![]() Thank you to Candlewick Press for this ARC And when you show love, they don't either. I bet half the time, when people show you love, you barely even know it. I am sure many will enjoy this book, but unfortunately I wasn't one of them. I really appreciated the filipino rep too (ownvoices!), which came as a welcome surprise. The writing was well done, and had some nice prose at times particularly to do with music. I don't want to be overly critical of this book because it is a debut, and I didn't finish it. Of course there's nothing wrong with that- but again- wrong expectations from me. I can only speak for the first half of the novel, but from what I read it felt more like a coming of age, self discovery teen type of deal. I'm sure that premise still comes into play later, but I expected it to be a much larger aspect of the story than it was. But I made it to 50% through the book with none of that occurring. Private Lessons was marketed as a #MeToo book, featuring a young girl stuck in a manipulative relationship with her piano teacher. So when I stumbled upon this book on Netgalley, I thought it could suffice as a YA equivalent. However, because my library is shut, I was left with a yearning for a story I could not access. I went into this book with certain expectations in mind, and when they weren't realised I was disappointed.įor some context, I have recently heard nothing but amazing things about the book 'My Dark Vanessa', which similarly tackles issues of a manipulative student-teacher relationship. I think this book is a classic case of it's not you, it's me. Timely and vital, Private Lessons delves into a complicated student/teacher relationship, as well as class and cultural differences, with honesty and grace. Author Cynthia Salaysay composes a moving, beautifully written portrait of rigorous perfectionism, sexual awakening, and the challenges of self-acceptance. She practices constantly, foregoing a social life, but no matter how hard she works or how well she plays, it seems impossible to gain Paul’s approval, let alone his affection. ![]() Soon Claire loses herself in Paul’s world and his way of digging into a composition’s emotional core. ![]() In the hopes of earning a college scholarship, Claire auditions for Paul Avon, a prominent piano teacher, who agrees to take Claire as a pupil. Claire likes herself best when she plays his old piano, a welcome escape from the sadness - and her traditional Filipino mother’s prayer groups. In a standout debut for the #MeToo era, a young pianist devotes herself to her art - and to the demanding, charismatic teacher she idolizes.Īfter seventeen-year-old Claire Alalay’s father's death, only music has helped her channel her grief.
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