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Leisha's Song

6/21/2021

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When Leisha's vocal teacher, Ms. Wells, abruptly leaves  Stonefield Academy, Leisha instantly knows something is wrong.  Ms. Wells is her favorite teacher and Leisha knows that she wouldn't leave her students before a vocal competition.  Leisha's friends and the school administration tell her to let Ms. Wells go.  Leisha can't shake the feeling that something is wrong and decides to investigate on her own.  Cody, a cellist at the Academy, has feelings for Leisha and wants to help her.  Together, they uncover a series a clues that indicate that Ms. Wells is in danger.  However, Leisha's grandfather and Cody's parents care more about keeping Leisha and Cody apart as well as making sure their future careers are not in music.
  

Leisha's Song is a young adult mystery combined with romance and family drama.  I was pulled in immediately by the prologue.  The mystery was very well crafted.  I liked the progression of the clues and had no idea of the culprit until the end.  Leisha is an interesting character.  As a black student at a prestigious Academy, Leisha is different, she is trying to uphold all of the standards placed on her by her grandfather who wants her to be a doctor and stay away from boys, especially white boys.  I could easily relate to Leisha's predicament and wanted her to follow her dreams of singing.  I did think her voice sounded a little off, not a genuine modern black high school student dealing with pressures from every side.  I did appreciate Leisha's point of view, how she was dealing with the challenges in her life and her determination to move forward despite being pushed back.  The romance between Leisha and Cody ended up being really sweet.  Cody took me some time to warm up to, he was persistent in his pursuit of Leisha even after she said 'no' several times.  I could tell that there was a spark between the two of them, but Cody needed to respect when she said no.  The writing style built the mystery and suspense of Ms. Wells' disappearance as pressure was being put on Leisha from her school and her grandfather to create an exciting and unexpected conclusion.
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This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

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Finding Hemingway

6/13/2021

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Callie McGraw is an overachieving lawyer in New York City who just got laid off.  Now, Callie is listless, drifting through life when an old friend gives her a job opportunity in San Francisco in six months. Callie makes a last minute decision to spend her six months in Spain thanks to a strange phone call from her favorite deceased author, Ernest Hemmingway.  Callie begins in Barcelona where she quickly finds fellow aimless American, Trevor.  The two hit it off and enjoy Spain in all of it's excess, always with a glass of wine in hand.  Soon, Claudio, a Spaniard also in transition joins their group.  The trio journey to Madrid and Pamplona, taking in all the comforts Spain has to offer.  Following Hemmingway's advice, they find themselves at the Running of the Bulls where Callie decides to face her fears.

Finding Hemingway is intriguing  contemporary fiction with a dash of magical realism.  I really loved the plot device of Callie receiving phone calls from Hemingway, I wish one of my favorite authors would call and give me advice!  Callie was a difficult character to like.  Right from the beginning, Callie came off as boastful, selfish, and judgmental.  Though the story was a journey of growth for Callie, she seemed to grow in fits and spurts, often revealing more unflattering parts of herself before working on another.  I was more compelled by Callie's travelling companion's Trevor and Claudio.  Trevor and Claudio both had an air of mystery about their lives, backstories and why they are aimlessly travelling around Spain.  I did enjoy reading about the many different locations that the group explored, especially the museums, restaurants and clubs.  I especially liked the in-depth descriptions of the traditions surrounding the Running of the Bulls and the course itself.  The ending was satisfying and I'm glad Callie found her Hemingway.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ​

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