This is one of the most difficult ratings I've had to come up with-at least in a long time. Objectively, this is beautifully written. For the right reader this book will be an all-time favorite. But I'm not a big fan of flowery and symbolic writing. I can appreciate it, but would prefer to not read it. Also, I keep seeing this classified as a romance and it isn't. There are definitely people falling in love and maybe spoiler: a HEA. But the story isn't centered around any of those romances so it's not a romance novel.
I did enjoy this, but it was also a little heavy for me. I cried multiple times which I totally expected, but it still hit me every time. I just tend to lean more toward lighter books. That is all personal preference.
This is structured in a different way. It isn't particularly complex, but it kind of jumps around between different sets of characters as they are impacted by a love song travelling around the world. This, like the writing, is something I appreciate from an artistic perspective, but isn't my favorite thing. It prevents me from completely connecting with each of the characters. Maybe you aren't supposed to connect with them, but I want to!
The story does primarily focus on Arie as he recovers from the death of his long-term girlfriend. He is grieving and moving on (for lack of a better term). That was where a lot of the emotion came in for me. His grief/pain was raw and heartbreaking. It felt so real and I loved how he handled different situations. He had a relationship with his girlfriend's mom that really got to me. And there is a romance involved in this, which I liked, but wasn't as developed as much as I would've wanted. But that also comes down to expectations. If you don't look at it as a romance novel that might be more satisfying.
I may have given this 3 stars-which is a perfectly good rating, but I can definitely see how this would be a new favorite and 5 star read for certain readers.
Thanks for reading!
Holly