Review: A great adaptation and fun read
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 10, 2013
Some books take very little to sell me on them. Another Little Piece of My Heart was definitely one of those. For anyone who loves music and/or Jane Austen, how could you resist? There is, of course, a lot of fear that the book wouldn't maximize on that potential, but that is most definitely not the case here! Another Little Piece of My Heart is a fun and utterly engaging musical tale of a second chance in love and in family.First and foremost, I wanted to read this book because it is a retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion, which I adore. That also means I have high standards for adaptations. Another Little Piece of My Heart does a really good job of adapting the general plot of Persuasion without getting absorbed in following the original to a T. I could see where many of the scenes fit, but they were never trying too hard to be Jane Austen set in New Hampshire with music. It still felt very organic, and someone who doesn't know Austen's story wouldn't be bothered in the least.What I loved about this book, though, is that even as the story is of Claire and Jared's second chance together, there's just so much more going on. Claire has to deal with her fears of what the future might hold, since she no longer has the money to attend college. She comes to realize, in true teenager fashion, that not everything wrong with her relationships is someone else's fault, that she is to blame for shutting people out. She learns to have confidence not only in herself but in her talents. Even in her relationship with Jared, she has to learn forgiveness and how to see his side of the story. The development of Claire's character is really well done; she goes through a very real and natural progression in the summer following her high school graduation--which is a scary time for anyone, especially someone who can't go to college with her friends the next fall.Needless to say, I really enjoyed reading Another Little Piece of My Heart. Though I didn't really touch on it, the music is present and vibrant, an all-surrounding melody that only adds to the story. (I especially can't fault anyone for that great playlist in the back! Anyone who includes Mumford & Sons is cool in my book.) It is a quick, fun, and summery read that will warm your heart in this cold weather.I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.