Fresh New Voice of YA- Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly

Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly
"Sixteen-year-old, music- and sound design-obsessed Drea doesn’t have friends. She has, as she’s often reminded, issues. Drea’s mom and a rotating band of psychiatrists have settled on “a touch of Asperger’s.”

Having just moved to the latest in a string of new towns, Drea meets two other outsiders. And Naomi and Justin seem to actually like Drea. The three of them form a band after an impromptu, Portishead-comparison-worthy jam after school. Justin swiftly challenges not only Drea’s preference for Poe over Black Lab but also her perceived inability to connect with another person. Justin, against all odds, may even like like Drea.

It’s obvious that Drea can’t hide behind her sound equipment anymore. But just when she’s found not one but two true friends, can she stand to lose one of them?"- summary from Amazon

This was a wonderful debut. I enjoyed the small look into the little-known world of Asperger's. Drea is a really compelling character that I loved reading about, and the whole cast of characters shines. Kelly's writing is lyrical and flows easily. I liked reading about the formation of the band and their practices; music is something that doesn't seem to be touched on much in YA and I really liked the addition of it. It was really interesting to read about Drea's sound equipment and how she put together tracks.

The romance was predictable, but still very fun to read; what was good about it is that it was realistic. The connection is developed over time and not rushed at all, mainly due to Drea's social awkwardness. The ending was unpredictable and was a surprise (at least to me), but made sense in the grand scheme of things. I'm excited to read more from Kelly. Definitely a debut to check out!

FTC: Received book from Around the World tours. Link above is Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.