I’m so excited to be part of the TBR & Beyond tour for this book. Find the full tour schedule here.
About the book
Heartbreak Symphony by Laekan Zea Kemp
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Publishing Date: April 5, 2022
Synopsis:
Clap When You Land meets On the Come Up in this heart-gripping story about navigating first love and overcoming grief through the power of music.
Aarón Medrano has been haunted by the onstage persona of his favorite musician ever since his mother passed away. He seems to know all of Aarón’s deepest fears, like that his brain doesn’t work the way it should and that’s why his brother and father seems to be pushing him away. He thinks his ticket out is a scholarship to the prestigious Acadia School of Music. That is, if he can avoid blowing his audition.
Mia Villanueva has a haunting of her own and it’s the only family heirloom her parents left her: doubt. It’s the reason she can’t overcome her stage fright or believe that her music is worth making. Even though her trumpet teacher tells her she has a gift, she’s not sure if she’ll ever figure out how to use it or if she’s even deserving of it in the first place.
When Aarón and Mia cross paths, Aarón sees a chance to get close to the girl he’s had a crush on for years and to finally feel connected to someone since losing his mother. Mia sees a chance to hold herself accountable by making them both face their fears, and hopefully make their dreams come true. But soon they’ll realize there’s something much scarier than getting up on stage—falling in love with a broken heart.
Book Review
At the heart of Heartbreak Symphony is two teens whose worlds have shattered with the death of a parent. Mia and Aaron meet when they both are too afraid to go ahead with a music school audition, but it’s their pain and heartbreak that really bonds them. Both use music to express all the emotions they can’t find any other way to deal with. Their loss is set against the backdrop of the losses their Latinx community is suffering due to ICE raids and a planned community protest.
There’s a lot to unpack in this book, with Aaron visualizing his grief as a trash-talking robot and communicating with a mysterious person who may be a famous musician who sends him on tasks to help the community. Mia’s music teacher also gets Parkinsons, leading to more grief. But Mia and Aaron give each other the courage to pull out of their grief and learn to live again.
I felt this moved a little slowly at times, and I had a hard time remembering which characters were connected to which tragedy. But the love and strength of the community shines through in all of the supporting characters who make up Aaron and Mia’s shared world.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and TBR & Beyond Tours for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
About the author
Laekan Zea Kemp is a writer living in Austin, Texas. Her debut novel, Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet was a 2021 Pura Belpré Honor Recipient. In addition to writing she’s also the creator and host of the Author Pep Talks podcast, as well as a contributor to the Las Musas podcast. She has three objectives when it comes to storytelling: to make people laugh, cry, and crave Mexican food. Her work celebrates Chicane grit, resilience, creativity, and joy while exploring themes of identity and mental health.
