Night Music

by Jenn Marie Thorne

Ruby has always been Ruby Chertok: future classical pianist and daughter of renowned composer Martin Chertok. But after her horrendous audition for the prestigious music school where her father is on faculty, it’s clear that music has publicly dumped her. Now Ruby is suddenly just . . . Ruby. And who is that again? All she knows is that she wants away from the world of classical music for good.

Oscar is a wunderkind, a musical genius. Just ask any of the 1.8 million people who’ve watched him conduct on YouTube - or hey, just ask Oscar. But while he might be the type who’d name himself when asked about his favourite composer and somehow make you love him more for it, Oscar is not the type to jeopardise his chance to study under the great Martin Chertok - not for a crush. He’s all too aware of how the ultra-privileged world of classical music might interpret a black guy like him falling for his benefactor’s white daughter.

But as the New York City summer heats up, so does the spark between Ruby and Oscar. Soon their connection crackles with the same alive, uncontainable energy as the city itself. Can two people still figuring themselves out figure out how to be together? Or will the world make the choice for them?

• ISBN10: 0735228779
• ISBN13: 9780735228771
• Publish Date: 19 March 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 6 July 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Dial Books for Young Readers,US
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 400
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780735228771

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

This wasn't quite the rom-com I expected, but it was a beautiful story about music, first love, and discovering and nurturing your passion.

Oscar found himself thrust into the spotlight, when his musical talent was discovered and he was rewarded with a scholarship to the Amberley School. He was a bit of a fish out of water, but he worked hard to "fit" into this world, even sometimes at his own expense. This made me sad, because I adored him! Oscar was everything one would want in a YA character. He witty, amusing, charming, and music personified. He had this energy that drew me in and a personality that made him jump off the page. It was hard watching his situation suck the life-force from him, because Oscar was something special, and he burned so brightly.

While Oscar was my sunshine, Ruby was my rain cloud. Being the youngest family member of a veritable musical dynasty was not easy. Ruby was more than willing to assume her seat at the table, and had put in the time, with endless hours of practice over the past seven years. However, she now had to face the grim reality that she didn't possess the talent necessary to excel in the world she had always lived in. Wow! That had to be a tough pill to swallow, and this was a big loss for her. Thorne did an amazing job helping me understand the impact of this on Ruby, and my heart ached for her.

This, coupled with a few other big realizations could cripple a girl, but luckily, Ruby had her ooey-gooey romance with Oscar to distract her from that. Gosh! These two were beyond precious together. It started with great banter, and gradually moved to some really tooth-achingly-sweet tender moments. I would give almost anything to get some sort of epilogue or short story catching up with these two, because I thought they were perfection together. Though their circumstances were so different, they connected through a mutual love of music, as well as, a shared hurt from being used as pawns in the Amberley world.

I previously lamented the need for an epilogue, but even without that, I was satisfied with the way Throne tied up those loose ends. Some of the conclusions left me disappointed for our characters, but other made me warm and fuzzy. This was a fun, beautiful, and thoughtful romance with the bonus of a classical music soundtrack.

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