cw: lots of holocaust mentions and memories, including descriptions of deaths. However, if that doesn't bother you, I would 100% recommend this book. It's a journey through time and looking at the lives of four cellists, but the story weaves together a look at WW2 Europe and how music affected their lives in such different ways. It's a journey through the past and present as the author tries to track down the cellos belonging to the cellists, and coming to terms with what it means to be a musician and your relationship with your instrument. It's woven together beautifully and keeps you interested. If you're expecting dry, dusty non-fiction, you're not going to find that here. The stories are powerful, moving, and highlight just what music means to humanity. Please give this one a read.

If you're going into this expecting a linear story based in realism, don't. Otherwise, this book is amazing. Molly is an unhinged icon. It's wild, it's inflammatory, it's hilarious, and despite the first glance, there are certainly deep themes of death and rebirth throughout the book, both obvious and subtle. If you loved Brutes by Dizz Tate, you're going to love this one.

I did enjoy this one, some of the topics hit a little too close to home. Keru is certainly unhinged, but honestly, all of the characters are in their own little ways. It explores the themes of family complexities with humor and realism, which I appreciated. There's no sugarcoating or rose-tinted glasses. I do wish there was a bit more to the plot, and the storyline with Ethan was a bit more fleshed out, but overall worth the read.

I'm glad I gave this one another go because I did end up enjoying it, but it did take a hot minute for me to get into the story. I'm kind of glad it ended the way it did because to me, it was more realistic. It came together neatly and the exposè was satisfying. Overall, would recommend

I expected more from this in a few ways. The book was 95% relationship melodrama, 5% plague. Maybe it's the way this edition wrote the blurb, but it didn't really give what it was selling. If anything, the end of the world almost seemed like an afterthought while the characters are just struggling with each other. There is some realism to that, but the way Lionel and Co. responded felt like a charade of realism vs actual realism. It wasn't terrible, it just was not for me.