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Thursday, November 17, 2011

VIRTUOSITY by Jessica Martinez

Okay, so today I've delved back into the contemporary world. I will freely admit that I'm a hard nut to crack when it comes to contemporary, because I'm an escapist reader. But dude. VIRTUOSITY by Jessica Martinez is a complex, layered story that will leave you literally gasping and crying and cheering all at the same time.

Or maybe I'm just nuts...


Let's not go there. Let's learn more about VIRTUOSITY: Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. And Jeremy is hands-down the wrong guy for her to fall for. He is infuriating, arrogant, and the only person who can stand in the way of Carmen getting the one thing she wants most: to win the prestigious Guarneri competition. Carmen's whole life is violin, and until she met Jeremy, her whole focus was winning. But what if Jeremy isn't just hot...what if Jeremy is better?

Carmen knows that kissing Jeremy can't end well, but she just can't stay away. Nobody else understands her--and riles her up--like he does. Still, she can't trust him with her biggest secret: She is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to perform, and what started as an easy fix has become a hungry addiction. Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of always doing what she’s told, doing what's expected.

Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall....

I found this novel to be utterly charming. There are multiple instances of really great writing, that really draws the reader into Carmen's world of violin. I found myself marveling at the way Jessica could bring the emotion right to the surface in just a few words.

It was brilliantly written.

The second thing I loved was the exploration of Carmen. She's always done what her mother wanted, and now, well, now everything is different. The risks she takes felt authentic to the story and to the character. She's doing things for herself for the first time ever, and it's messy and complicated. And I like that.

Don't worry if you know nothing about the violin. Heaven knows I don't. VIRTUOSITY is a delicious read, no matter what your background. So be sure to get your hands on it!


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9 comments:

  1. Natalie AguirreNovember 17, 2011 at 5:25 AM

    I don't read much contemporary either. But I've heard great things about this. I'll have to check it out.

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  2. Jemi FraserNovember 17, 2011 at 5:25 AM

    'Messy and complicated' sounds about perfect for her life. And it makes it so interesting too. Thanks for the tip. :)

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  3. Jenilyn CollingsNovember 17, 2011 at 7:56 AM

    I'm an escapist reader, too, but this sounds really interesting. I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the recommendation!

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  4. No OneNovember 17, 2011 at 9:28 AM

    Wow, the synopsis itself was emotionally hard to read. I should read more contemp just for that aspect.

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  5. Shannon MessengerNovember 17, 2011 at 9:45 AM

    Oooh, I definitely need to bump this one up the TBR pile. I keep hearing such amazing things!

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  6. TirzahLaughsNovember 17, 2011 at 10:01 AM

    I would never have considered this book before but you've intrigued me.

    :)

    Tirz

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  7. Abby FowersNovember 17, 2011 at 2:53 PM

    Awesome review! I am loving the contemporary books as much as my fantasy and dystopian novels these days! Sounds great.

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  8. Golden EagleNovember 17, 2011 at 6:56 PM

    Love the cover, first off! The blurb intrigues me--and since I do play the violin, that's even more of a draw. :)

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  9. JulieNovember 17, 2011 at 9:04 PM

    Eeek! Randomly ran into you through the oh-so-awesome Dark YA Blogfest! BUT, I've been meaning to read your book for a few months now! It pretty much sounds amazing... just sayin' ( : Can't wait!

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