner and her books have made the annual best books lists of the American Library Association, Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly, School Library Journal, the International Reading Association, the New York Public Library and Los Angeles Public Library, and have been translated into many languages. Raised in San Francisco, she currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband.
...beautifully and sensitively drawn.
*The Lancashire Evening Post*
A sensitive and gripping story of love, music and family.
*So Little Time for Books blog*
It would have been easy for Zarr to fall into the trap of painting
a picture full of the details of a musical career, convincing
enough but unappealing. Instead she gives the reader just such a
detailed picture, but also... a convincing and three-dimensional
presentation of Lucy, depicting the complex elements of her
relationships with her family, her friends and her tutors.
*Books for Keeps*
Lucy’s quest for authentic self-expression balanced with humility
and an awareness of other people’s needs and points of view is one
that should resonate with all teens.
*Carousel*
Lucy's San Francisco family want her to be an international piano
star – until she refuses to continue, at which point their
attention switches to her younger brother. High spots include the
relationship between the family and the new piano teacher, and
Lucy's mother eventually finding the strength to support her.
*The Independent on Sunday*
Poignantly tackles the themes of grief, passion, relationships and
music.
*Yateley News and Mail*
Gr 8 Up-When 16-year-old Lucy walked out of a concert in Prague two years earlier, following a devastating discovery, her grandfather and mother abandoned their dreams of her career as a pianist. With Lucy's younger brother, Gus, now the rising star of the family, she must adjust to life as an average high school student. But the arrival of Will Devi, Gus's new piano tutor, inspires Lucy to reexamine herself and challenge her family's assumption that she lacks devotion to her craft. Though self-possessed and intelligent, Lucy is often an impulsive and uncertain protagonist, which makes her an at times frustrating but always realistic adolescent with whom readers will readily identify. Adult characters receive an equally rich treatment; Lucy's cold, dominating grandfather in particular reveals a softer side that keeps him from verging on cliche. The novel's measured plotting, which includes brief flashbacks to Lucy's previous life, effectively conveys both the rigorous discipline and joy that defined her commitment to music. The quiet, restrained prose is well suited for this thoughtful story about the struggle to find one's voice. Exploring relationships is where Zarr soars; in addition to Lucy's difficult rapport with her overbearing mother and stern grandfather, she must also cope with Gus's anger and jealousy as Will's interest in her career grows, her increasingly strained friendships, and her complicated feelings for Will himself. This strong coming-of-age story about music, passion, and the search for identity will appeal to longtime fans of Zarr's work and newcomers alike.-Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
...beautifully and sensitively drawn. * The Lancashire Evening Post
*
A sensitive and gripping story of love, music and family. * So
Little Time for Books blog *
It would have been easy for Zarr to fall into the trap of painting
a picture full of the details of a musical career, convincing
enough but unappealing. Instead she gives the reader just such a
detailed picture, but also... a convincing and three-dimensional
presentation of Lucy, depicting the complex elements of her
relationships with her family, her friends and her tutors. * Books
for Keeps *
Lucy's quest for authentic self-expression balanced with humility
and an awareness of other people's needs and points of view is one
that should resonate with all teens. * Carousel *
Lucy's San Francisco family want her to be an international piano
star - until she refuses to continue, at which point their
attention switches to her younger brother. High spots include the
relationship between the family and the new piano teacher, and
Lucy's mother eventually finding the strength to support her. * The
Independent on Sunday *
Poignantly tackles the themes of grief, passion, relationships and
music. * Yateley News and Mail *
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