Wonderful Feels Like This

Starred review from January 23, 2017
Empathy, identity, and the transformative power of music bind this tale of an atypical friendship between a teenage outcast and a jazz musician. Swedish teen Steffi Herrera doesn’t fit in at her school, where the other girls malign her dark hair and eyes, comparing her Cuban skin to feces and hurling other racist insults at her. When Steffi hears her favorite jazz artist playing from the window of a retirement home, she knows she has found a kindred spirit. During Steffi’s regular visits, 89-year-old Alvar recounts his own teenage struggles in Stockholm during WWII, his love for a woman named Anita, and his days as a jazz musician. Steffi and Alvar’s stories intersect in surprising ways as they find solace in each other and their musical prowess while coping with harsh realities. There’s a an easy, languid flow to Lövestam’s omniscient third-person storytelling as different characters take the spotlight, but the author doesn’t soft-pedal mortality, Alzheimer’s, or Steffi’s bullies—Steffi’s self-control is all the more courageous in the face of their genuine cruelty. Ages 12–up. Agent: Marina Penalva, Pontas Literary & Film Agency.

Starred review from January 15, 2017
Fifteen-year-old Steffi Herrera feels the beat of jazz in her soul, but is that enough to sustain her against her classmates' relentless bullying?Returning home from school, she overhears jazz emanating from a window and follows the sound to the retirement-home room of Alvar, nearly 90 and a former jazz musician. These two unlikely friends gradually reveal their stories, Steffi of her music and Alvar of his experiences as a country boy trying to make his way in the jazz world of World War II Stockholm. Steffi's father is Cuban; her Caribbean roots make her stand out in her small Swedish town, where she's a lightning rod for her brutal classmates, who insult her, spit on her, and otherwise make her life at school a torment. Achingly talented, she withdraws into her music but suffers nonetheless, her misery blended with her older sister's, confused by wakening lesbian feelings. Inviting transitions smoothly shift readers into diffident Alvar's parallel story, as he acquires jazz band experience and tries to find a way to make attractive, charming Anita fall in love with him. A deliberate pace enhances the carefully nuanced progress of Alvar's relationship with Anita but also with her latter-day alter ego, Steffi, although the aging musician's connection with her is as a desperately needed mentor. The translation from Swedish is smooth, and the culture, though different, will feel recognizable and relevant to American readers. Sensitive and deeply moving: outstanding. (Fiction. 12 & up)

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April 1, 2017

Gr 8 Up-Fifteen-year-old Steffi Herra spends every free moment listening to classic jazz recordings, writing song lyrics, or practicing walking bass lines on her guitar. This love of music provides a welcome distraction from her nonexistent social life, annoying family, and taunting classmates. Steffi has been the butt of cruel pranks for years and feels powerless to stop the abuse. One day, she hears her favorite song coming from a window on her way home from school. It is the local nursing home, and the tune is being played by Alvar, an elderly bass player. Steffi becomes a regular visitor, and the garrulous gent spins records on his gramophone and recounts his journey to Stockholm to be a part of the nascent jazz scene during World War II. Alvar was actually there and making a name for himself as a working musician when the tunes were recorded. Not only do Steffi and Alvar bond over their love of music but he also empowers her to see beyond the confines of her small town and to pursue her passion. The period details of the war years and bits of Swedish culture are rich and evocative, and Steffi's story is universal and will appeal to music lovers and outsiders anywhere. VERDICT This is an offbeat (in a good way) and engaging novel that riffs on issues of bullying, gender identity, self-esteem, and life choices. It is ultimately a coming-of-age tale of a young artist and is as soulful as it is triumphant. A good choice for most YA shelves.-Luann Toth, School Library Journal

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