Review: This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales || Where DJ’ing Opens Up a Whole New World

Title: This Song Will Save Your Life
Author: Leila Sales
Standalone
Genre: Contemporary, [Young-Adult]
Heat Rating: Cool
Page Count and Format: 288, Paperback
Published: October 10th 2013 by Macmillan Children’s Books (UK)
Source: Purchased
My Rating:

Blurb (from Goodreads):

All her life, Elise Dembowski has been an outsider. Starting a new school, she dreams of fitting in at last – but when her best attempts at popularity fail, she almost gives up. Then she stumbles upon a secret warehouse party. There, at night, Elise can be a different person, making real friends, falling in love for the first time, and finding her true passion – DJ’ing.
But when her real and secret lives collide, she has to make a decision once and for all: just who is the real Elise?

An irresistible novel about hope, heartbreak and the power of music to bring people together.

I had this book for a looooong time. I can’t even remember how long but suddenly I picked up this book a few days ago and it didn’t take me much longer to gobble it up though I have to say I had a weird relationship with this book. But I love the cover!!!

Eliza has been a loner and outsider for as long as she remembers. She attempts a final try to gain popularity among her peers by taking one of the most dangerous and foolish methods that one can do but it doesn’t go the way she planned it. When she accidentally stumbles upon an underground party (Wish I would too. Ha!), she finds a passion in DJ’ing and she finally starts to feel as if she belongs but will that last long enough?

I had read so many mixed reviews about this book, so I was quite apprehensive at first. Also, I felt that book started pretty horribly. I immediately wanted to put it down, infact I was ready to DNF it but I just read to give a couple of more pages before I put an end to it. Thankfully I did so because as everything proceeded, I began enjoying this book.

“Don’t you ever want to have just one thing that no one else knows about, so no one can ruin it for you?”

Eliza was a flawed character. She was so desperate to fit in, that she forgot to be herself. Which is definitely the most important thing. #LifeLessonkids. Anyway, she didn’t even try to socialize but when it came to gaining popularity, she was ready to go down a horrendous path without thinking about the consequences. I was really angry with her character, in the beginning, I mean I understood but I still wanted her to stand up and face the problems head on but she always chose the easier way out.

“That’s the problem with life. You never get enough time to stare at your ceiling and try to figure out what’s going on.”

Finally, when she stumbles upon the nightclub and discovers DJ’ing (that was accidental too, kind of) she begins to feel a certain amount of joy and passion about it.

It was from then onwards I could see the real Eliza. Among Pippa and Vicky, I definitely loved Vicky. She didn’t judge and was really a good friend to Eliza. The romance aspect was little in this book and kind of weird, I didn’t like Char at all, he was all kinds of wrong, especially for Eliza. She deserved so much better.

“Throughout it all, you are still, always, you: beautiful and bruised, known and unknowable.”

Anyway, I loved how the book escalated. Eliza DJ’ing was one of the best parts of this book. She finally finds herself. And I loooooved the parents!! And how supportive they were of Eliza and protective at the same time.

Overall, This Song Will Save Your Life was a fun and quick read. The plot could have been a little better but I enjoyed the execution nonetheless. Also, I enjoyed Eliza’s character growth throughout the whole book. She was not exactly rude but too guarded and DJ’ing bought out the real her. I loved the friendship aspect of this book too and what Eliza did for Vicky!! The writing was smooth and easy to read and the pace was even throughout the book.

Recommend it?

Yes!