I want to begin by thanking NetGalley and the publishers for the Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book isn’t my typical genre I choose to read but it was a light hearted, refreshing coming of age story. The book itself is very well written. The characters and plot were relatable. I’ve never read a book that focuses itself around a viola and that was refreshing to see instruments you don’t often hear or see get so much credit, which according to Clara is the violins sophisticated cousin.

This story follows Clara, a high school freshman wanting to audition for her dream school. I loved that the story stayed away from repetitive high school drama. Clara is dealing with a new stepmom and 3 siblings. Which is relatable for me as my parents split and I had a step brother. The journey you read about Clara going through is endearing, dealing with changes in her life, chasing her dreams, those awkward teenage conversations that we all had at some point. One of my favorite characters was Tim, the scrabble champion. That was unexpected to me but I love that he wasn’t the typical jock or bad boy.

Like I said this book isn’t my preferred genre but it has so much merit, you’ll find yourself not being able to stop reading this book! I definitely recommend it!!

This book took me back to my childhood and had all the good bits of a YA novel. Simple and uncomplicated, the characters and plot were well thought out. An enjoyable read overall.

Interesting book. Would be great for a preteen/teen audience. Portrays a first crush very well and the sometimes conflicting emotions that come with an unexpected crush. I particularly enjoyed watching the relationship between the main character, Clara, and her step-mom. Clara begins the book feeling a lot of animosity towards her step-mom, but over the course of the book, they manage to find common ground.

Fact about me - I am not musical. I enjoy listening to music, but playing or singing? Nuh uh. Despite that, I still enjoyed this heartfelt contemporary YA about Clara, a talented viola player whose whole life revolves around aceing her audition and getting accepted to LA County High School of the Arts - just the first step on her way to international symphony success.

Because this is a YA novel, things do not go according to her neatly-journalled goals. I appreciated the detailed family dynamics, and that Clara felt like a real person with complex emotions and a terrifying amount of determination. My own high school days may have also left me with a weakness for swoopy-haired boys named Tim, so the love interest also gets a tick from me!

I enjoyed this book. I thought the story progressed at a good pace, the life lessons were top notch and I like that she found peace with herself in the end.

This review is based on an ARC of Girl, Unstrung which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher (BooksGoSocial).

A brilliant novel from Claire Handscombe, a sure force to be reckoned with in the YA world! Reading Girl, Unstrung brought me back to all of my favorite YAs from when I was a young teen; I cherished my time with this book (er, kindle) between my hands.

Hanscombes' characters, plot, dialogues, pace, settings are structured, unique, real. This woman knows how to write, and she demonstrates her talent without immodesty.

This isn't your average YA. Girl, Unstrung is a moving, funny, original coming-of-age with many facets and folds to get lost in. The main character, Clara, is also multi-faceted. This is a story, not only entertaining, but relatable, endearing.

I thought I had finally grown up and moved on from YA, but Claire Hanscombe has proven me wrong!

this was a really sweet and adorable read that I read really quickly, almost in one sitting. Such a lovely story that I really enjoyed reading

This is a fun, cute coming-of-age story that links nicely with Unscripted, but can be read as a stand-alone.
I enjoyed being able to follow Clara. Watching her dealing with all the struggles, challenges & pressures you face as a teenager. And, although not relatable to me now (I’m old lol), it’s a true reflection on what it’s like being young and navigating your way through life.
Clara, for me, is very much like Rachel Berry from the tv series Glee. She is determined, passionate, focused and at times, a little selfish. But, like Rachel, over the course of the book, you begin to understand her better and watch as she grows into a more mature young lady.

Thank you so much Claire & NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this prior to release.

I really enjoyed this for what it was, loved it in fact. I really did enjoy and appreciate this so much and I had a lot of fun reading it! 5 out of 5 stars!