Book Review: A Thousand Perfect Notes // C.G. Drew

A Thousand Perfect Notes

Author: C.G. Drew

Genre: Contemporary + Young Adult

Synopsis:

An emotionally charged story of music, abuse and, ultimately, hope.

Beck hates his life. He hates his violent mother. He hates his home. Most of all, he hates the piano that his mother forces him to play hour after hour, day after day. He will never play as she did before illness ended her career and left her bitter and broken. But Beck is too scared to stand up to his mother, and tell her his true passion, which is composing his own music - because the least suggestion of rebellion on his part ends in violence.

When Beck meets August, a girl full of life, energy and laughter, love begins to awaken within him and he glimpses a way to escape his painful existence. But dare he reach for it? 

TW: Domestic violence, self harm ideations (not acted upon), child abuse.

Rate: 4 / 5 ⭐

"But the notes inside him roil and break and press so hard against his skin they'll rip the seams and he'll burst and -"

Review: 

The basis of the story is about a boy who loves music but is under the shadow of his mother, who is violent and abusive. She demands that Beck follow and practice the piano to become as perfect and as famous as she was before tragedy struck her (failing her life as a well renowned pianist). The book was sad and painful and very emotional. I loved the sibling dynamic, Joey and Beck. It was my favourite of the book. Although the book itself isn't that bad, I personally loved, there were two things that bothered me. 

First is August. She is the quirky girl who is the supposed love interest. She gets paired with Beck for an assignment and thats how she gets to know him (or want to know more about him). Now its not her quirkiness that I dislike (it can be a bit overbearing though, I mean walks around barefoot and for what) its her violent tendencies. For a book that talks about domestic abuse and violent habits as the villian in the story, having it come from the character that beck finds adorable just didn't sit right with me. I mean its like so the mother cannot smash plates at the son but the girl violently breaking someone enough to get stitches just because of frogs is okay. a bit unlikely. 

Second the mother, or the Maestro as Beck calls her. I wish that there was more of a backstory to her. We all know she is abusive and she wants her son to follow her footsteps but what about why she is that way. How did her tragedy unfold, what about her childhood influences that could have made her behave the way she did with her children, what about how leaving her partners who could've affected her.

I know that this is Beck's story too but I really would have loved a little bit of insight on the mother's past. Apart from that a really fast and emotional read from C.G. Drew. and I am sorta excited to read the other book she has released which is called 'The Boy who Steals Houses.' 

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧