Sing Like No One's Listening (SING)

by Vanessa Jones

Nettie Delany has just been accepted into a cutthroat performing arts school, but she hasn't been able to sing a single note since her mother died.

Duke's Academy of Performing Arts isn't for the weak-willed or easily intimidated; the school has mentored plenty of big names, including Nettie's own mother—a ballerina superstar. With the shadow of grief haunting her every step, Nettie has her work cut out for her if she plans to stay enrolled in a highly coveted program.

No room for error. Nettie must work through the pain of the past, horrible classmates, and vicious teachers to find her voice again and deliver a showstopper. If not, she faces expulsion. With the help of her friends and a new romance, can Nettie get it together in time? Everyone is watching.

Former West End performer and author Vanessa Jones delivers a well-crafted journey of grief and healing in this contemporary young adult novel. An ideal read for fans of theater and Broadway musicals.

• ISBN10: 168263194X
• ISBN13: 9781682631942
• Publish Date: 1 September 2020 (first published 18 April 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Peachtree Publishers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 304
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781682631942

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Despite her audition being a complete disaster, Nettie is accepted to a renowned arts program. The only problem is she can't sing. Not a note. Hopefully, Nettie is able to work through her grief and loss and be able to reclaim her voice before she is loses her spot at her dream school.

I had such a lovely time getting to know Nettie. Following her mother's death, she was more or less, on her own, at least emotionally. Life with her formerly estranged grandmother was not full of warm fuzzies. Rather, it was punctuated with sharp criticism and attempts to undercut Nettie's belief in herself. But Nettie didn't let it get her down. She was determined to get into Duke's and succeed at achieving her dreams.

In case you couldn't tell, it was really easy for me to root for Nettie. She had baggage and was dealing with a LOT, but she still kept her head up and her eyes on the prize. While at Duke's she encountered a lot of people who were set on making things difficult for her. They were hoping she would stumble and fall, but Nettie had grit and determination, and I loved her that much more for it.

As I said, Nettie was not only dealing with a lot of pain due to the loss of her mother, she was also struggling with a mental block which was keeping her from singing. The great thing was that Nettie was not alone in her struggle. She had a fabulous and colorful group of steadfast friends, who were there for her. They were all really so supportive of each other, and I admired and adored this little "family".

She was also fortunate to have stumbled into a friendship with Fletch. Fletch was someone who could really understand Nettie's pain, because he had also lost someone close to him. I think it was vital that she had someone like that to connect to, and that made Fletch an important part of her healing process. I actually was a fan of Nettie+Fletch. I thought they were rather adorable together even if there was some drama (isn't there always).

Like many other readers, I was curious to learn more about Nettie's mom's past. But, alas, those answers never came. It was sort of frustrating, but in all fairness, this was not her mom's story. In fact, Nettie explicitly stated (multiple times) that she was not trying to uncover these answers. Though I will never get the answers to some of my questions, I am ok with it.

I love grief books, and I thought this was a beautiful story of healing which managed to touch my heart. With stellar friendships and a fantastic musical score, Nettie was bound to ease her pain and find her voice, and I happily rooted for her along the way.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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