Review: Harp's Song

Harp's Song (Harp's Song #1) by Cassie Shine

 

Title: Harp's Song

Series: Harp's Song, #1

Author: Cassie Shine

 

Published: Patchwork Press; 2014

302 pages, kindle editon

 

Source: Netgalley

Rating: 2 stars

 

Description (from Goodreads):

In just a few months Harp Evans will be officially coming of age and graduating from high school. She will be free from the mother that never wanted her, the house that never felt like home, and the disappointment of the last seventeen years. What she doesn’t know is that her mother has been holding onto a secret that has the potential to derail her dreams and destroy her already faulty sense of self.

A self-proclaimed recluse, Harp spends most of her time practicing the cello, in the hopes of earning a full scholarship that will grant her freedom, but will also send her away from her best friend Connor Williams, who is becoming more than just a friend.

As revelations are made, will Harp still feel the same way about leaving everyone that cares about her behind? Or will she continue to pursue the life she’s been dreaming of, for as long as she can remember?

My Thoughts:

Harp's Song was a toughie for me. I just couldn't get into it, no matter how hard I tried. There was something missing from the writing. It was choppy and lacked a rhythm. I found it very, very hard to follow. Add that to some asshats for characters and a dull plotline, and this just wasn't my book. Harp was an okay character to start with. I wasn't fond of her but I've read about much worse and was interested to see how she would develop across the book. Unfortunately, she didn't. In fact, she o...more Harp's Song was a toughie for me. I just couldn't get into it, no matter how hard I tried. There was something missing from the writing. It was choppy and lacked a rhythm. I found it very, very hard to follow. Add that to some asshats for characters and a dull plotline, and this just wasn't my book. Harp was an okay character to start with. I wasn't fond of her but I've read about much worse and was interested to see how she would develop across the book. Unfortunately, she didn't. In fact, she only got worse. I ended up being simply irritated by her. She was rash to act, made some stupid decision that made no logical sense and she didn't stop to think about her actions. I didn't like any of her friends either. Connor and Ethan were both two-faced at times, and I could never figure out if they were decent guys or not. One minute they were sweet and the next they were beating the crap out of a guy for no reason. Harp's mother did nothing but infuriate me. Her character was not handled well in the slightest. Her sudden personality change was not only unrealistic and completely random, but it made the plotline change directions - and that just made the book take an even more boring and unbelievable route. The twists and turns were not plotted out well. Not only did they include many clichés but they were random and... its really hard to explain more without giving anything away. I'll leave it by saying that the "twist" I am talking about was simply not handled well. The ending also didn't work for me, if you could call it an ending. The book simply stopped. Now I have to pick up Harp's Voice if I want to know how Harp's story ends! Note: a copy was provided courtesy of Cassie Shine and Patchwork Press, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. No compensation was given or taken during this process.