A beautiful story about pain and domestic abuse, but with a tingle of hope at times.

I liked this book a lot, the story was well written and the characters had personality,I would recommend this to my friends

Beautifully written, clever, unique and such a journey of what grief looks like. As someone who has lost someone close, I really reflected on my own experiences with this book, It also gave me great insight into identity, friendship and family dynamics I haven't seen before. This book is so special, everyone needs it.

Drews has been a book blogger and reviewer for a long time, and I think that shows in her writing. Reviewing encourages you to think critically about the media you consume. However, it is still a debut novel, and I think there are places where she can improve. This isn't a bad thing - if no-one improved, if we all remained at the same level, they would be no motivation to try and get better.

I liked how Beck still enjoyed music and wanted to compose, despite his understandable dislike of the piano. I think he'd have been quite justified in throwing it all to the side. Joey is precious and I want to protect her. I was surprised her pre-school didn't raise concerns of an abusive household. Uninterested parents and unusual violent behaviour are things we look for. It is easy to write August off as a Manic Pixie Dream Girl, and on the surface, she is. She's the catalyst for Beck to change his life, and does quirky things such as going barefoot. But that discounts August's motivations, wanting to be with Beck because she liked his personality, and needing good grades for her future plans.

Books based on music are always tricky for me, since I have basically no ear for it. It is one of those things that's hard to show in books. We can't actually hear someone play, so we have to rely on what we are told about a character's talent.

I'd been looking forward to reading A Thousand Perfect Notes for a while, as I'm a big fan of Drews' bookstagram, and love reading her blog. Her naturally witty writing style came across really well in ATPN, but I think the book was let down with a predictable and slightly lacklustre plot. 
The story follows Beck, whose abusive mother forces him to play the piano to further her own agenda and carry on the family talent. All Beck wants is for him and his little sister to be free of her tyranny, to compose his own music, and befriend an interesting girl named August. As a reader, I really felt for Beck, and was rooting for him to be able to break away and escape from his mother. His inner monologue was well-written and heartfelt, a testament to Drews' writing.
However, the overall plot was quite slow-moving and repetitive up until the last 80 or so pages. The introduction of August felt quite forced, as she was the epitome of a manic pixie dream girl, and Beck became suddenly very interested in her. Her plotline got on my nerves a bit - but if a relatively predictable teen romance is up your street, then run wild!
Despite this, I did find the ending satisfying, and enjoyed Beck's character development. I also still admire Drews' writing style, and look forward to her future books.

I have never read a book where the main character is a pianist who spends all of his time dedicated to it. In other words, he was forced to spend every minute of his waking moments practicing and polishing his skills by his own mother which leads him to a nonexistent social skills and he’s barely even passing school. His life literally revolves around the piano.

This book deals with abuse within a family, angst, discovering yourself and opening up to others. Beck owes it to his teacher for getting paired up for an assignment with August. Because if not then, he wouldn’t had the chance to get to know her better and slowly fall in love with her. Also, I just love how protective Beck is with his sister, Joey that she he would do anything to keep her safe and unscathed.

I had a mediocre expectation when I went into this story but in the end, I’m left with awe, rage and wonder by the way the author has skillfully written an emotional yet beautiful story. C.G. Drews is definitely up on my author’s radar and I cannot wait to know more and read all the next stories that she has in store for us, readers next.

I didn't know what to expect from this book, only that I sincerely believed it would be amazing. AND IT WAS. Cait has created the most heartbreaking, ultimately hopeful story and paired it with the most cinnamon roll characters possible. The characters are the BEST part. Some I passionately hate, some I passionately loved, but I had such honest reactions to all of them because they seem so REAL. Beck was so fragile but also very strong, and I loved the PURE LOVE he had for his little firecracker of a sister, Joey. Seeing him come out of his shell with help from August, the Best Person Ever™, was one of the highlights of the book. 

The writing is gorgeous, and Cait is able to effortlessly portray both scenes of abuse, and scenes of witty banter. This book was both funny and completely heartbreaking, but never seemed jarring. I felt like I was watching the plot play out in real time, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough!

All in all, if you want a contemporary that hits you in the gut with honesty and meaningfulness and emotions, pick up this book. WHAT AN AMAZING DEBUT.

I defy anyone to read A Thousand Perfect Notes and not feel Beck’s music, and his pain, through C.G.Drews’ combination of flowing dialogue and beautiful description. There were so many places I came across the sorts of turns of phrase that make you pause and reread because their beauty is so true. I loved the characterisation of Beck and August and their burgeoning friendship. The Maestro is truly a woman to fear but the flashes of vulnerability in her character lead to to be torn between sympathy for her pain and loss and fury and revulsion at her behaviour. She embodies a very human evil. A Thousand Perfect Notes was a thoroughly enjoyable and compulsive read, the kind I did not want to put down.

I came across this book via Instagram as it's written by a popular bookstagrammer I follow, so I was intrigued about it and eager to give it a go when I came across it on Netgalley. The story follows Beck, a teen prodigy pianist whose mother, a famous ex-pianist, bullies him into the music to carry on the family name, and constantly abuses him. All the while, Beck is trying to protect his five-year-old sister, Joey, and ward off the insistent friendship of August, who is a shoe-hating, peace-loving dreadlock-wearing (though the author says that the dreadlocks won't exist in the non-ARC copy of the book) manic pixie dream girl. It's only right near the end of the story that she gets a bit more depth, a bit late for me.

The majority of the action in this story takes place in the last 15% of the book, so it felt a little rushed, and the constant abuse was too much for a book in this genre, I felt, but the story had potential. I wasn't a fan of the third person / present tense combination, which felt a bit off to me, a bit pre-published immature Wattpad, but I eventually got used to it.

I absolutely adored this book, it was beautiful from start to finish and is definitely one of the best debut novels I have ever read! I love the writing and found is so poetic!

This book may sound like a normal contemporary, but wow it deals with so much more. This took me on an emotional rollercoaster of both anger and joy. Beck is our protagonist, ruled by a controlling and abusive mum (this is where my anger comes in), he is forced to follow in her footsteps and play the piano professionally. Beck’s family struggle to get by, financially and emotionally. He is a troubled guy and he’s living a very different life to most boys at his age, isolated and controlled, he doesn’t have the freedom to enjoy his younger years. Immediately we have a main character that we care so much about, we can see his daily unhappiness and we want him to be free, to smile and laugh, we want to give him one big squish and make all the bad things go away. The key selling point of this book is the characters, so let's make this review about them. 

I always care about characters that are written well, but Beck’s story was different. He meets August who is a girl unlike the rest, she wants to break his shell and make him happy, she is unusual, fun and kind and she is what the reader wants most for Beck. She represents our hope for his happiness and for him to stand up to the abuse in his life. Ultimately August is the contrast of happiness to Beck’s misery; her parents are loving and kind, she is surrounded by her choices and she revels in her lifestyle. I’m so desperate for August to break Beck down and for him to let her in, I need Beck to be helped. 

I don’t think I’ve ever hated a character as much as I hate Beck’s mum, the Maestro. She is the most hideous parental figure I have read about, she easily tops the Dursley’s and Matilda’s parents on the hate scale. I cannot stand the way she treats her children, I am desperate for the smol humans to be loved and cuddled and fed. But they are forever trapped in this hellish nightmare. Well done Cait for making me despise this woman so much! I kept thinking maybe there was a chance of The Maestro's redemption, but then she kept being such a cow that no, that woman will never see a smile from me! Her title rather than the name mum already evokes fear in me, she is someone in control, some distinguished and respected - but she is not, she has expected to be given respect, not to earn it, this is her downfall. 

The plot for this book is very simple at its base - an unhappy boy in an unhappy household wants a normal life, he wants to smile and be free and be loved by more than just his sister, Joey. This simplicity captivated me, I lived for this book for the three days it took me to read it. The writing is beautiful and fun and feels like I'm reading a book written by a friend. If you don't know, the author is other wise known as PaperFury on her blog and social media, so her writting is already well known within the community. I loved diving into a whole book of Cait's, she my inspiration as a writer, she merges delirious happiness with terrifying sadness - not an easy thing to do and do well. 

Days after finishing this book I find myself making up the rest of Beck's story, I am desperate to know what happens to him after the book ends. Not every book stays with me after I finish reading it, but this one certainly has. I urge you to pick up a copy of this book once it is published, it truly is superb!

This was such a beautifully emotional book! It was so well written. I connected with it straight away! I’m so blown away with this and think everyone should read it! A full review will go up on my blog soon!

A Ten Thousand Perfect Notes includes some harrowing scenes of domestic abuse. It is a fairly brutal and dark story. But it is also a tale of hope. And that is what I loved about it. That contrast of light and darkness. If I had to describe this book in a sentence, I would use a saying: “the darkest hour is just before dawn”.

The book starts with Beck telling us about all of his fears. I would perhaps personally preferred less information at the beginning to have a chance to slowly start working out the trauma of Beck’s situation throughout the book but it’s a personal preference and it did not impact how much I enjoyed the book in general at all.

Let’s have a look at the characters:

Beck is a 15 year old pianist who doesn’t think he deserves a better life and who stays away from making any friends. He is also fiercely protective of his little 5 year old sister Joey. It would be easy to scream at him to change his situation. Fortunately, I never had to walk in his shoes and I feel so privileged because of that. The emotions Beck triggered in my were empathy and deep sorrow.

Joey is a confident brave little sister. When we start getting glimpses of her character, we start appreciating what Beck has been doing for her and how strong he actually is.

August is another 15 year old who cares about animals as well as the environment, and who likes to see the good in others and likes to help. She is kind, caring and compassionate.

And then there is Maestro.

A very important disclosure: by no means am I condoning any form of abuse. I feel very strongly against any form of violence and I want to make it crystal clear that I am not rooting for a character that is inflicting any sort of harm onto others.

With that said, I must admit I found her character interesting. She is this broken woman that had all her dreams shattered and who never got over that disappointment and is severely hurt. She is volatile, unpredictable and highly abusive.

Hurt people hurt people.

I did not cheer for her but I sort of felt almost sorry for her. Cait, you little devil!

Key messages I saw in this book are:

Privilege. Not everyone has a privilege of growing up surrounded by loving families.

Hope. It is possible to overcome abusive and difficult situations.

Bravery. Being brave doesn’t always mean hitting back but rather keep on going with the mindset of: “I’ll try again tomorrow“.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes character driven books.

Young people should definitely read it as it may inspire them to overcome difficult situations as well as shed light on what privilege is about.

A terrific debut novel by C. G. Drews, I cannot wait to read her the next book already!

Possible triggers: domestic abuse and abuse in general.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, C. G. Drews, and the publisher, Hachette Children’s Group.

This was a very quick read for me, its a pretty slim book and I practically tore through it. There was so much emotion contained within these pages. I became quite attached to these characters very quickly. The main character, Beck, is very much a product of the abusive environment he lives in, he pushes everyone away because of the fear and insecurity his horrifying mother has beaten into him, however seeing his protective love for his little sister made me immediately root for him and desperately want his situation to improve. This book is so beautifully and powerfully written. The author has created multi-faceted characters that were burned into my mind. The running theme of music as both the tool of Beck’s oppression and his release is extremely effective. The reader does not have to understand the obsession with classical music because anyone can understand passion and extremes which is the real issue here.
This is not always a pleasant book to read. There are some truly horrible scenes and my heart absolutely broke for Beck and his sister, Joey. In some ways, it reminded me of another book I recently read which was Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward. It also affected me deeply. The stories are not particularly similar but the emotion and devastation I felt whilst reading them was the same. I think A Thousand Perfect Notes is such an important read for young adults, it speaks volumes about how difficult getting out of an abusive situation can be and how friendship, or even simply kindness can change everything for someone.
Despite the intensity and sadness of the characters situation there are also moments of hope and light contained within this story. I thought the relationship between Beck and August was beautifully written. She is the tough and idealistic force of good that enters his life unexpectedly and changes everything for him but it never feels cliché or predictable. Their relationship is subtle and careful but also powerful and optimistic.
Overall I loved this novel, I did not want it to end and could have read so much more about these characters. I became very emotional reading A Thousand Perfect Notes and I cried several times during it, which is something I do not often do whilst reading. It is a powerful story that is written in a direct and sensitive manner. I will be looking forward to any further work from this new to me author. I would really recommend this book to anyone but especially young people who are struggling under any kind of pressure.

Unbelievably heart rending and terrifying. Beck's Mutter is awful, lost in grief and guilt and pain until she can't see what she's doing. Beck is so strong to stand up under all of it, even as he thinks he's weak and useless. 

I was desperate for him to find a way out and terrified his uncle would be just as bad. But when it mattered, Beck found the strength he needed. I really enjoyed this. Now I need a lot of chocolate to recover.

Receiving an ARC did not affect my review in any way.

A heartbreaking story but I just couldn't find myself connecting with the material here.

I was ridiculously tempted to just review this book via copy and pasting every beautiful, quote-worthy section of it that I highlighted (on my kindle, I'm not a heathen), but that would be over 60% and probably copyright theft so I'll have to resort to banging on the keyboard for several paragraphs instead.

This is one of those beautiful, precious, rare books that is just so perfect in every single way the only thing you considering doing when you close the final page is to open the first one and read it all over again. There were so many heart wrenching moments and every. single. character. felt real, in that imperfect, messy, human way.

The message of this book is obvious - sometimes you have to save yourself. It takes the manic pixie dream girl trope and makes it completely and utterly human, showing that just because the girl you meet is made of smiles, sunshine, and rainbows and draws on her legs in a multitude of coloured Sharpies doesn't mean that she's the one that will save you. She has her own problems to deal with.

"He hates how innocent her face is, how her lps are twisted in a quiet smile, how her breath puffs in globes of cold white. He hates it because she is hope and tomorrow and he is goodbye and the end."

Beck wakes up every morning to the sight of the very thing he hates - the piano that's likely worth more than his entire house and he knows that if he doesn't start playing within minutes he'll bring the wrath of the Maestro down on him - his mother. I never realised this separation from the parental term until writing this review but it really shows just how little of a true relationship they have.

This is a story of piano playing, German and abuse. The abuse is horrific, made stifling by how small Beck's house feels. Beck feels pathetic for not standing up to this towering figure but he wanted to protect his little sister. Every time Beck hit a wrong note on that stupid piano I swear I stopped breathing, waiting for what was coming next.

"She's going to see how bare the house is. How bleak. They don't own much, just useful furniture and filing cabinets of music. No decorations. His family collects bruises and German insults instead of crockery and photo frames."

August is our manic pixie dream girl - except - she isn't. She's a fully rounded character, a hippy girl that kicks boys who harm animals, draws rainbows on her legs and walks home barefoot to her veterinary parents and her home full of dogs, cats and pretty sure I heard rumours of a llama. She has actual, real, parents with fully rounded personalities and lasagne and I really wanted to find their lost table and join for dinner. I both loved her and wanted to be her, absolutely one of my favourite characters.

The ending absolutely stabbed me in the heart because it hits you without warning when you read that final line. I wasn't the only reader desperately hitting "next page" on my Kindle and I'm pretty sure I left a dent. It's almost impossible to believe that this is a debut novel and if the author's books continue to be this good, she's going to dominate the YA market. And rightly so.

"I'll write you an entire symphony if you ask.."

Beck is a teenage pianist, who's mother pushes him to his limits and beyond to truly exceed and excel - to continue her legacy and the family name at whatever cost to himself. Throughout the book, she goes by Maestro - a title that conjures dread somehow from the first mention and mounts ever more as the warped lengths she goes to become ever more clear. 
The lyricism of this book really manages to communicate the tight rigidity of Beck's life, the contained schedule of practicing scales and notes over and over, the overwhelming panic that occasionally descends and too, the dread.
 
August comes into his life, and abruptly, Beck is confronted with everything her name suggests - light, laughter, sunshine. He struggles to respond and watching their friendship blossom through the novel was a joy, especially in contrast to the Maestro. While lovely, it did lead, for me, to some painfully sad moments, especially those where a bruised and battered Beck was unquestioningly taken into August's family and given another glimpse of how life could have been. 

Beck and Joey (!! What a sweetie!!) are the epitome of a brother & sister relationship - each treasures the other in their own way and watching Beck struggle to give Joey a life as normal as possible was a testament to his strength. The way in which his love for his sister informed his final decision to travel to Germany and make a better life for them both away from the Maestro really tugged on my heart. (Not to mention the way he communicates his love for August by composing songs for her!!)


(ARC via NetGalley 💕)

A unique contemporary ya novel which demands to be read in one sitting. 

Beck is a talented pianist, however his real passion comes from composing music rather than playing. Add in the fact that his mother, The Maestro, a world renowned pianist who is no longer able to play, forces him to practice to tortuous levels, it’s understandable that he’s somewhat conflicted.
I have no knowledge of classical music, and my own talent began and finished with playing Silent Night on the keyboard... but I am a huge fan of rock music and I totally get how music can move you, speak to you, save you and empower you, so it was interesting to see it used in the story in this way.

Beck is a great character, it’s easy to see that he’d do anything to protect his little sister, Joey, (think a more violent version of Karen from Outnumbered and you get the feel for her hilarious commentary on Beck’s life), and this is even more special given the way his mother treats him; he could easily do what he wanted but he knows it’d have a negative impact upon Joey so he confirms to his mothers frankly ludicrous regime to try and stave off any punishments. The Maestro is the single most unlikeable character I’ve ever read. I understand why she’s like it, but I have absolutely zero sympathy for her. Cait has cleverly crafted someone who is so despicably flawed that I didn’t care about her motivations, I just wanted someone to put her in her place!

When Beck is paired up with August Frey for a school project it’s immediately obvious that their different personalities will initially clash but then slowly they’ll meld together and let each other into their lives. I absolutely loved August, she’s fun, fierce, morale, and knows just when to probe for details or simply back off and offer cake (vegan of course). Her caring nature has been ingrained into her by her parents who in contrast to Beck’s mum is astonishing.

As the story progresses and the pressure on Beck to perform perfectly becomes overwhelming, it’s anyone’s guess as to how it’ll turn out... I won’t give any spoilers, but the end made me shed a tear or two. Or a thousand. 

Perfect for fans of Jennifer Niven, Rhian Ivory or Holly Bourne.

There are two things that could happen when a person performs splendidly in front of an audience. The first is the wild and uncontrolled clapping. The second is stunned silence. No words, no movement, and just the occasional tear or hanging mouth.

A Thousand Perfect Notes is the second one. I had to spend hours trying to wipe the tears after I finished. I hate this world. It gives me such a perfect book and then, in just twenty-four hours, the book ends.

Whyyyyyyyyy?!?!?!?!

Okay, so about the characters.

Beck Keverich (whose real name is one of the greatest reveals in history btw) is a sad little puppy, Someone buy this poor child cake and flowers and cake and did I mention to buy him all the cake in the world. He wants to write his own music but his mother is a total Arschloch and beats him frequently.

And August. Oh my god, this woman deserves an award for how real she is. She loves animals, has a huge crush on Beck (again, wait till you find out his real name) and loves animals and nature and cake and open-thinking and adgsvsnqeknqe. I related so much to her and I loved how her family was in love with each other and they were all a little intense and cuddling and loving.

*tries to compose self*

Basically, I want to pack and move into August’s house and listen to Beck’s music and please, please, please read this book. It so real and pure and too good for this dark world.

Note: I also really loved the references to Germany and the occasional German word. I salute The Book Thief and this for teaching me how to swear in German. As someone who is trying to learn German, this was fairly motivating.

Actual rating 3.5/5 stars.

Beck's violent mother stifles his daily live and his creativity. Her imposed rules of piano coming before school, friends, and happiness leads him to feel estranged from his peers and the world at large. But when Beck meets August, he is introduced to a life lead by happiness and is given the option to approach what is missing in his own life, and figure out exactly why.

It is hard to separate a book from its author and my initial interest in this stemmed from the person who penned this, rather than from the synopsis. I did also find that the synopsis somewhat ruined this book for me. I would rather have known less facts about this novel and would have probably then found the abundant sorrow in this, more deeply touching.

I also found, early on the book, that the reader is told of Beck’s fears rather than being shown them. The book opens with Beck informing the reader of his daily routine and the inner-anger he struggles against unleashing on his omnipotent mother. When we were actually introduced to her character and shown heart-wrenching examples of her wrath, it made it far harder for me to feel the desired shock and sorrow such a scene was supposed to emit. I found the story built up far too quickly and would have rather had a prolonged introduction to Beck’s character, divorced from his familial worries.

I found August’s character was my ultimate favourite aspect of this novel. I found her to be the most intriguing part of this story from her very introduction into it. Her constantly shoeless state, her ‘Save the Whales’ t-shirt and her “soliloquy on tree-frogs” made her immediately interesting. We were introduced to her character in a small series of images that worked up to slowly reveal the entire character. This honed my interest, as opposed to learning of Beck’s greatest struggles before we got to know his individual character, which at first did the opposite.

That being said, my initial hesitations were quickly forgotten as I was soon immersed in this troubling story-line. I thought the author dealt with the harrowing subject matters in an extremely thought-provoking yet sensitive light. I found the emotions I was earlier missing were soon in abundance and I was immersed in the narrative. This a tragic book, but not one without moments of tenderness and hope. I found that the dark and light moments, as well Beck's warring emotions, worked to heighten each scene and every feeling. This interplay of opposites became a factor in the power of this book's story and my ultimate, overall enjoyment of it.