Review by MirageP -- Music to My Ears (Pre-Release Beta ...

[MirageParul]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Music to My Ears (Pre-Release Beta Edition)" by Heidi M. Simone.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Sophia is an ordinary, shy 21-year-old who loves her family and her music, and dreams of becoming a famous musician one day. But is that all there is?

Music to My Ears by Heidi M. Simone is a wonderful coming-of-age book with elements of romance and fantasy. Sophia is indeed an ordinary-seeming young woman. But she doesn't know that she is actually a descendant of one of the three Sirens of Greek mythology. In fact, the "Sirens" were not only real, they also procreated with humans. While the original Sirens had many powers, like the ability to influence people with their song, their human children had only a few. And so, many generations later, Sophia, a "Semi-siren", is unaware of her fledgling powers, although she suspects she is not completely normal. Following her passion for music, she is going to New York to audition as a flautist for a part in a movie. There she meets Dante and falls for him. But what will the young couple do when Sophia finds out that Dante is also not what he seems to be?

This story is written in the first person narrative, so the reader gets to be in Sophia's shoes. In some places, it is like reading a page of her journal, and in others, like being inside her head. I absolutely loved this, especially when she explains her emotions while singing or playing the flute; the descriptions are transcendental. Take this example, "The room disappears as my eyes close, letting the music take me over. It starts near my head, but soon my whole body is vibrating and I feel as serene as a placid lake." I also liked the dynamics between Sophia and Dante. Their sweet, innocent first love was adorable. I wholeheartedly empathized with her when Sophia has to meet Dante's parents and says, "One of us needs to be calm, and I know it's not going to be me."

There is a very compelling message in the subtext of this book; one, I'm confident, that will resonate with many readers. It is to do with the persecution, oppression, and discrimination that many communities face at the hands of those who have power and distinctive advantages. The semi-sirens of this book have been captured and tortured for decades by the "Muses", a group purporting to be superior, claiming that the "semis" are an unnatural, inhuman species. Furthermore, the author has subtly portrayed the irony of this situation - that a race of supernatural beings are victimized by ordinary people who are either scared of, or covet their potential powers.

I'm nitpicking when I mention the one thing I disliked in this book, which was that the author laid less and less emphasis on Sophia's music as the story progressed. Indeed, she couldn't even sing because of the way it affected Dante. But given that the book is less than 200 pages long, and that there is more to Sophia's story than just music, this can be overlooked.

After due consideration, I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. It seems to be professionally edited; I found no typos or grammatical errors. I would definitely recommend it to YA readers, especially those who like romance and fantasy genres. If you liked the Twilight books or the Percy Jackson series, you should certainly read Music to My Ears. More mature readers might not appreciate the confusing, anxious component of Sophia and Dante's relationship, which constitutes a major portion of the book. Being the first of a series, this story does end before all our questions can be answered, but that is to be expected. I look forward to reading the rest of the books of The Siren Series.

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Music to My Ears (Pre-Release Beta Edition)
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[Erin Painter Baker]

The more reviews I read of this, the more certain I am that I should read it with my daughter when the book actually comes out. Thanks for the solid review.

[MirageParul]

The more reviews I read of this, the more certain I am that I should read it with my daughter when the book actually comes out. Thanks for the solid review.

Yes, It is very well-written. A young girl can surely learn something meaningful from this book. Thanks for your reply!

[sarahmarlowe randomeducator]

I enjoyed your review! Even having not read the book, I can see why you would be disappointed that details including Sophia's music diminished as the book went on. I mean, she was a semi-siren, after all. Thanks for the thorough review!