Review ~ All Our Pretty Songs by Sarah McCarry

Title: All Our Pretty Songs

Author: Sarah McCarry

Publication date: July 30th 2013

Pages: 241

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mythology

Source: Netgalley / St. Martin's Griffin

My Rating: 5 / 5

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~Synopsis~ 

 The first book in an exciting YA trilogy, this is the story of two best friends on the verge of a terrifying divide when they begin to encounter a cast of strange and mythical characters.

Set against the lush, magical backdrop of the Pacific Northwest, two inseparable best friends who have grown up like sisters—the charismatic, mercurial, and beautiful Aurora and the devoted, soulful, watchful narrator—find their bond challenged for the first time ever when a mysterious and gifted musician named Jack comes between them. Suddenly, each girl must decide what matters most: friendship, or love. What both girls don’t know is that the stakes are even higher than either of them could have imagined. They’re not the only ones who have noticed Jack’s gift; his music has awakened an ancient evil—and a world both above and below which may not be mythical at all. The real and the mystical; the romantic and the heartbreaking all begin to swirl together, carrying the two on journey that is both enthralling and terrifying.

And it’s up to the narrator to protect the people she loves—if she can.

~My Thoughts~

I was so excited when I was approved on Netgalley by the publisher, St. Martin's Griffin, to review a copy of this book! I don't think I've ever read a book this early. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for giving me a copy for an honest review.

First of all, I think it's hilarious I didn't even realize the narrator is unnamed. Yep. I must not be as observant as I thought. I honestly didn't know it until I finished the book and read a couple of my blogger friends' reviews where they mentioned it. It didn't affect my reading experience since I didn't even notice, and I think it's different and unique. There must be a special reason for not naming the narrator, and I love speculating what that reason could be. I'm not even sure I want to know why because it's so much fun coming up with my own theories.

When I finished the book, I wrote the following on Goodreads: "Wow. I don't even know what to say except it'll take me a while to process everything that's happened. Beautiful, lyrical writing." This book was so strange, but in a good way. First of all, the title caught my eye as it's part of the lyrics to a Nirvana song, and I'm a Nirvana fan for sure. I was a teen of the nineties during the grunge era when my friends and I wore concert T-shirts with flannel and Doc Martens. This book had me reminscing about those awesome days when it seemed like the coolest bands around were all coming from Seattle and Portland.  

So much happened that I couldn't stop thinking about it for days afterward, and I still think about it from time to time. Something I pass by will remind me of a moment from the story. It's one of those books I want to read a few times over because I know I'll pick up more from the story each time much like my favorite movie of all time, Donnie Darko. That's a movie that doesn't seem to make any sense the first time you watch it, but each time you watch it again, you pick up something new that enhances the storytelling. That's exactly how I think this book will be. 

I think the biggest part I needed time to wrap my head around was the shift that seemed sudden from the first half of the book to the second half. The first half seemed like a contemporary young adult novel, but once you reach the second half, it switches to full on fantasy and mythology, which I found a bit jarring but really interesting and cool. I wish there had been more mythology in the story because those were my favorite parts. I believe I read somewhere that there's going to be a second book, so I'm looking forward to delving back into the narrator's world.    

I think this is going to be one of those books where people will either love it or hate it. I doubt there will be any inbetween. Personally, I recommend this book. I guarantee you'll have a completely different reading experience than any you've ever had.

~Purchase Links~

Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Book Depository 

~About the Author~

I'm Sarah McCarry. The Rejectionist is my blog. I was born in Seattle and live in Brooklyn. I write books and eat a lot of dumplings. I like fomenting insurrection, crushed velvet, and getting in trouble.

~Author Links~

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