Review Detail

THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is one of those stories about how the awkward, friendless teenager comes to love herself. The main character is Elise, who spends her summer trying to turn herself into a new girl, a “popular” girl, before the new school year. This attempt to be someone else, needless to say fails, and the rest of the book is spent trying to become her again.

As far as the story line and plot goes, it was good. It’s not a new concept but Leila Sales managed to do it in a different way, and if not a very deep one, at least an entertaining one. Most of the supporting characters were well written as well. Not many of them seemed particularly realistic, but that actually worked in this book. A few of them were a bit eye roll inducing, but that’s forgivable. The reason that it is so forgivable is Elise. Because the story is in first person she is narrating it and that part of her character I liked just fine. But in her dealings with the other characters, she was just plain catty and frankly unlikeable especially when it came to her family. This put a real damper on the book in general, and the inconsistency is frustrating.

THIS SONG is a story of self discovery and of individuality. It’s about being yourself even if you aren't who you wanted to be. Although it was well written for the most part, it’s not one of my personal favorites, but it’s worth a shot.