Review: Consonance by Lisa Malabanan

Consonance
written by Lisa Malabanan
published by Lisa Malabanan

find it here: Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Smashwords, Goodreads

Why did I pick this book: I participated in the book blast hosted by Literary Quill Promotions. (I received a copy of this book for review purposes.)

Did I enjoy this book: It was okay. I stuck with it until the end but I skimmed quite a bit of it.

When I received the invite for this blog tour, I was intrigued by the blurb. I wanted to read this book. It sounded exciting and fun. I love books about musicians. I play the piano. I went to college. It sounded right up my alley. And Consonance had some good parts but I was bored by most it. And a lot of the book seemed forced.

Elle is the narrator of this book. She is 18 years old and going to college in 1990. She seemed to have a good head on her shoulders and some wonderful friends. Her best friends, James and Drew, are like brothers to her. They grew up together and are now at the same college. I thought James and Drew were too overprotective of Elle. In fact, I found them to be rather controlling of her. I didn’t like it and it was uncomfortable.Their relationship was too much. Elle was constantly telling us that the brothers had her back and she had theirs. Their dialogue constantly said the same thing. I can’t imagine 18 and 20 year old boys being as emotional and devoted to a girl. They were constantly telling each other how much they cared for one another. It just didn’t jive with me.

Elle rooms with her best friend Tiffany and her boyfriend Sean lives nearby.Tiffany is dating James. She was pretty down to earth. Sean was a sweetheart. But, again, I don’t know how many 19 year old guys would stick around for a girl who is obviously infatuated with two other guys and doesn’t seem to care that much for her boyfriend. He also makes her dinner all the time. In college. Not real to me. She joins James and Drew’s band with Kevin and Ryan. They all get along wonderfully, and Kevin and Ryan soon become great friends with Elle. She is a bit swoony over each of them. No, she is overly swoony. So swoony that she apparently freezes and can’t breathe every time she sees them. I thought Kevin was cocky and Ryan was a bit to sure of himself. Neither of them respected Elle all that much. And Elle was fake around all of the boys. She tried too hard to hang with them. So hard that it was rather annoying, and I felt like she thought she was better than everyone else.

The main problem I had with this book was that the  narration and the dialogue did not match. For an 18 year old, the narration is too formal and unrealistic. Ms. Malabanan has a wonderful way of expressing what is going on and the feelings of the characters. But the expression is not appropriate for an 18 year old. The language was too old. I don’t know many 18 year old girl who discuss what “attire” they will be choosing for an event, or who would state how “savory” a meal is. The dialogue was forced. Yes, the usage of slang was correct for 1990. I remember saying “Wassup” and people being tight. BUT … when you put quotation marks around the slang in the dialogue, it makes is sound like that person is trying to hard to be “down” with it. (See what I did there. It doesn’t sound right, does it?) Honestly, it would have read better without the quotation marks. The dialogue would have been more realistic.

There’s potential here. The base story is good and interesting. The delivery is what bothered me.

Would I recommend it: I don’t think that I would actively recommend this book. Would I discourage someone from reading it? Absolutely not! But I wouldn’t tell everyone and anyone to read it.

Will I read it again: I will not.

About the book: Elle Martins is a gifted musician ready to start her first year at College. She is not alone. Elle has the security of her best friends and boyfriend nearby, attending the same University. Everything seems new and exciting, but the moment she joins a rock group, her life changes. The band becomes a favorite among the college crowd. Their performances are a hit thanks to Elle’s musical genius, and the band garners recognition from a major record label.

Throughout the school year, Elle struggles over music, decisions, insecurities, and most of all, love. She is grateful for many amazing opportunities, yet the chance of a lifetime is within her grasp. Can she choose the ultimate dream or leave the people she loves behind?

Happy reading wherever you are and whenever you get a free chance!!!