Author: Jen Sanya Williamson
Genre: YA (aspects of fantasy)
Pages: 216
Series: Stand alone (as far as I can tell)
Publisher: Booktrope
Ratings: 4.5 stars
Riley Witt is running out of time.
Battling Alzheimer’s disease, Riley’s grandmother Mary suffers from memory loss, mood swings, and a tendency to wander off.
As senior year approaches, Riley has to face the reality that the one person she depends on most is slowly fading. Making matters worse, when Mary does remember the past, she tells tales of time travel and visions. As Mary’s version of the past gets more confused, Riley knows they are running out of time together.
But when Riley discovers a guitar belonging to a famous rock star at Mary’s house, the truth behind the crazy tales finally comes out.
SIX STRINGS tells the story of Riley’s journey back to 1973 where she enters a world of music, long-lost family, and first love. Her adventure is all about discovering her past, understanding her present, and figuring out how to step into her future.
I must say, when I was first offered to review this book I leapt at the opportunity. I had never heard of it, yet I was intrigued by the synopsis. I haven't really read a book quite like this one and I have to say it was not what I expected.
When I started the book I have to admit that I was in the midst of (as many avid readers will understand) a reading slump, so it took me longer than usual to get into the book, but I have to say, it certainly proved me wrong.
The first thing I truly loved about this book was the characters. I know I say this so often, but everybody loves a hero/heroin they can look up to and relate to. I am a strong believer that people decide their favourite characters based on people who simply remind them of themselves. As for the protagonist in Six Strings? Riley was so relatable in the way that she hated missing school, was the typical 'good girl' and constantly had to remind herself to 'be brave'. I loved her spirit and her viewpoint of the world. I not only love Riley but I adored all of the characters in their own ways.
Jen Sanya Williamson deserved massive praise on her perfect balance when describing characters. We were given great factors of the characters but not lengthy detail so that our imaginations were left with no work.
Another thing I loved about the book was the fantasy aspect. The ideas, although breached before were different and unique, giving the book a refreshing and fun story to read. I loved the fast-pace of the book, giving you no time to get bored.
The next thing I want to mention is the romance. I am a sucker for books with romance in and I find that the books I most enjoy have at least a small aspect of romance in this. Jen Sanya Williamson made a 'simple' romance into something quite beautiful and although it was a powerful thing, it didn't totally dominate the story and the fantasy and other threads to the story were not overpowered.
The relationships between all of the characters were so accurate and amazingly portrayed. The hints of romantic chemistry, the hostility and unconditional love were measured out almost perfectly and I thought that the characters never overreacted or under reacted which sometimes happens in a book where there are so many different relationships and such life-altering things threatening to jeopardise them.
The plot of the book got better and better and I really enjoyed how the story played out. my one criticism would be that at the beginning, I wasn't as hooked as I would have liked to have been. However, I finished the book hungry for more.
I have to say, I didn't realise how much I was enjoying the book until I realised I had been reading it for 2 hours straight and as I looked down and realised I had devoured 88% of the book I was utterly annoyed and frustrated as I simply didn't want my reading experience to draw to a close so soon.
I'm not sure whether Six strings is going to have a sequel but I sincerely hope it does. I am intrigued and excited by Riley. Mary and their adventures. This book deserves hype and I would certainly recommend it to anyone.
Happy reading,
Hebe x
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