Review: This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Pages: 288

Received: Received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley

Release Date: September 17, 2013
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Goodreads Synopsis:

Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.

Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.

My Review:

I started this book thinking it was another contemporary book like so many others out there, but I quickly saw that this book was not just the same old contemporary YA novel. This is such a real story with characters that are so easy to connect with and sympathize with. This is a book that I quickly fell in love with and I think this is also one that will have a special place in my heart.

I could connect with Elise's character easily, being the one who has difficulties making friends (I was the odd one out a lot in elementary school). Elise tries hard to gain friends in her sophomore year of school, she goes as far as studying what kind of things are cool, including music and clothes. And yet she still fails and is continually made fun of at school every day.

What I really loved about this book is how Leila Sales used music as a way to connect to the character. Elisa listens to and plays certain music for certain moods, I love when you can find a way to connect with the characters in that way. Elisa is a bit of a music snob, but it's easy to understand why she is that way, she is raised on a certain type of music and that is what she really knows.

This book touched on a heavy topic, but what makes it different is that though it does touch on suicide, it deals with someone who doesn't really want to die. This book really touched me, Elisa learns about herself and what things are really important in life. I think this story has a great message of finding something you love and how that can change your life.

This is definitely a story I would read again, I have so much love for what Leila Sales has written here and the characters that she brought to life for me.