Kathy's Review:Another TBR Pile Challenge book. This one has been on my TBR pile since 2010, when it received literary acclaim. I had very high hopes for this one, as it centers around a music producer who falls for a girl in a band. I was hoping for some hip, Nick Hornby-like writing. I think what I got was if Nick Hornby and David Foster Wallace had a baby. And I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this, but I am not a DFW fan. I have a 50-page rule when it comes to books. I give it until page 50. If I’m not into it by then, I move on. I have too many other books waiting for their turn. I struggled to get to page 50 with this one, I really did. I wanted to like it, and I just had a hard time with it. Part of it is the writing style. There was at least one word on each page that I had to look up. And I’m by no means a dummy when it comes to language! So this is not for the average reader. And then, around page 45, I started to like it. I got used to the way Phillips writes, and I charged on. I kind of fell in and out of love with this book, and almost gave up on it several times. Finally, though, I persevered through the end of the book. My conclusions: I’m not sure whether I am to view Julian’s actions as creepy or romantic, although Cait seems to be ok with everything he does, even herself engaging in some creepy/stalkerish/romantic behavior back at him. I’m not sure how the death of Julian’s son several years ago is supposed to factor in, but it does, somehow. And I am hugely disappointed at the many twists of fate that keep Julian and Cait apart. I know that’s what makes the book work, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it. All in all, I think this book is a little bit intellectually bogged down to be digestible by the mainstream reader. If you are into indie music and dig chicks in bands, maybe you want to give this one a try. But otherwise, I’m sorry to say, skip this one. This Song is Not For You. I was expecting High Fidelity like most readers and when I read the prologue I was instantly hooked. As an avid reader and music lover I can certainly reminisce on certain songs and be instantly transported to a day from my past and feel the emotions that I felt that day. When I read the first passage, I thought I was going to love this book. However this wasn't the case. As many other reviews pointed out, the prose wasn't well constructed and as the book continued I was hoping the story would become more like the prologue. This would have made a great short story instead.
What do You think about The Song Is You (2009)?
eh, not my thing...characters were hard to connect with
—Devendrabudholiya
Got through three chapters, just wasn't feeling it.
—samir1997
