Review: The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr

Title: The Lucy Variations

Author: Sara Zarr
Publisher: Little, Brown BYR
Release date: January 1st 2013
Pages: 336
Genre: Young Adult contemporary
Source: BEA 2014
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Lucy Beck-Moreau once had a promising future as a concert pianist. Now, at sixteen, it's over. A death, and a betrayal, led her to walk away. But without music in her life, Lucy's not sure who she is, or who she wants to be. Then she meets Will, her brother's new piano teacher, who is young, kind, and interested in helping Lucy find her way back to piano-not for an audience, but on her own terms.

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

It's no secret I love Sara Zarr. She is one of my favorite writers, and Sweethearts is one of my all-time favorite books. And while I definitely saw some of the things I loved about Sara Zarr's previous books in this one, I just didn't connect with The Lucy Variations as much as I wanted to.

Honestly, a large part of why I didn't connect with The Lucy Variations as much as I did with Sara Zarr's previous books is the third-person narration. Sara Zarr is a master at creating relatable protagonists whose heads you enjoy being in, and I just don't think it worked as well in the third person as it does in the first-person narrations she has previously used. I liked Lucy's character, but it was a lot harder to connect with her than it was for me to care about Sara Zarr's previous main characters. Somehow, the third-person POV made some parts of the narrative just sound kind of awkward: parts sounded more like the narrator was summarizing events, rather than actually showing us what was happening. And since Sara Zarr's writing is what I usually like best about her books, I had a hard time with The Lucy Variations, where I didn't find the writing to be quite as strong.

Another issue I had was the pacing - it was really hard for me to get invested in the plot. This might just have been because I started the book at a busy time in the semester, so I couldn't read through it all as fast as I usually do, but I just didn't have that need to pick up the book whenever I could. I know this is a character-driven story, but the plot was so slow that I just got kind of bored at times. I think the pacing could have been more balanced over the course of the novel: very little happens for the first 250 pages or so, and then all the action towards the ending feels rushed in comparison.

The secondary characters are okay. I thought the family set-up was really interesting, with the pressure originating from an overbearing grandparent rather than parent. But at times, Lucy's family just felt a bit too one-dimensional, and it felt like they just kept saying the same things over and over again.

One thing I did really enjoy is Lucy's relationship with Will - not because I wanted them to be together, but because I thought that this added an interesting dynamic to Lucy's character. I also really enjoyed the ending, and I appreciate that Sara Zarr went with an empowered, independent development for Lucy's character, rather than going to standard romantic route.

I feel like most of my review is negative, but I did enjoy The Lucy Variations - I really liked the idea, and Sara Zarr does handle the development of Lucy's character arc over the course of the story really well. But because I had such high expectations from Sara Zarr, one of my favorite writers, I was disappointed that The Lucy Variations didn't quite live up to some of her earlier novels.

Review: Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando

Title: Roomies
Authors: Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release date: December 24th 2013
Pages: 288
Genre: Young Adult contemporary
Source: BEA - I received a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!
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When East Coast native Elizabeth receives her freshman-year roommate assignment, she shoots off an e-mail to coordinate the basics: television, microwave, mini-fridge. That first note to San Franciscan Lauren sparks a series of e-mails that alters the landscape of each girl's summer -- and raises questions about how two girls who are so different will ever share a dorm room.
As the countdown to college begins, life at home becomes increasingly complex. With family relationships and childhood friendships strained by change, it suddenly seems that the only people Elizabeth and Lauren can rely on are the complicated new boys in their lives . . . and each other. Even though they've never met.

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Sara Zarr is one of my favorite authors, and I've been wanting to read a Tara Altebrando book for a while, so I was really excited when I heard about this collaboration. Add to that the topic - going away to college, a more mature YA read, and I knew I had to read it! But while Roomies is a fun read, I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed as well.

I already knew I loved Sara Zarr's writing, and I liked Tara Altebrando's style too. (Does anyone know who wrote which parts?) The writing is easy to get lost in and reads quickly, balancing fun, breezy scenes with more meaningful, insightful ones perfectly.

The characters are okay: both Elizabeth and Lauren are easy to relate to and fun to read about. I was surprised, though, by how similar the two narrators are: They're supposed to be really different, but aside from the outside circumstances, they seemed pretty similar. It was hard for me to remember whose POV I was reading from, asides from the outside circumstances, because their ways of thinking are just really similar. I'm not sure whether that's a good thing: oftentimes with multiple POVs, authors try to make their characters seem too different and the characterization ends up overdramatic and cliched, which I'm glad is not the case in Roomies. But I sill wish there had been some more smaller things two distinguish the two characters.

I'm not sure what to make of the plot, either. I liked Lauren's and Elizabeth's separate storylines, reading about their contrasting family lives and both girls' complicated romantic involvements. Both stories develop very naturally and were interesting to read about. Surprisingly, though, the part I didn't like as much was the mutual going-away-to-college theme. I love the idea of this theme, but it was a little too melodramatic for me. Both characters just make too big a deal out of leaving home. I know that just because things like that are not a big deal too me because I just kind of do things without worrying about them, that doesn't mean everyone else does, too, but the drama was just too much for me.

Roomies is an entertaining read. It's light-hearted, fun, and quick to read. But to me, it just felt like something was missing; it seemed too typical to me. Maybe I was simply underwhelmed because I expect more than "good" from Sara Zarr. Still, it's an entertaining read, and I will be checking out Tara Altebrando's other books because I really enjoyed the writing style.

Review: How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

Title: How to Save a Life
Author: Sara Zarr
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release date: October 30th 2012
Pages: 341
Genre: Contemporary YA
Source: Bough
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Jill MacSweeney just wants everything to go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she's been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends--everyone who wants to support her. You can't lose one family member and simply replace him with a new one, and when her mom decides to adopt a baby, that's exactly what it feels like she's trying to do. And that's decidedly not normal. With her world crumbling around her, can Jill come to embrace a new member of the family?
Mandy Kalinowski knows what it's like to grow up unwanted--to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, she knows she wants a better life for her baby. But can giving up a child be as easy as it seems? And will she ever be able to find someone to care for her, too?

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Sara Zarr is one of my all-time favorite authors, and How to Save a Life proved to me once again why. It's so full of emotions, equal parts love and tragedy. It's real, honest, and beautiful, and I loved it.

What's best about this book are, of course, the characters. Neither Jill nor Mandy are easy to like, but that's because they're real - we are right inside their heads, and like with real people, we don't always like what we see. Jill is - she's a bitch, it's that simple. She has amazing people in her life, but she's angry, and she's treating everyone who's trying to help her like crap. There were so many scenes where I just wanted to slap her, but in the end, I did grow to love her. Ever since her dad's died, she's been angry and insecure, lashing out at everyone around her. But once her vulnerability started to show, I wanted to take her into my arms and never let her go.

Mandy is a character completely different from Jill; Sara Zarr did a great job distinguishing these two voices from one another. Mandy is unlike any character I've ever read about; I don't even know how to describe. She's naive, innocent, and vulnerable in a way that made me simultaneously want to cry at the horror of what she's been through, slap everyone that hasn't been there for her, and - like with Jill - take her into my arms and never let her go. There is something about her innocent way of seeing the world that is both heartbreaking and beautiful.

I love how much How to Save a Life focuses on family - I always appreciate when the rare YA book addresses that. But this novel isn't just about family in the biological sense; in the author's note, Sara Zarr talks about the recurring theme in her books of family made up of the people you choose to be close to, and it's apparent in How to Save a Life that she succeeded in communicating this message. I love the way the characters grow together in this novel; the way the relationships develop is honest and real, and it's simply beautiful to read about. Especially the ending made me want to laugh and cry and just live, all at the same time. How to Save a Life just made a complete mess of my emotions.

I don't even know what to say; this is simply an amazing book. Evocative in really any emotion you could think of, with simple but stark writing and rich and unique characterization, How to Save a Life is a new favorite of mine. I can't recommend it enough.

Review: Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

Title: Sweethearts
Author: Sara Zarr
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Pages: 224
Release date: February 1st 2008
Genre: Contemporary YA
Source: Bought at The Book Depository
Find out more: Amazon ; Goodreads

As children, Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick were both social outcasts. They were also each other's only friend. So when Cameron disappeared without warning, Jennifer thought she'd lost the one person who would ever understand her. Now in high school, Jennifer has been transformed. Known as Jenna, she is popular, happy, and dating—everything "Jennifer" couldn't be. But she still can't shake the memory of her long-lost friend.
When Cameron suddenly reappears, they both are confronted with memories of their shared past and the drastically different paths their lives have taken.

First sentence:

A dripping faucet.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Wow. I really enjoyed Once Was Lost and Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr, but this one blew my mind. There are so many beautiful messages in this book, so many emotions it evoked, I don't even know where to start. The description sounds only okay, at least for me, and I probably wouldn't even have read it had I not previously read a Sara Zarr novel. But it's so much more than the synopsis tells you. I don't even know how to explain it, it's just more.

The writing is great, like in Once Was Lost and Story of a Girl. Beautiful and vivid, it creates such a rich atmosphere, sad and beautiful and hopeful at the same time.

I loved the characters in this novel. Jenna is such a relatable character, so complex and dynamic. So is Cameron, but both are still utterly realistic characters. Their relationship is... I don't even know how to describe it - I don't think any word could do that relationship justice. Their bond is stronger than any relationship I've read about, as far as I can remember. Since this story is about Jenna and Cameron, the other characters aren't as fully-developed, but they're still realistic and easy to imagine. I especially like Alan's character.

Generally, I do not like preachy books, but I still want novels to have some kind of message. That's really hard to balance, but Sara Zarr does so perfectly. So many serious topics (child abuse, bullying,...) are addressed, and the story sends such subtle messages just by showing what Cameron and Jennifer have been through, without becoming a preachy "issue book".

What I loved most about Sweethearts are the emotions it evoked in me. No, it's not the most tragic story I've read, but there's just something about the writing and the depiction of raw emotion that had me feeling every single thing Jenna felt. Especially the scenes written from a young, innocent Jennifer's point of view are heartbreaking. I bawled while reading the last 20 pages or so, even though it's not really a sad ending - it's actually pretty hopeful. But there's just something so heartbreaking about Jenna's and Cameron's story, I was crying so hard I couldn't see the letters anymore by the end of it.

My one problem with Sweethearts (and this is really just a teeny-tiny problem) is how often Jenna talked about how much homework she has. Yeah, that's part of teenage life, but it's not exactly something interesting to read about, so it annoyed me how often that's mentioned. But like I said, that's petty and probably the smallest problem I've ever had with a book, not even really worth mentioning.

Obviously, I highly recommend Sweethearts! I loved all of Sara Zarr's novels, but this one is my new favorite. An absolutlely fantastic book - with great writing and characters, and evoking amazing emotions. Everything about Sweethearts is simply beautiful.

Review: Story of a Girl

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr
(Amazon / Goodreads)

Goodreads description:

When she is caught in the backseat of a car with her older brother's best friend - Deanna Lambert's teenage life is changed forever. Struggling to overcome the lasting repercussions and the stifling role of "school slut," she longs to escape a life defined by her past. With subtle grace, complicated wisdom and striking emotion, The Story of a Girl reminds us of our human capacity for resilience, epiphany and redemption.

First sentence: I was thirteen when my dad caught me with Tommy Webber, in the back of Tommy's Buick, parked next to the old Chart House down in Montara at eleven o'clock on a Tuesday night.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I loved Sara Zarr's writing in Once Was Lost (review), and was not disappointed by Story of a Girl. Her writing is great and vivid - I could imagine myself there with Deanna perfectly.

The characters are what I liked best about this novel. Even though Deanna's not really a character I have all that much in common with and would have thought is hard to understand, with the "school slut"- thing and all, she was easy to relate to from the first page on. I understood all of her feelings, and while I wanted to shake her at times for the stupid things she does (especially how she treats her friend, Lee), I always understood why she did those things and could therefore still relate to her.

The supporting characters are great as well. All of them are complex and fully-developed, as well as their relationships. The side-plots added a lot to the story, like Deanne's dysfunctional family. Her dad, who caught Deanna with Tommy and now gives Deanne the feeling he resents her, and his relationship with Deanne showed a lot about Deanne as a character. I enjoyed Darren and Stacy's storyline as well. Darren, Deanne's older brother, got Stacy pregnant, and now they're living with Deanne and her parents. I enjoyed reading how their fighting and forgiving each other affected Deanne's own decisions. The whole storyline with Jacob and Lee made me feel for Deanne, too. Deanne is jealous of her long-time best-friend, Jacob, and newer friend Lee being together as she doesn't know what it's like to really care for someone that way, and that helped me understand Deanne's point of view.

I didn't quite get Deanne's poetry-like writing. I guess it was supposed to help the reader understand her character, but for the most part, it was just strange and melodramatic to me, and I didn't feel it added much to the plot.

I was a little disappointed by the ending. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but I would have liked to have a sort of showdown-y scene towards the end that would have emphasized the message, but the novel just sort of...ends. I would have liked to see a bit more character growth for Deanne, as while lots of little things changed about her throughout the story, I didn't see any real development in her view of her reputation at school. I would have preferred an ending that shows more character growth and emphasizes the message more.

Despite these little problems I had with the novel, Story of a Girl is still a great read, honest and realistic, with great writing and characters. I recommend it, even though I liked Once Was Lost a little better.

Review: Once Was Lost

Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

(Amazon / Goodreads)

Goodreads description:

Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. She used to believe in a lot of things. As a pastor's kid, it's hard not to buy in to the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reason to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. When a young girl in her small town is kidnapped, the local tragedy overlaps with Sam's personal one, and the already-worn thread of faith holding her together begins to unravel.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

First off, I love this cover. It's so depressing and beauiful at the same time, and that's exactly what the actual book is like. I enjoyed Once Was Lost  from the first page on - Sara Zarr's writing is amazing! I don't even know what made the writing so great, it was just so beautiful and vivid. She created a great atmosphere - it was dark and depressing, but somehow still beautiful. It made me cry quite a few times - even though the plot isn't the saddest I've read, there was just something about that style...

The characters were great as well. Sam was incredibly easy to understand and relate to. Especially her social awkwardness was portrayed realistically and believably. One thing I didn't get, though, was how Sam blamed her social problems on being "the pastor's kid". I know three girl's whose fathers are pastors, and none of them have that kind of problems, at least after people have known them for a while. Obviously, they're just examples, and it's not impossible that people don't want to be friends with someone because their father is a pastor, but how Sam blamed her family was a bit overdone, in my opinion, as I think her social problems have more to do with shyness than with her father.

Another character I loved was Nick - he was so sweet, and the relationship between Sam and Nick developed very naturally - I hate when romance seems forced in books, and that definitely wasn't the case here. The dad's character was great and complex, too - even though I heard about him only from Sam's point of view, I could really understand his inner struggle and felt for him at times, too. We didn't get to see Sam's mom all that much, but her impact (or rather, the impact of her absence) was portrayed really well, too, so I could easily imagine Sam's relationship with her mom. Daniel and Vanessa, Samara's friends, weren't developed all that well, though. They seemed pretty one-dimensional, and while they didn't play an all that important role in the plot, it would have seemed more realistic if they had actual personalities we could hear a bit about, rather than just showing what people think of Sam.

Usually, I'm wary of books dealing with religion - I think that's something every person has to decide for themself. In this book, though, I really enjoyed that aspect. The questions she asked were believable and easy to relate to, something I've thought, too, and I'm sure you have as well. Her struggle with belief was portrayed very well.

One thing I didn't really get, though, was the title. In my opinion, Once Was Lost doesn't fit all that well, as Sam used to not be lost, but when the reader gets to know her (and for most of the novel), she is lost. It's more like the opposite of Once Was Lost. Maybe this has to do with the optimistic ending, but honestly, Sam's progress started too late in the novel to justify the title, in my opinion.

While the plot dealing with Jody's disappearance added a lot to the main plot and was interesting to read about, I think it's turned into too big a deal at times. I don't mean emotionally - of course it's a big deal for the parents (and the whole town) if a young girl is kidnapped - but it was mentioned a few times that her disappearance was on national TV, and that people from all over the country offered to help search for her and sent the family all kinds of stuff, which I don't think is realistic - too many kids go missing for it to be broadcasted on the news like that each time.

The next paragraph contains information on the ending - don't read on if you have not yet read Once Was Lost!
I'm split on what to make of the ending. On, the one hand, I loved Sam's character so much that I wanted her to have the happy ending she deserved. I like hopeful, optimistic endings, but on the other hand, I just don't think Jody coming back unhurt is realistic, and the happy ending didn't fit the solemn tone of the rest of the book.

I know I mentioned quite a few things I disliked about this book, but those are all just little things - overall, this is a great book! I love the author's writing, and the characters were multi-dimensional and relatable. I'll definitely read some of Sara Zarr's other books soon!