My review:
5/5
This is a beautiful emotional middlegrade about a twelve-year-old violin prodigy with synesthesia. The way the author uses this to connect and homage the family is one of the most beautiful chapters I've read.
Sometimes middle-grade books are not just to help children cope with changes and how hard it is to be this age, sometimes they are the perfect tools for parents who micromanage or force a child down a path thinking they are doing the best for their children. These books become wonderful windows into both sides of the story and experience (child and parents' feelings and issues).
I love that Rosie is curious about herself as an individual but also curious about her family history, culture, and religion. Her growth as a person was very positive and inspiring.
Explores themes such as: what it means to be a good friend, identifying being selfish or not, connection with family (different generations), abandoning ego, self-centered perspective of the world, and acknowledging others as people with their pain or joy. Self-discovery, Jewish family, holocaust memories, loss of a family member, learning to apologize at the right time. Being brave and honest. Synesthesia, classical music.
The best lesson here is compromise, a healthy balance, and mutual respect.
Thank you publisher and Netgalley for this e-ARC.
From the Publisher: Twelve-year-old Rosie is a musical prodigy whose synesthesia allows her to see music in colors. Her mom has always pushed her to become a concert violinist, but this summer Rosie refuses to play, wanting a "normal" life. Forced to spend the summer with her grandparents, Rosie is excited to meet another girl her age hanging out on their property. The girl is familiar, and Rosie quickly pieces it together: somehow, this girl is her mother, when her mother was twelve. With help from this glitch in time—plus her grandparents, an improv group, and a new instrument—Rosie comes to understand her mother, herself, and her love of music in new ways.
Advance Praise "Well-crafted, heartfelt, and affecting."—Barbara Dee, author of Maybe He Just Likes You and Unstuck "This tale of connection, family, and generational secrets will tug on your heart as you root for Rosie to find her song and herself."—Elly Swartz, author of Dear Student "The Color of Sound is a valentine to families everywhere. Isler explores multiple intergenerational relationships lovingly and honestly, while keeping a gifted and vulnerable girl firmly at the center. It's hard to imagine a book that I would want both my parents and my children to read, and yet, here is one." —John Cho, New York Times bestselling author of Troublemaker "The Color of Sound is the perfect summer read, sure to become a perennial favorite."—Joanne Levy, award-winning author of Sorry for Your Loss
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