Jessica MartinezRezensionen

I had honestly never heard of Virtuosity, and I initially began reading this book simply because I play violin. I thought it would be more about the music, but I was instantly sucked in by the plot. While a sappy, predictable, boy-meets-girl type of romance, the main character's internal conflict was the main focus, It was an easy read, yet is still gripping and heart-wrenching. I read this book in one sitting. I just couldn't put it down! But I definitely highly recommend this to anyone looking for a good, quick read and it is something I would definitely re-read.½

Egalley thanks to Simon & Schuster

Absolutely beautiful book!

I usually stay away from contemporary romance be that adult or YA literature, but I always make exception for books about dancers or musicians. They fascinate me.

I read this book in one go. The writing sucks you right in, the pace is breathtaking and totally engrossing.

Carmen is a very likable character who is n the verge of breaking under her mother's demands and unbearable pressure of music competition. She is a child prodigy, who toured around the world playing as a solo violinist in the most prestigious venues for years.

She also started suffering from anxiety and panic attacks few years ago. And what did her ambitious mother do? Put her on Inderal instead of helping her with the therapy.

Now, off topic - I've worked in the pharmacy mainly dealing with psychiatric hospitals and rehabs, I also wrote quite a few articles on anxiety and depression. There are a lot of wonderful therapies, like cognitive-behavioral therapy which helps dealing with anxiety. Drugs just suppress it, but the causes of your problem stay until you learn to deal with them.

So whatever Carmen's mother was doing was destroying the girl's life. Until she met her adversary and main competitor, a brilliant violinist Jeremy.

These two were wonderful for each other, snarky and paranoid in the beginning, they got together on a dare, defying Carmen's mother and with the ulterior motives on Jeremy's side.
But what Jeremy did for Carmen is showed her that she forgot the joy music brought her without her drugs, how it used to make her feel alive.

Meeting Jeremy made Carmen re-evaluate what's important and take a step towards being independent, defy her mother and her teacher, and just live.

I loved her courage, her struggle to do what's right. Jeremy was just as complicated and multi-layered. He, um-m reminded me of Alex Pettyfer in Wild Child - cocky, but nice.

I loved that these two saw music in each other, but the romance wasn't the driving force in this book, - finding one's way was.

This is an great story! From the very first chapter I was intrigued by what surrounded Valentina yet she didn’t know.

Plot: This is about a girl who finds out her father is not who he says he is. She runs away only to discover more secrets. One thing that really pulled me into this plot was Valentina herself. She was blissfully unaware of her fathers actions and left so thinking she was done for. The plot carries this deep power struggle of facing her past as well as what she can do for her future.

Friendship/Love: This area totally caught me by surprise because I thought this was a safe haven for Valentina. After discovering so much about her life, truly this area has to be good for her. Instead it bit her…bad. It crept up on me since I was so caught up with Valentina and her discovering her fathers secrets. I honestly didn’t second guess it and even fell for every word he said.

Ending: I like the ending. After coming to a conclusion, Valentina takes matters into her own hands. Which I really enjoyed. I liked seeing her prove everyone wrong. She took what power she had left and made it work for her. You go girl!

This is a spectacular story that completely captured me. I really enjoyed the secrets, the action as well as the development of Valentina.

Seventeen-year-old Carmen has always been obsessed with playing the violin. It’s her life and breath. She is nothing without it, which is why she has to be the best. After being discovered as a child prodigy, her whole life has revolved around touring, concerts, recordings, lessons, and planning everything around her next competition. Read the rest of my review on my blog: http://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/virtuosity-jessica-martinez/

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Unique, heartwarming story that kept me intrigued the entire time. While it was slower paced, that in no way deterred me devouring this from start to finish.

Opening Sentence: “Jane, darling, you have to keep still.”

The Review:

Valentina Cruz’s world was turned upside down when she realized everyone she loved wasn’t what they seemed. She grew up in a very privileged home with a lot of money. Her mother left her when she was just a little girl, so her father raised her and her two older sisters by himself. She had a happy life with a wonderful boyfriend. She always thought that her father was a wealthy arts trader and she loved him unconditionally. Her boyfriend, Emilio, was older then her and worked for her father. Valentina always had a very close relationship with her father until one dreaded night when she witnessed her father ordering a murder that her boyfriend carried out.

Valentina did the only thing she could think of, she ran. At first she had no idea what to do, but eventually she found herself in Montreal, Canada. It has been 3 months since she left and while it hasn’t been easy she is getting by. She lives in a crappy apartment with a bunch of roommates and works as a model for a weird, but very rich artist. She now goes by the name of Jane and for the time being she is content. But Valentina can only run so far before the past catches up to her, and eventually she will have to face what she saw that night. The two people she trusted most in the world aren’t what they seemed, but who are they really?

Valentina was a very interesting girl that was lost. She is a young girl that just realized her entire life was a lie; I can’t even begin to imagine how devastating that would be. All the people she loved betrayed her and really she has nothing left. Throughout the story she goes on a journey of self discovery and while she makes a lot of mistakes she eventually finds herself. Because I got to experience so much with her, I developed a very strong connection with her. She is a smart girl even though there are times she lets her heart guide her to making some poor decisions, but this is a very normal for teenage girls. I know when I was a teenager I made a lot of stupid mistakes because I listened to how I was feeling instead of doing what I knew was right. But eventually, Valentina becomes a woman that I could admire and cheer for.

Kiss, Kill, Vanish was a very unique story that I really enjoyed. It was a slower paced novel, but it still kept my interest the whole time. From the very beginning, I was hooked and I found that it was almost impossible to put it down. When I wasn’t reading I kept wishing I was. Personally, I have always found the Mafia fascinating so I knew when I read the synopsis of this story I was going to like it and it did not disappoint me. The plot was interesting and there was an air of mystery throughout the whole story that keeps you intrigued. There is also a large group of secondary characters that play a big role in the story, but I’m not going to go into detail about them because I don’t want to spoil anything. I really loved some of the secondary characters and Martinez did a wonderful job creating all of them. While there wasn’t a lot of romance in the story the little there was, was done perfectly. Overall, this was just a well written story that was both heartwarming and entertaining. I would highly recommend this to anyone that enjoys young adult contemporary/mystery novels!

Notable Scene:

Plop.

I don’t turn to the sound. It’s coming from the en suite bathroom, which, I sense without seeing, is open wide. For one moment, I let myself notice how satisfying the sound is, before it has meaning. It’s round and crisp with its own tiny echo.

Plop.

Another drop. Except it’s not the metallic ping of a leaky faucet where water meets metal, or the splat of a washcloth dripping on a marble countertop. It’s water meets water. I shouldn’t be here.

Plop.

But the same dread that pushed me into Marcel’s room turns my head now, drags me toward the perfect, echoing sound, pulls my eyes into the yellowed bath room light where a painting has been brought to life. It’s a grotesque version of Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam. Half of it, at least. Just Adam, no God.

Plop.

An arm, thin and purplish, juts out over the edge of the bathtub, manicured fingers dangling in the air, life less. His rippling torso is not the muscled perfection Michelangelo painted, but sallow skin stretched over rows of ribs, slumped sideways, marred with nipples like bruises.

Plop.

FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Kiss, Kill, Vanish. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Jane is trying hard to make enough money to survive in cold Montreal. She plays her mandolin for tips and poses for a rich but untalented artist named Lucien. Valentina Cruz ran away from home in Miami after seeing her beloved father and her lover kill a man and took on the identity of Jane. Leaving her privileged life behind, while in Montreal she begins to unravel the truth about her family and the key to her father's wealth and power. She feels she needs to act before it is too late and figure out a way to make sure there is justice and some revenge.
While the book worked hard to eek out details slowly, the patience that it took to get in to the story had a huge payoff as the twists and turns came fast and furious toward the end of the book.

This is a story of friendship, family, and love. What would you give up for your best friend? Would you give up family? A chance at true love? Your future? These are the questions Annie is challenged with when her best friend Mo is going to be deported.

The story is told from dual points-of-view. I didn’t particularly love either main character, but out of the two I think Mo was my favorite. Mo was bitter and rough around the edges for a seventeen year old, but there were moments when his funny, sweet, or sensitive side would peek through and that is why I liked him. As for Annie, I don’t know why but I felt disconnected from her and her emotions. I really admired her commitment to Mo and their friendship, I just wasn’t able to connect with her on an emotional level.

Overall this isn’t your average contemporary romance. This is a story that deals with racism, deportation, friendship, family, grief, but most of all it’s a story about love, in all it’s different forms.

MAJOR SPOILER WARNING BELOW: I HAD TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY READ IT.


The thing I didn’t like about the ending was that I felt like Annie was deciding between Mo and Reed. I totally would have understood Annie changing her mind about marrying Mo for not wanting to upset her family, not wanting to give up art school, those were all legit reasons. I just didn’t like feeling like she gave him up for Reed. I mean her and Mo had been best friends since they were ten. She barely knew Reed, yes she thought it was love but was it really? He was only there for the summer and then he’d be going back to college and what then?

Amelia has always been overshadowed by her charismatic little sister Charly, but when Charly’s careless actions lands both sisters exiled to Canada, Amelia’s jealousy turns to anger. Anger that could make her regret everything, especially after Charly’s secret is revealed.
I loved this book, mostly because it surprised me. In the beginning Amelia has a very limited view of her sister’s teen pregnancy, even going so far as to insinuate that it is worse than her getting cancer. I was concerned that it would be a running theme throughout the book sending a very damaging message to young teens, but then Amelia begins to evolve from the influences of people she meets while exiled with her sister to Canada. While no clear cut right or wrong lines are drawn we are left with a sense of well developed characters with well developed motives.

Loved, loved, loved this book! Fresh and unpredictable, and deliciously satisfying.

Okay, so I read the synopsis for The Vow on Pulseit and was REALLY excited to read it (you can actually read the entire novel now through the 27th for free!). As I was reading, I found it enthralling and altogether a compelling read–the relationships between the characters and the tragedies and the twists really hooked me. But as the story went on, I realized that what I hoped would happen was not actually how it was going to end. Sometimes I will initially find myself disappointed in a book as a whole, when really it just didn’t end how I necessarily expected it to, even though the book itself was truly well-written (a trait I’m desperately working to remedy, trust me). I’m all for pleasant surprises, but this seemed like an abrupt and unfair ending to the book. But then the more I look at it, maybe that was part of the point of the ending–throughout the book I kept coming across the theme that life isn’t fair, and that you can’t always live for everyone else–you matter. So yes, it was a slight bummer that the story didn’t wrap up like I thought it would, and it seemed a little unresolved, but all in all it was an enticing read and I did enjoy it–and yes, I would still recommend you read it, fair follower (or random, stumble-upon stranger). With all that taken into account, I’d give it a fair 3.8/5 stars ;)

My Summary: Mo and Annie have been inseparable since the day she rescued him from an embarrassing pants-peeing incident on a school fieldtrip in grade school. But the thing is, all they've ever been is friends. Best friends - nothing more and nothing less, despite what the citizens of their tiny southern town may think. The two are comfortable in their platonic relationship, and know that as long as they have each other, everything will be alright.

But when Mo's dad looses his job and his work visa, things take a turn for the worst. With their imminent separation looming, Annie suggests something crazy: she and Mo get married secretly so that he won't be deported.

They go through with the plan, but soon discover that married life is anything but bliss. Can their friendship survive the strain (and the government investigation into their marriage), or will Mo have to return to Jordan?

My Thoughts: This was definitely one of those books that makes you stop and think. The premise itself made me wonder: could I ever do what Annie did, even for my best friend? The unique take on what it means to love someone really got me thinking, and the situation the characters found themselves in was both realistic and horrible.

Mo and Annie were incredibly well-developed characters. Each had their own distinct personality, but they were similar in a way that never made you doubt they were best friends. I also really enjoyed the view on platonic friendships between two best friends of the opposite sex - it reminded me a little of When Harry Met Sally in the way that it was very realistic and didn't make you think that the sole purpose of the friendship was a stepping stone to a relationship.

Martinez's writing was easy to follow and pulled me right in from the first page. Her dialogue was witty and clever, and the way she transitioned from Annie's chapters to Mo's chapters was very smooth and kept me hooked. The plot was always engaging and well paced, and I never felt like there was a lull.

Final Thoughts: I recommend this novel to anyone who is a fan of contemporary YA as well as realistic fiction & romance. I'll definitely be checking out more from the author in the future!

At first, I was not sure how I was going to feel about this book. The prologue (not called that, but I don't know what else to call the abbreviated first section) certainly grabbed my attention, but it also made me worry that this might not be a good book for me. Carmen does not come off as too smart or likable in this brief segment, but, when you finally catch up in time to this moment, you totally get why she was going crazy.

Once I got into the flow of the book and managed to somewhat calm down my intense curiosity to know the resolution of the opening scene, I got completely sucked into this book. I loved the focus on music, as well as the serious moral dilemmas that Carmen had to face. In some ways, it reminded me of Where She Went by Gayle Forman and, in it's lighter moments that focused on the rivalry and relationship of Carmen and Jeremy, of Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund.

The coming of age aspects of the story also rocked my socks. Carmen, though in some ways very mature, given that she's traveled the world and won a grammy and plays a 1.2 million dollar violin, is also, as her mom tells her, naive. Because of her virtuous status and tour schedule, she has been home schooled and has little experience interacting with others. This is partly why she has so much trouble understanding Jeremy and trusting his motivations. She is so used to being told what to do by her mother and her teacher that she really has to learn how to be herself. Of course, the fact that she was often drugged did not help. Carmen's drug addiction, whether mental or physical, was a scary thing, particularly as she had been encouraged in her dependency by people she should be able to trust.

I really loved reading this and rather hope that their might be another book on Carmen's adventure, as the ending totally makes it possible. This story was beautiful, heartbreaking and powerful. The cover's awesome too.

P.S. There was a reference to Amy Winehouse in here. I wonder if it will be in the finalized version or if it will be removed because it's too soon... The main characters mentioned her and said that they hoped she was in rehab. Unfortunately, she said "no, no, no."½

3.5

First-person perspective young-adult novels and I have a tricky but pretty reliable relationship etched out: if they are handled well and maturely I can legitimately love them, but if the author doesn't have the panache to pass their voice as a believable teen it's a lost cause with no hope. Happily for me, Jessica Martinez shines in her debut novel in the voice, mind and world of Carmen Bianchi, world-class violinist. Believable without trying too hard, without sounding too-mature for her years, Carmen is a great character in a more-than-good-but-not-great novel. Carmen shines in this vehicle, elevating a somewhat overused general plot, infusing it with personality and vitality. This is definitely a case of a character making the book better than it should be, on its own.

Carmen is a great character because she's real and grounded. She's anal, insecure, sarcastic, funny, kind and a complete pushover. I liked the multi-faceted and even conflicting aspects of her personality: by no means is this "Medusa-haired" heroine a Mary Sue. Like many teen girls, she constantly searches for approval, to be thought "normal" - usual teen emotions that keep her relatable amid the Grammys, and $1.2 million dollar instruments. She's unabashedly great at said violin as well: winner of a Grammy and world acclaim, she should be arrogant, cocky. . . but she remains herself throughout. I did find a couple of her actions to be pretty annoying and downright silly (her assumptions about Jeremy's email are immediate and judgmental) but I don't have to love everything the character does to love the character herself. She's just so human in an outrageous, extremely pressured position. Under ridiculous strain of her stage-mom's expectations and transferred dreams, Carmen has little to no control over her life. Day-to-day or even what her dreams are is dictated by her mother with "an iron fist with a french manicure." Carmen, sadly, though world-class and immensely talented, never plays for herself or her own pleasure. She plays for her mother to vicariously live a failed career, for a teacher to extend his own impact on the musical world and that is sadly representative for Carmen's entire life. As music is so personal with an almost tangible impact upon Carmen, it's incredibly easy to commiserate and mourn with her as her joy in violin is turned into something else.

Other characters sadly lack the vivacity and life of Carmen. Her taciturn Ukrainian teacher Yuri is particularly easy to visualize but lacks any dimensions or personality outside of "gruff old man." I found Carmen's mother, always referred by Carmen with her given name of Diana (which I also very telling of their relationship) to be a depressingly one-dimensional antagonist. She seems to have no love or empathy in her for her daughter or her largely unseen husband Clark - focusely solely on her daughter's career as a surrogate for her curtailed one earlier. Diana's motivations for pushing Carmen would be much more understandable, even palatable, if they were for Carmen (wanting her to be happy, great at what she loves, follow her dreams) instead of trying to mold her into Diana II. Jeremy King, he of the not-so-subtle-last-name also failed to impress me the first half of the novel. Though I didn't jump on Carmen's hate bandwagon he makes a pretty bad, then pretty bland impression. I never saw his supposedly irresistible charisma - hell, I barely saw any personality from him! He was more of a drain on Carmen than a support, in my opinion, and I would've liked a nicer, kinder character infinitely better. He's supposedly Carmen's love interest I didn't really feel the chemistry between the two until they were pretty much de facto paired up. They truly work together and the novel is most evoactive when either Jeremy or Carmen play the violin. The descriptions and personal reactions to music are beyond compare in this novel: they stand as my favorite parts of the entire book.

The finale of the novel took me by surprise, while being absolutely fulfilling. Not the big reveal/betrayal, but the action stemming from the event. Carmen took me by complete surprise, but did what ultimately feels right for her. Regardless of how you feel about her decision, at least this time, for once, it was HER decision. Not her mother's, not Yuri's, not the doctor's and not even Jeremy's. . . purely and wholly Carmen. The ending is rather open-ended for a conclusion to a standalone novel, but I loved how the author left it. The world seems limitless, with anything possible for Carmen.

Carmen Bianchi is 17, but she isn’t a typical teen. Since age four, she has been groomed and cosseted and promoted as a child prodigy violinist. Unlike most other kids, her childhood was filled with music lessons, concerts, tours, recordings, and even a Grammy. Now, the most prestigious competition in classical music – the Guarneri – is coming up, and Carmen desperately wants to win. She even starts stalking her most likely rival, her 17-year-old British equivalent, Jeremy King. Jeremy, currently in Carmen’s hometown of Chicago to play at the finals before the Guarneri, turns out to be smug and flippant and – to Carmen’s embarrassment – even catches her “spying” on him. As much as he infuriates her and makes her want to wilt away from humiliation, he is also very cute, disarmingly vulnerable when he’s not preening over his talent, and utterly fantastic on the violin.

This has all the makings of a predictable romance, but that’s actually only a small part of a more interesting story. As readers discover in the prologue, Carmen’s life is not as halcyon as it seems. Carmen is addicted to the anti-anxiety drugs foisted upon her by her helicopter mom, Diana, who is also her manager. Diana’s own dreams of musical success were cut short by the development of polyps on her vocal chords, and she does not intend to lose out on this second chance to reach the pinnacle of success, albeit vicariously through her daughter. Her efforts to control her daughter’s life get more hysterical as the time shortens until the Guarneri Competition. The author adds some sympathetic notes to Diana’s song, but I found it hard to like her at all. Fortunately for Carmen, she also has a wonderful parent in the form of her stepdad, Clark. The only puzzle was what Clark saw in Diana.

As the big day approaches, there are several disasters just waiting to happen. Is Jeremy genuinely interested in the naïve and inexperienced Carmen, or is he just trying to sabotage her concentration and take up her practice time? Does Carmen’s illegitimate method to control her anxiety with drugs compromise her playing as well as give her an unfair advantage? Will the addiction destroy her in the long run? Just how far will her mother go to make sure Carmen wins?

Discussion: There are quite a few good discussion issues raised in this arresting story of a girl who is pressed to succeed so strongly that she loses track of who she really is or what she really wants. Similarly, Jeremy’s plight brings up questions of morality and identity as well. How they manage to cope with the strains upon them will keep readers riveted to the story.

In addition, this book provides an interesting twist on the usual triangle: we have a girl, we have a boy, and we have: the violin!

Finally, hooray for an author with the courage to portray the stepparent as the more loving caregiver!

Evaluation: This is not just a story about the desire for “Fame” in the arts. It’s much deeper than that: the hurts endured by both Carmen and Jeremy will tug at your heartstrings, even as they tug on their violin strings to create worlds of pure beauty instead of their real worlds full of heartache and pain.½

Loved it! It's very different from the dystopian/paranormal YA stuff I've been reading lately, and it was a refreshing change. I loved that it was about musical prodigies who were normal people.

I’ve read a lot of mixed reviews about Virtuosity, and to be honest, it did sort of turn me off. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to read it or not. So for a while I would look at it sitting on my bookshelf and just keep pushing it to the side. Of course now I am little upset at myself for waiting so long to read it. I loved it! I have learned that reading reviews before reading a book is probably not such a good idea for me. I am easily turned off, and I would have missed out on a great story.Carmen basically has it all, but the one thing she loves the most is her music career. It means everything to her and more. There is a new competition coming up and only the best will win, and Carmen will do anything to win. She starts off by pretty much stalking her opponents and learning every little thing about them. What she didn't count on was how one meeting with Jeremy would turn her world upside down. They are both after the same thing, but only one will be left standing. You know that saying "Curiosity killed the cat"? That fits perfectly for Jeremy and Carmen. Only no one dies in this story. There really isn't much I can say without giving the whole story away, but it's pretty much girl falls in love with boy, boy falls in love with girl, but can it really work? Can they really still want to be with each other after ONE of them wins the competition? Virtuosity was a definite page turner for me. I was just so curious and loved being inside Carmen's world. Her life went from being on track, to completely derailing. I felt so bad for her at times and then so happy for her. Even though I loved the relationship between Carmen and her mother, it was so sad how at times her mother would forget that they were family. She became so blindsided by Carmen's career, that when Carmen needed her the most, she really wasn't there for her. Virtuosity was written so well and runs so smoothly, you can easily finish it in one sitting. The outcome to the story was well thought out and I was very happy with it. There isn't one thing I can say about Virtuosity that I did not like.5 out of 5 stars!

I’ve read a lot of mixed reviews about Virtuosity, and to be honest, it did sort of turn me off. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to read it or not. So for a while I would look at it sitting on my bookshelf and just keep pushing it to the side. Of course now I am little upset at myself for waiting so long to read it. I loved it! I have learned that reading reviews before reading a book is probably not such a good idea for me. I am easily turned off, and I would have missed out on a great story.Carmen basically has it all, but the one thing she loves the most is her music career. It means everything to her and more. There is a new competition coming up and only the best will win, and Carmen will do anything to win. She starts off by pretty much stalking her opponents and learning every little thing about them. What she didn't count on was how one meeting with Jeremy would turn her world upside down. They are both after the same thing, but only one will be left standing. You know that saying "Curiosity killed the cat"? That fits perfectly for Jeremy and Carmen. Only no one dies in this story. There really isn't much I can say without giving the whole story away, but it's pretty much girl falls in love with boy, boy falls in love with girl, but can it really work? Can they really still want to be with each other after ONE of them wins the competition? Virtuosity was a definite page turner for me. I was just so curious and loved being inside Carmen's world. Her life went from being on track, to completely derailing. I felt so bad for her at times and then so happy for her. Even though I loved the relationship between Carmen and her mother, it was so sad how at times her mother would forget that they were family. She became so blindsided by Carmen's career, that when Carmen needed her the most, she really wasn't there for her. Virtuosity was written so well and runs so smoothly, you can easily finish it in one sitting. The outcome to the story was well thought out and I was very happy with it. There isn't one thing I can say about Virtuosity that I did not like.5 out of 5 stars!

Virtuosity was an alright book. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. It was nice to read a book like this in between some others. No major love trinagle, no paranormal/undead/anything else like that, so it was a little refreshing in that sense.
The book starts off with Carmen holding her $1.2 million violin over a building railing. We have no idea why, or what's happening other than she wants to kill off her instument! It was an intruiging way to start the book because right away the reader wants to continue reading and find out the story behind Carmens actions. We go on to find out that Carmen is this child prodigy, violinist, grammy winning superstar who is on her way to winning the Guarneri - THE ultimate violin championship. But she isn't the only one who will do anything to win it - anything inlcudes taking inderal, a prescription the Carmen has taken for so long to help her perform on stage. Jeremy has his own plans on winning this award, and though he and Carmen appear to be falling for each other, we can't be sure it's genuine. Because of that, readers are eager to continue.
The characters in Virtuosity were good characters, though I had a hard time relating to Carmen. This is probably due to the fact that I'm not a star performer, I wasn't home schooled and I've never been on a strict practice schedule. But that's fine, because I wasn't expecting to relate to the characters because of that.
Jessica Martinez is a decent writer. To be honest, I just read this book for what it was and didn't think too much into it and didn't try to visualize too much of it. I got what I got out of it, nothing more. I do think it's a good book to have on hand, or borrow from the library when you want a change of scenery though.½

Carmen Bianchi is a famous virtuosic violin player stressing over the life changing Guarneri competition. This includes obsessively practicing (as usual) and checking out the competition, which looks a lot like stalking. She is caught stalking by her main rival Jeremy King and they begin their love/hate relationship. They start sniping at each other through emails, but when they finally meet in person, they treat each other like people and actually get along. The competition is usually in the forefront of Carmen's mind, but her budding friendship/romance with Jeremy pushes it aside. Everyone in her life except her stepfather just care about her success and would do anything to get her there. They are even accepting and even encouraging about her dangerous addiction to anti-anxiety drugs. As Carmen wrestles with who she should trust, the competition draws closer. Although Jeremy seems to be the only person in her life who cares about her, is it only a facade for trying to get her to throw the competition?

I was first drawn to Virtuosity because the focus is on music performance. There haven't been a lot of recent teen books about the subject. Some authors include it as a minor detail to flesh out characters, but they never return to it again. (I'm looking at you Hush, Hush.) The author is very experienced in the field, being a teen star violinist herself, so her characters and their conflicts feel authentic to me. In the novel, she captures the reasons why I didn't choose to go into music performance when chose my music major focus in college: the cut-throat attitudes, the competition taking over the performer's life, and especially making music a joyless endeavor. I play the flute because I enjoy it and if that enjoyment was taken away, I wouldn't want to do it anymore. Carmen no longer enjoys making music because there is so much riding on each individual performance and there is pressure on her from all sides.

The most interesting aspects beyond music are the way she is treated by the people in her life. Her stepfather is the only person who really cares about her as a person and does things with her that are fun and outside her work. Her mother is incredibly intense and doesn't even acknowledge that she is still a teenage girl. At first, she seems really caring about Carmen and has her best interests at heart, but as the book goes on, it's clear that she just cares about her success and the money she brings. What shocked me the most was her lack of confidence in Carmen and her encouragement of Carmen's dependence on the anti-anxiety medication. Her teacher is horrible and doesn't care about her emotions or her wellbeing. Jeremy is her only real friend, but she is constantly struggling with her opinion of his motivations. I was a little disappointed that their relationship was the focus of the novel instead of Carmen's own personal journey. Most teen books focus on some sort of romance, but it would be nice to see more that don't.

Overall, I enjoyed Virtuosity. It provided a realistic look into the music performance industry. The descriptions of the performances were beautifully written. I would love to read whatever Jessica Martinez comes out with next.

With everything riding on a single competition there’s nothing Carmen can risk, least of all her heart. When Jeremy, the young and overwhelmingly arrogant violinist not to mention “the” competition, suddenly enters her realm of thought beyond simply crushing him with her ability to play the violin she begins to question everything…starting with her anxiety medication. Given to her by her overbearing and competitive mother, Carmen can’t help but question her mother’s motives as well as her own desires. Is drug addiction and the lies that lead to a path of ultimate success worth it or could there possibly be a happier, more loved version in the end?

From the moment I read the synopsis for Virtuosity I knew it would either be an instant hit or a sad disappointment. Fortunately for me it was a stunning success that I couldn’t put down! My reason for wavering before my actual reading of the full novel had everything to do with the music element of it. Being a musician myself I can’t help but nit pick books that try to pull off a character like Carmen who’s every hope and dream revolves around her love-hate relationship with music. Obviously I’m no Grammy winning artist like Carmen, but I’ve taken a turn or two on the musical roller coaster and lived through it. So finding a character like Carmen and an author like Jessica Martinez(herself a musician also) who tells a story you simply can’t forget is something I value very highly.

Obviously you can guess the aspect I valued most in the story was Carmen’s struggle to balance her love of the music that fills her soul with the domineering power of her mother’s demands. Carmen’s career is everything to her mother and along the path to success Carmen soon forgets that it wasn’t always her career that had her playing in front of countless audiences. She once played because she loved it, everything about it, until one fateful mishap. Being that my own mother never pushed me to the point of drug addiction, it’s hard to relate to that part of Carmen’s life but the anxiety certainly is. Never wanting to fail, always wanting to play your best and never disappoint those around you…stressful is an understatement at times. It was wonderful to see that range of emotions in Carmen, from her yearnings to her competitiveness you could almost hear the music weaved throughout her story.

As for Carmen’s relationship with Jeremy, her “competition” and potential love interest, it was perfect. Not only did their relationship conflict balance perfectly, but Carmen’s decisions at the latter part of the book regarding not only her and Jeremy but the competition were exactly what I’d hoped for. Jeremy was fabulous! His snarky behavior in the beginning to his support during the last half of the book made him a guy that girls everywhere will swoon after.

Mentioning that Jessica Martinez is a debut author seems ludicrous. Her writing is as beautiful as the notes her characters play in Virtuosity making it nearly impossible to believe this is her first novel. This is a story about finding your own path and becoming who you truly want to be. Virtuosity is a coming of age novel that sings to it’s readers and one that I’ll certainly be recommending for some time to come. Be on the look out for Jessica Martinez though, as I’m certain Virtuosity isn’t the last we’ll be hearing from her!

My original review was posted at There's A Book.½

This review originally posted at Christa's Hooked on Books

I want to start out by saying I know almost nothing about classical music or the world of competitive violin playing. This did not stop me from becoming completely absorbed in this novel. Jessica Martinez makes the finer details very accessible for those readers who (like me) are unfamiliar with this particular musical world.

Though there are many, many things I loved about this novel my favourite by far was Carmen herself. She was so authentic, so real and that girl is just so brave! Even with all her personal flaws, I found her so admirable. She is an incredibly complex and deep character and I just don't think 300 pages was enough! I wanted the novel to be longer so I could get to know more about her (I don't think this is a criticism – I certainly don't intend it to be).

There are some heavy issues put forth in this novel. We've got intense competitions, prescription drug addiction, teenage love, over bearing parents. All tackled in just 290 pages! A difficult feat to pull off but Jessica Martinez manages it. This novel handles these issues in an appropriate way and doesn't brush off their importance. I think a lot of people (not just teens) will be able to relate to many of the themes in this novel

Virtuosity pulls you in and certain scenes will just tear you apart. The story is tragic, yet absolutely beautiful.

As I began this book, I really loved the feel of the book. The passionate music flowing between the fingers of the strings of the violin, but also the great competition in between. The reader begins with two great musicians, yearning for a fantastic prize of fame and fortune. What starts off with an exchange of fighting words slowly becomes something beautiful.

The plot line of this book blew me away! I loved reading about music. Both characters were so passionate about it. The strive to be the best, the uphold a family legacy, had me reading pages faster and faster. I adored watching both Carmen and Jeremy push and pull each other. See there love blossom between the aches and pains of music is very nice.

The characters Carmen and Jeremy felt real enough to the reader, that you felt every ounce of stress, nausea, anxiety when it came to performance time. I guess you can say I have had a taste of this cause I too was in band. I played Clarinet and when it came to competition time, it was on! I liked that Carmen and Jeremy face a road of obstacles. Though it did not bring them down, it made them stronger. Stronger in themselves, as well as a couple.

I also adored the betrayal in the story. it may not seems like a big one to some people, but when you are that passionate about something like that, it comes off as a low blow. You are no longer what you claimed to be. You are now a fraud. I adored that the character took steps in the right direction to correct the matter, but I also felt for the pain of loss they had to endure.

Virtuosity is a great book about two amazing musician coming to term with who they are. With passionate music, a burning love and a betrayal that will make everything different, this book I loved.

Virtuosity is a vibrant contemporary debut about music and becoming independent. Jessica Martinez’s writing is just as lyrical as the pieces that Carmen plays on her violin, and the storytelling is borderline perfect. Virtuosity manages to balance introducing the technicalities of competitive violin playing with expressing the scary emotions a young woman goes through as she tries to think independently of her controlling mother.

Carmen is truly a joy to read about. Though she’s famous and has won a Grammy, she doesn’t act pompous. In fact, Carmen is incredibly easy to relate to despite her success; she struggles with things that we all struggle with. Because of this, it’s easy to root for her to overcome all the obstacles she faces (although Carmen doesn’t need much encouragement; she’s a very, very strong person).
Virtuosity doesn’t offer much in terms of side characters, but the book does introduce a fabulous love interest. Jeremy is cocky and self-assured, but he’s also genuinely nice. And he’s a tease, which is very entertaining. The dynamic between Jeremy and Carmen is excellent, and it eventually offers more than one would expect.

Virtuosity will thrill readers with its emotional rollercoaster ride, but it will also bring a feeling of fulfillment, as if you yourself have just finished performing. Virtuosity is perfect for fans of slightly edgy contemporary YA—it incorporates some tougher elements, like drug addiction and manipulation—but it will capture the hearts of anyone who reads it. Highly recommended for music lovers as well!

A book about competing violinists? *yawn* How entertaining and engrossing could that possibly be? The answer: Immensely. I devoured Virtuosity in one sitting. With such a fast pace and high intensity, it was very easy to become so absorbed with the story.

I love how Jessica Martinez manages to twist my feelings on certain characters throughout the whole story. I started off loving characters who I hated in the beginning and absolutely loathing characters who I didn't mind so much when I first started reading. And I have to mention how the two main characters and violinists, Carmen and Jeremy, seem to express their personalities most when they're onstage. The scenes where they were actually playing were so beautiful and I wish this book had come with some sort of soundtrack to make the experience that much better.

I've read a lot of reviews prior to reading that talked about not being able to relate to Carmen's character, but that didn't apply to me at all. Maybe it was just me, but Carmen's anxiety and anguish over the competition and her feelings for Jeremy just leaped right off the page and into my head. And the way she transformed and rebelled from under her mother's thumb was done really appropriate, I think, that someone who has ever been pressured would understand what Carmen is going through.

Overall, Virtuosity is one of the more fabulous contemporary novels released this year, full of drama and romance and struggles between right and wrong and attempting to find yourself through everything. Carmen's battle with the violin, the pills and her relationship with Jeremy had me on the edge of my seat. I definitely recommend you check Virtuosity out!