The Sound of Us by Julia Hammerle Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway!

The Sound of Us by Julie Hammerle

Pages:  304

Format: eARC

Publisher: Entangled: Teen

My Rating: 3.5/5

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Synopsis:

Driven by a social-media-addicted, nerdy heroine, this charming, thought-provoking coming-of-age story is PITCH PERFECT at opera camp.

@kikeronis Turns out the best opera camp in Indiana is more like boot camp. Goodbye, #GameofThrones #TheWalkingDead #ProjectEarth

@kikeronis Silver lining to having your best friend stab you in the back: you’re no longer her constant tag-along. I can kick ass here.

@kikeronis What if you meet a hot nerdy drummer who understands your soul, but res hall basement jam sessions are forbidden & can get you kicked out?

@kikeronis I, sweatpants enthusiast & perpetual chorus girl, have to be ruthless enough to win 1 of the 7 scholarships, or no music school for me.

@kikeronis Forget opera domination, I’m headed for “opera camp disaster & cautionary tale.” If I don’t give up either music or the guy, I’ll lose both.

 

 

Let me just say y’all that I am a music nerd. My heart holds a soft spot for singers, of any kind. To read a book about an opera summer camp was refreshing, amazing and fantastic. And this book includes all of the opera drama your hearts can desire. Some blackmail, some regrets, overthinking, talent, and so much more. Our main character,  Kiki attends a six week opera camp which overs a scholarship to attend university for nearly free!

One of my favorite things about this novel is Kiki’s character growth. She is a completely different person when comparing her from the beginning to the end of the book. She makes a complete 180. Kiki definitely irked me sometimes with her overthinking and internal thoughts, but I know that’s how teenagers can be and react under stress. And since her behavior was necessary to show her growth throughout the novel, it makes sense and I appreciate that Hammerle did that.

Another thing I enjoyed were the responsibilities that Kiki had and how she took them seriously, even if she made mistakes sometimes. She OWNED UP. The more I think about Kiki the more she appears as a complex character that eventually learns her lesson and knows what she wants because she contemplates it seriously and gives it thought and weight. And not only that, but the novel dealt with very practical life things that are applicable to a lot of people.

ALSO, the secondary characters were nice to read about. It definitely helped that there was a music setting to this book which I enjoyed a lot. Each guy and girl character had something to offer to progress the story. AND, AND AND…I think The Sound of Us had such an appropriate and AMAZING ending. And it takes a lot for me to notice whether an ending works or not and this definitely did.

I hope you all can check out this novel ASAP! I definitely recommend it. Now for two giveaways! WOO!

Giveaway #1:

Dubsmash Contest Grand Prize:

• A paperback copy of The Sound of Us by debut author Julie Hammerle

• A box of Nutty Bars, which are prominently featured in the novel

• A DVD of High School Musical, so you can watch the movie repeatedly to perfect your dubsmash abilities

How to enter the Dubsmash Contest? Create a dubsmash video on the Dubsmash app, the Musical.ly app, or upload it to your YouTube Channel of any song from Camp Rock, High School Musical, or Pitch Perfect.

Email in your video to publicity@entangledpublishing.com between May 30, 2016 and June 29, 2016 @ 11: 59 pm EDT for the first, mandatory entry into the contest, and then add one of several other ways to enter via the Rafflecopter widget below to increase your odds of winning! While we welcome all videos, only US residents are able to win the Grand Prize.

Full Contest Details: http://www.entangledteen.com/dubsmash-your-heart-out-to-win-the-sound-of-us-prize-pack/

ENTER GIVEAWAY #1 HERE

ENTER GIVEAWAY #2 HERE

^(To win a $25 Amazon Gift Card)^

 

About the Author:

Julie Hammerle is the author of The Sound of Us, which will be published by Entangled Teen in the summer of 2016. Before settling down to write “for real,” she studied opera, taught Latin, and held her real estate license for one hot minute. Currently, she writes about TV on her blog Hammervision, ropes people into conversations about Game of Thrones, and makes excuses to avoid the gym. Her favorite YA-centric TV shows include 90210 (original spice), Felicity, and Freaks and Geeks. Her iPod reads like a 1997 Lilith Fair set list. She lives in Chicago with her husband, two kids, and a dog. They named the dog Indiana.

Author Links:

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