A Song to Take the World Apart

July 18, 2016
The transition from a child into a young adult is rarely easy; Romanoff’s debut addresses the depth and breadth of love, friendship, and choice, blending them with a touch of fantasy to underscore the struggles inherent in growing up and growing wiser. Lorelei, a high school sophomore, has been raised in a quiet Los Angeles home devoid of music, thanks to Oma, her grandmother. Even though Lorelei has older brothers and parents living under the same roof, they all seem to be perfect strangers orbiting Oma. When Lorelei’s desire to sing can no longer be contained, and tragedy descends on the home, her life veers out of her control. The introspective third-person narrative dwells in Lorelei’s psychological landscape: despite the headiness of a handsome senior taking notice of her and the terrifying joy of pressing boundaries and keeping secrets, Lorelei can’t escape her sense of isolation. While Romanoff’s writing is elegant and evocative, the story falls just short of inspiring a sense of wonder where Lorelei’s supernatural discoveries are concerned, instead circling moodily around the difficulties of maturing. Ages 12–up. Agent: Logan Garrison, Gernert Company.

June 15, 2016
A young woman encounters first love and family secrets in this lyrical debut.Lorelei Felson lives a quiet life--literally, as her German-immigrant parents forbid music in their Venice, California, house and are mysteriously silent about their pasts. Workaholic Petra and bemused husband Henry leave the child-rearing of Lorelei and her older twin brothers, Nik and Jens, to stern grandmother Oma, but Oma's death derails the dysfunctional family. Blonde, white sophomore Lorelei rebels by falling for rocker senior Chris Paulson, also white, but their relationship remains unofficial and riddled with lies due to Chris' allegedly co-dependent mom and fickle band mates. Like her olive-skinned friend Zoe Soroush, Lorelei navigates typical teen trials--first boyfriend, first chance at sex, first breakup--but Lorelei also discovers that she is a siren. Grieving and in love, Lorelei accidentally, then intentionally sings to compel and control those around her until she must take responsibility for her recklessness. Romanoff's writing is both artistically impressionistic and raw with emotion; the pace is slow, plot minimal, and secondary characters inscrutable, but the protagonist is often entrancing. Lorelei's angst-y self-discovery best reads as a coming-of-age allegory with a superfluous supernatural twist. No aquatic frolic but a moody meditation on loss and love. (Paranormal romance. 14-18)

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August 1, 2016

Gr 7-10-From birth, Lorelei has been told to avoid singing. Her German grandmother warns her that her voice is dangerous, that it has uncontrollable powers that will destroy her and those around her. As a child, Lorelei obeyed her grandmother without question. But now she is in high school; she has met an enchanting new boy, Chris; and the urge to sing thrums through her body like never before. As a sophomore, Lorelei encounters all of the regular high school issues-identity struggles, unrequited crushes, and changing friendships-but now she's uncovered a darker part of her past that is taking over her life. Her mother and grandmother call it a curse. Her great-aunt claims it's a gift, if used correctly. As she navigates friendships, starts a new relationship, and continues to unravel the mystery of music in her family's lives, Lorelei must find out for herself if her singing has the power to harm or to heal. Romanoff uses lush, lyrical language to tell Lorelei's story. The prose pulls readers along and makes the protagonist and her friends and family all the more relatable, despite the magical undercurrents of the mysterious secret. VERDICT Fans of fairy tales will enjoy this book for its hints of a mythical tale set in a modern time period.-Tabitha Nordby, Red River College, Manitoba, Canada

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