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ebbys_library's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
this was cute, but i hated the narrator for darren and it made it hard for me to enjoy the book. i liked the storyline, i liked the duel perspective, i liked the adventure, could have done without the romance for darren.
dowleyrachel's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I also loved the dialogue about home in this book. The author is from my hometown and we went to high school together in Indiana. I don’t think I’ve ever read a work that speaks so well to loving a place and knowing when you gotta leave. The book could’ve ended two chapters earlier, like most books do, but instead, she gives us a real ending that’s bittersweet and still open-ended.
Lastly, I love the message about choices and chasing after what you want. Sometimes people make it seems like life boils down to a few key choices, the biggest being to choose money/fame or love/relationship. But truly, it comes down to the little choices, which this book shows. We don’t slip into a bad ending, we choose it willfully. I like how Decklee’s ending is not Darren’s, nor is Darren the pure antithesis of Decklee. Their stories weave together beautifully while each remaining distinct and complex.
A great read for someone wanting a road trip and the 2.0 country music version of Evelyn Hugo.
nienkep's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lilyog_13's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Gives Evelyn Hugo vibes. It took me a while to get into the book, but I really liked the ending.
readingwithjen_'s review against another edition
3.0
Every Time You Hear That Song is a YA story where we see two young women embark on the same journey 60 years apart. Darren Purchase has always felt a strong kinship to country music icon Decklee Cassel: both are from the same small Arkansas town, Darren wants to leave town as soon as possible, and Darren also suspects the pair may also share being queer. When Decklee dies, she leaves a message to her fans that she has one final album for them-if they can follow her clues to find it. Finding the songs would give Darren a final part of the artist she loves, a once in a lifetime story for her journalism instagram account, and money her single mom needs to pay for her cancer bills. On the quest with her coworker Kendall, Darren hopes to find the lost songs- but also ends up finding a sense of understanding she hadn't expected.
The story features similarities to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Huego in that it tells the story of the hardships of a queer celebrity in the mid to late 1900's. Both of these books will get tagged in the romance genre, but I would consider this having less romance between the two characters in the past timeline and the romance between Kendall and Darren in the current timeline is pretty minor. Much like Evelyn Huego, there is a twist in the story that took me by surprise (although looking back through previous passages there are hints of it laid out). Overall I enjoyed this book, I liked all the pop culture references in the present timeline but I found the story in the past timeline hard to follow at times. I didn't get the full sense of what Decklee's goal for herself was outside of being at the top of the industry, and I wished there was a better sense of closure in her story since the events of it leave me with somewhat of a sad feeling.
Thank you Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book.
The story features similarities to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Huego in that it tells the story of the hardships of a queer celebrity in the mid to late 1900's. Both of these books will get tagged in the romance genre, but I would consider this having less romance between the two characters in the past timeline and the romance between Kendall and Darren in the current timeline is pretty minor. Much like Evelyn Huego, there is a twist in the story that took me by surprise (although looking back through previous passages there are hints of it laid out). Overall I enjoyed this book, I liked all the pop culture references in the present timeline but I found the story in the past timeline hard to follow at times. I didn't get the full sense of what Decklee's goal for herself was outside of being at the top of the industry, and I wished there was a better sense of closure in her story since the events of it leave me with somewhat of a sad feeling.
Thank you Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book.
skyhigh_99's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was such a cute story and like a modern Paper Towns with all the Dolly and Taylor Swift vibes
abbeycutts's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is an INCREDIBLE young adult romance. Maybe my favorite, I fear !
Every Time You Hear That Song is a love letter to country music, the South, queerness, and complex women. Ron DeSantis is going to have a heart attack, but I think every teenager should read this book. I really didn't expect to love this book as much as I do. Jenna Voris writes teenagers EXCEPTIONALLY well in a way that feels rich and real and not at all cliche. Teens in this book say fuck !! That alone is an anomaly in YA!!!
Above all else, this book is about the value of the South. It's a love letter to the accent, the food, the city, the people. Red states and small towns are worth fighting for and you can still have complicated feelings about those places, but we owe them our compassion.
Every Time You Hear That Song is a love letter to country music, the South, queerness, and complex women. Ron DeSantis is going to have a heart attack, but I think every teenager should read this book. I really didn't expect to love this book as much as I do. Jenna Voris writes teenagers EXCEPTIONALLY well in a way that feels rich and real and not at all cliche. Teens in this book say fuck !! That alone is an anomaly in YA!!!
Above all else, this book is about the value of the South. It's a love letter to the accent, the food, the city, the people. Red states and small towns are worth fighting for and you can still have complicated feelings about those places, but we owe them our compassion.
btorsi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
oh man i love this book. it was like evelyn hugo meets paper towns and for some reason that just works. it kept me hooked every page and i couldn't put it down. decklee was such an interesting character, even if she didn't get the ending i was hoping for. and hey, even the m/f romance didn't turn me off. but most of all, this book made me ache with nostalgia for my hometown. it felt like a love letter to small town america, and as someone who spent her entire childhood dreaming of a way out of her small town and now misses it like a heartbeat, decklee and darren felt so close to my heart and made me cry.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer and Homophobia
atgerstner's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25