Wow wow wow. I was lucky enough to win an ARC of this book in a giveaway and I am so happy I did. I went into this thinking it would be a queer, coming of age story set in the South about the perils of fame and how the choices we make define us. And though this book was definitely that, it was also so much more and I wasn't entirely prepared for what I got.

Every Time You Hear That Song is such really two stories in one. One begins with Darren in present day and the other travels through several decades with Decklee Cassel. So in a way, one story is mostly stationary and it's the mystery of it that's moving Darren's POV forward. And then there's Decklee's POV that is jumping through years and we're seeing her go from being a young, fifteen-year-old, to eventually being much older in the present, so her story eventually catches up to Darren's in a way that was really fascinating to read. I loved having this book told in this way and I think it worked perfectly for these stories.

The characters themselves are really brilliant to read. These characters go through a lot and there's a lot of messiness surrounding them, particularly Decklee and Darren. But they felt so authentic and flawed. The ending is bittersweet, but felt right for the characters and the core of who they were. This made it a little sad for me, but it felt very true for how life is and the way it works out. So it's realistic and messy and sad but a really beautiful narrative of being a queer teen in the South and the complicated feelings and experiences this brings up. 

This book was such a pleasant surprise and I can't recommend it more!