Review: Between the Notes

Review:

This took a while to get into. Main character Ivy has spent most of her life as a spoiled brat with cool friends and everything she could ever want. Until her father’s business fails and she and her family lose their house and they are forced to take a house in the bad part of town. Ivy is mortified. She can’t tell her friends, afraid they’ll hate her, and to make matters worse, the school bad boy (and suspected drug dealer) Lennie, is her next door neighbour. Lennie teases her, shows up at inconvenient (to Ivy) moments, but Lennie gets on great with her younger siblings, including her special needs baby brother. The kids love him. Ivy can’t get her head around it.

 

 She’s struggling to cope, and at first she’s irritating but as she adjusts she becomes more likeable. She tells her best friend Reesa the truth, but they don’t tell their other friends, Willow and Wynn, the richest girls in school and the biggest gossips who either make you or break you. These girls destroyed the reputation of another girl who used to be their friend who found herself in the same situation as Ivy. Forced to move to the bad side of town.

 

Ivy does show tremendous character growth by the end of the novel. Handsome new comer James comes along and sweeps Ivy off her feet. Downside, Reesa likes him too but he’s becoming friends with Ivy and she doesn’t tell Reesa anything. Ivy keeps lots of secrets and tells little white lies and half truths.

 

It’s also revealed Ivy has brilliant musical skills – but suffers from dreadful stage fright and can’t perform in front of anyone. Yet a few times, this secret comes out. There’s a plot about trying to convince Ivy to sign up for a signing job at the local country club or a talent show and open mike performances.

 

There is a love triangle – Ivy gets to know supposed bad boy Lennie better, at the same times developing feelings for hot new boy James who might have a huge secret of his own. Secrets rapidly unravel and Ivy is forced to deal with the outcomes. The romance is a little predictable. But it was sweet.

 

The novel turned out to be pretty amazing by the end.

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1254344/review-between-the-notes