Newly orphaned, Jayne reads her father’s physics notebook to comfort herself. The journal is filled with private lectures and hand written theories. These writings mirror the darkly restrictive circumstances unfolding in Jayne’s life, but also foresee the chance encounter with Jonah, another science nerd who may guide her through her grief. Despite the punishing judgment inflicted by Aunt Pauline, a religious zealot and Jayne’s new guardian, Jayne believes the contents of her father’s journal provide secret messages for her, encouraging her and Jonah to enroll together in a science contest that takes place in New York City. Jayne and Jonah’s friendship grows as they begin to plan their escape, hoping to win prize money for proving the science of salvation. But is Jayne willing to betray the lessons in the journal when they no longer align with what she and Jonah ultimately intend to do? Only Jayne can decide if new love is worth the risk of losing her last connection to her Mom and Dad
Title: Songs From The Other Side
Author: Robyn Bernstein
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 254
My review
What a story this is! A heartwarming young-adult romantic drama. But, I must not tag this as a cliche romantic drama. It will be an injustice to the story and the beautiful storytelling efforts of the author. This tale is more about the depth of emotional bonds between parents and children.
Jayne is a newly orphaned teenager who is trying to find solace. She tries to find some peace by reading her father’s journal. A chance encounter with a fellow science nerd, Jonah opens a new realm of aspirations for her. Will she able to find hope and meaning, once again in her life?
Death is always an uninvited guest in our life. Its unexpected visit shatters our deep-seated bonds beyond repair. Grief is one of the hardest emotion to surpass. Especially when someone walks away without saying goodbye. Then the people who are left behind with the curse of memories has to find the answers to thousands of questions by themselves. Even then we can’t know anything for sure. The author has conveyed these raw emotions perfectly through words. It is not easy to pour these complex emotions into words. But we can clearly feel the pain Jayne is having, as we read through. This clearly shows the talent and craft of the author.
I really liked Jayne’s character. She finds her comfort in music and science. She shows maturity beyond her ages. Her hopeful outlook is one of the best element in the story. Because of that, I really loved the climax. I like the warriors who never bows to their circumstances. She is an ordinary character with extraordinary grit.
Every scene is scripted flawlessly. The author explains every minute detail with utmost clarity. Her vivid description paints the exact picture of every scene. She only introduces characters or their interactions after this description. Reading this tale is like watching a steady paced movie by frame-to-frame.
The strength of this story lies in its originality. The plot is really unique. We can easily relate to this story. But telling a relatable story without being overdramatic is another level of the game. The author has proved her abilities beyond doubts here.
Overall, this is a very well-written story. I highly recommend this one.
Rating:5/5
Purchase here: Amazon.com
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