Prepare your tissues because this debut YA contemporary hits like an emotional freight train. Drews crafts a raw heartbreaking tale of a young pianist trapped in an abusive home longing to break free and find his own voice. It is beautifully written and achingly real.

While it leans hard into the pain it also offers moments of hope resilience and gentle romance. A powerful moving read that will stick with you long after you turn the last page.

I was sent a review copy to review by the publisher. Thank you. This title focuses on themes of domestic abuse and friendship. A YA book for those interested in such topics. Fits well into a school library collection for older readers.

Drew’s created a heart-wrenching debut and I adored every second of this. Whether you love YA or don’t read it very often I think everyone will get something from this. I would highly recommend.

I came to this YA book from Twitter, where author C.G.Drews is something of a phenomenon; with 38k+ followers and a modest, quirky charm that makes you want her to succeed.

The story follows teenager Beck, a gifted pianist with a violent and abusive mother, in a love story with a hippy, love-filled, funny girl, August, who you can’t help feeling is a version of the author herself.

Parts of the book are quite cliched, but Drews portrays Beck with all the aching tenderness August is supposed to feel for him. It’s a very sweet portrait of a boy damaged by domestic abuse.

Please note that this book is not for me - I have read the book, However I had to DNF and because i do not like to give negative reviews I will not review this book fully - there is no specific reason for not liking this book. I found it a struggle to read and did not enjoy trying to force myself to read this book.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused and thank you for the opportunity to read this book

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

I actually finally read this book such a long time later a d loved it so so much that wasn't able to muster my thoughts for a long time.

Long story short, I fell in love.
I fell I love with the writing, the story and the characters and I thoroughly enjoyed it ❤️

I even gave it to my friend and she read it in one sitting as well.

I only want to say that the ending was genius

My Thoughts:
First thing is that this book is a great debut novel and too me deals with some issues very well considering it is a debut novel. This book deals with Violence, child abuse (physical, emotional and verbal), Self Harm, neglect and bullying.
Beck was such an amazing character, even though he was struggling himself, it was very clear that he would do anything in the world to protect his little sister Joey. This is something I really enjoyed reading as I love seeing big brother tropes in books like this. I absolutely hated his mother with a passion and wanted to jump in the book myself just to protect Beck from that Evil Monster! I loved August though. I thought she was fierce, fun, supportive and just what Beck needed in his life.
I loved Caits writing I thought she was very descriptive and helped people who knew nothing about music to understand what was happening in the book so that anyone could read it.
I gave this book 4 stars, I cant wait to read her other book she has released.

This story hit me in places I didn’t think it would. It was truly awful to read about Beck and Joey’s mother and how Beck being her protege meant more to her than her children’s health and well-being. If that was a child in my area or even a teacher at the school they should have noticed something out of the ordinary. I’ve been called to the school because my daughter lied about me to the teachers but at least they were on top of it in case it was something. the Maestro disgusted me with her antics. In fact, the majority of the adults did, the only exceptions were August’s parents and Beck and Joey’s Uncle Jan.

Now other than what I already mentioned I loved this book. I love the fact that August and Beck were polar opposites and THANK YOU CAIT FOR NO AWKWARD LOVE TRIANGLES unless you count the piano of course.

I love that Beck was a moody teenager, that August clearly doesn’t give a shit about other peoples perceptions of her and I love that Joey was a feisty five-year-old. Each character was different but they worked so well together and Beck well done you for not chastising Joey when she said insults in German (also thank you for the translations as my German is very rusty). All this responsibility shouldn’t have been on Becks shoulders. What five-year-old should be left with the responsibility of making their own and their older brothers packed lunches because he’s not allowed to leave the godforsaken piano until Chopin was as good as his mother’s version!!!

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and struggled to put it down. I was upset when it finished as I wasn’t ready for it to end but looking forward to the authors next book.

This book is heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time. Also all the love for Cait, my friend, who wrote this beautiful story

A read that so many had raved about and, unfortunately for me, the high expectations and excellent reviews really drive me away from this one. I still have a lot of respect for the author but this book was very not suited to my personal bookish preferences. The writing style just didn't fit for me. I will still keep watching for more from the author.

I am still so blown away by this book. From the warmth of August and her family to Maestro's cold and calculating ways. Beck and his world will stay with me for a long time.

I received a copy from Netgalley.

I honestly don’t know how to feel about this one. I wound up getting a finished paperback, I saw it in the bookshop and couldn’t resist after seeing how pretty the cover was. At just under 300 pages it’s a fairly short read.

A contemporary YA set in Australia. – Trigger warnings for abuse both mental and physical.

15 year old Beck lives with his mom and younger sister Joey. Beck’s German mother was a piano prodigy in her youth but circumstances cut her glorious career short so she’s decided to live her dreams through her son instead. Beck is forced to practice complicated classical piano all his spare time before and after school. He lives in a very strict environment where everything revolves around his piano playing.

His mother is one of the most brutal, violent YA parents I have come across in a long time, she was absolutely vile. She ridicules Beck every opportunity, as if she’s looking for anything to criticize his playing. She uses threats and violence. Beck is allowed no friends, no freedoms, only focus on the piano; even school seems to be a second thought. The mother has spent every last cent she has on the piano Beck plays and they are not well off. Something she never fails to remind him of.

Poor Beck is a shrunken, pitiful mess. He’s afraid of his own shadow. The story is told from his point of view and his voice is just heart breaking. I spent most of the novel wanting to hug this poor kid and take him away from his horrible home life. He has a small relief in his delightful younger sister Joey. Joey is a loud and bright kindergartner who loves her big brother.

Because of the violence hanging over his piano playing Beck has no idea just how good he is, since all he’s heard is he’s never going to be good enough. He has a secret hobby of writing his own music. For a school project Beck is paired with August, a flighty girl who’s a big animal rights activist. She’s airy and full of personality, doodles on her hands, walks around with no shoes. August was nice enough, but there was something about her that I didn’t get. I couldn’t really connect with her character at all.

While Beck is trying to get through school with as little effort as possible, August despite her somewhat flaky personality, is a straight A student. She’s determined to get a good grade on the project. She slowly begins worming her way into Beck’s life, meeting with him before school so they can walk Joey to the kindergarten together and discuss their project. She bonds with Joey and tries to find out more about Beck. He’s clearly resisting and doesn’t want to know, but she just doesn’t seem to want to accept that.

As the days progress they get to know each other and little by little, Beck slowly starts opening up to August, learning to like some new music, some new foods. It’s sweet watching them come together, but…eh, there was just something not working for me where August was concerned. She gave off this sort of “I’m so speshul because I’m different” vibe I didn’t gel with as a reader. One thing I really did like about August was her parents. Her parents run an animal sanctuary, and they were awesome. I loved August’s parents.

Meanwhile Beck has the threat of several very important performances hanging over him, and things are not going well. When things don’t go well his nightmare of a mother goes into violent overdrive. It’s horrifying to read as things go from bad to worse for Beck. We learn a little about his mother’s background when Beck’s uncle – a very famous pianist comes to visit. But it’s no excuse for her behaviour. And the uncle is not trying to excuse it, at least.

It’s not an uplifting story at all, really. As mortifying as some of it is, there are some scenes that were beautifully written, capturing Beck’s terror at home, the loathing he has for the piano, the secret desires and longings. While some of it was rather boring and slow. It has its moments as well were hope shines through in a rather grim story.

Certainly shows a lot of promise for a debut. I rounded up and gave it three starts (it’s somewhere between a two and three for me).

Thank you to Netgalley and Orchard Books for the review copy.

I am a huge fan of the author's bookstagram so was eager to read her debut novel. It was an absolutely incredible story, with an engaging writing style that kept me gripped. The difficult subject matter makes this a hard read at times but one that's ultimately worthwhile. If this is the standard of her first book, I can't wait to read what she writes next.

Its an emotional read. Showcasing the beauty of music, dreams and hopes. It's sad and bittersweet yet with a hint of anticipation of happiness which will make you giddy.

This book was a lyrical masterpiece - a perfect blend of music and story and character. I absolutely fell in love with Beck and August and followed their journeys - together and separate - as if they were friends of mine. I devoured this book in one sitting and can't wait to see what C. G. Drews does next!

I was so excited to read this one when I first heard of it, because I love supporting Aussie authors, and I was also interested in the fact that the main character plays piano, as I also play piano. I loved this book. It was such a quick and easy read, but it was also an emotional and powerful read. I read this in a day because I could not put it down.

I don't really know how to rate this. It's very well written and the storyline is good. There are some really great moments and the two main characters a great.

I enjoyed August getting under Beck's skin and the way their friendship gave Beck the courage to start changing his life.

So why not four or five stars? I think it's just a personal thing. I struggled with this book a lot. The subject matter is heavy and I felt on edge the whole time. At time I honestly felt a little sick and I just wanted SOMEONE to notice because aside from August and her family, no one seemed to give a shit about what went on in that house. It kind of broke me to be honest.

I don't know what I would have preferred. If he had hit his mum back he would have been just as bad. Maybe I just really wanted him to open up about it to someone. Ideally August. I don't know.

I can't say I enjoyed this but it was a good story and very well written.

This review is bad but I'm kind of reeling from it all. Maybe I would rate this 3.5 rather then 3...I don't know. WORDS. FEELINGS. It's all there somewhere.

An exciting and engaging narrative, that will en-captivate all readers! A thousand perfect reasons to read this book!

I was super excited to receive a Net Galley eARC of this novel, I have followed Paper Fury on her blog and social media for a few years now, and I was really excited to read her novel.
This is a really emotionally charged novel. The author deals with some big, heavy hitting subjects, including physical and emotional abuse, so beware of this.
But, saying this, this novel is incredible, I was so drawn in by the premise, and the novel kept me hooked the whole way through. This is a unique novel, especially in YA, and it stands strong and proud.
The writing style is so beautiful. For a debut novel the author shows an incredible talent for writing beautifully descriptive and lyrical prose. She also writes a moving and emotive novel. Her ability to write and describe the sound of music is quite wonderful to read, and this is a real talent the author has. I cannot wait to read whatever Drews writes next.
I loved the characters in this novel a lot. Beck is an amazing boy who cares for his sister so much, and although he appears to have a very tough shell he is very sensitive and caring. He has so much to deal with in his life yet he is still able to think of others, and consider the effect he and his decisions have on others. The relationship between him and August was so well crafted, and they just seemed so right for each other, and fitted together so well, it was amazing!
Although this book dealt with some pretty hard hitting topics it was also very funny. Beck and August have a lot of witty and sarcastic banter, and Beck’s little sister is another source of hilarity. The humour woven throughout the narrative allows this novel to glow; the novel is both sad and happy simultaneously.
The end of this novel did make me cry, but it wasn’t just tears of sadness, they were also tears of hope, and I think that’s the most important aspect of this novel.