2014 book 251

Krassi Zourkova's Wildalone
I'm not even sure where to start with this one--there are like a thousand things going on. Our protagonist is a freshman at Princeton--a piano prodigy from Bulgaria--trying to solve a family mystery, as well as dealing with the pressures of her talent and being a student at an Ivy League college. Then there's a weird layer of magic and Greek mythology pressed over top, mainly involving Orpheus and Dionysus. Then there's her mysterious suitor, creepy as hell, and clearly also part of the magical stuff (I hated absolutely everything about him, and him with her). Then there's his brother. This book is compared by the publisher to Twilight AND Discovery of Witches AND Jane Eyre AND The Secret History, if that gives you any clues about the mish-mash within. And the writing is sooo melodramatic. I almost gave it up several times--the romantic stuff had me rolling my eyes so hard I was worried they'd fall out of my head--but I really wanted to know more about the magic/mystery side of things! But the VERY OBVIOUS reveals take too long to come, and the ending isn't satisfying at all--maybe a sequel is forthcoming, but I can't think of a book I'd less like to read. I feel mean saying so, but there it is. C.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in January.