Review - Music Boxes

 Today I am posting my review of Music Boxes, a middle-grade suspense/thriller. I'm going to start with a synopsis, so you know what this is all about. I'm doing this review spoiler free, which means you only get to hear about the ending once you check out the book for yourself (please do, it is worth it). 

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This book is about a ballet dancer named Lindsey, who has been uprooted by her family's move to New York. She runs into a woman offering classes only if she performs in the midnight shows. There is a sinister twist to this offer. Madame Destinee, the teacher offering the classes, calls students to her office who never come back. After they aren't seen again, a music box with their costume and face is seen on her shelf of music boxes. Lindsey must figure out what is going on before she becomes a music box herself. 

I give this five stars. Nothing bumped me out of the story. I read it in one shot. It took about three hours to read (give or take any distractions that find you). If you need a book to last one evening, pick this up and let it transport you into its world. I got lost in the storyline and hooked on the story after one chapter. It does have a Night Gallery-like plot with a creepier edge to it. No, it won't give you nightmares, but yes, it does leave you on the edge of your seat. I got a lot of emotions from this short novel, which indicates a good, compelling book. 

Going into detail on what I thought of the book will take three categories. I'll talk about the characters and plot, the foreshadowing and themes, and then the reading level. Let's dive in. 

character and plot line

The characters in the book have real emotions. Lindsey is dealing with the reality of being uprooted. Her parents are catering to her sister's needs since her sister Bridget has been enrolled in Julliard pre-college classes due to her violin talents. Lindsey wasn't even allowed to pack her ballet stuff because they had to make room for a music box that could have broken on the moving van. You can feel her dislike of the situation in the way she describes New York and talks about it in the first chapter. 

Dialogue between characters is organic, meaning it feels like a real person could say it in real life. Nothing in the words exchanged lacks emotion. You can feel the emotion spilling out between the words on the page. I can't say that about every book I read. 

Plot-wise, it is perfectly paced. It doesn't drag or go too fast. It doesn't feel like it takes forever to get to the good part. There isn't unnecessary fluff anywhere. It is linear and makes sense. The foreshadowing within the plot also gets woven in perfectly as the story goes on. 

foreshadowing and themes

The amount of foreshadowing in this novel is staggering, but it isn't too much. The foreshadowing of events and revealed truths are spread out all over the dialogue and images in the novel. A reader could put together what is coming or predict some events based on the evidence strewn through the book. It is consistent, every fact tying together in a flawless bow. Even if you didn't put together everything, there is a revealing scene to explain it all. 

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Apples are everywhere, for reasons I won't explain. It has to do with the ending. I'll say this, though; it is vital to notice the apples. It reveals an ending fact that I suspected as soon as I read the first half of the book. The other theme is jealousy, which runs from the beginning to the end. It's the core of the story itself. Lindsey is jealous of the attention her sister is getting. Madame Destinee is jealous of every dancer with talent (read the book, I won't explain this one). Jealousy is the reason that Lindsey gets taken into this situation in the first place. Lindsey has to combat her jealousy to defeat the evil going on. 

reading level and speed

Experienced readers could consume this book in one evening. It is written for upper elementary through middle school readers, but still appeals to me as an adult. That is a high compliment. For this reason, it is easy to read in one sitting. Only have half a day to read? Pick this one up. You won't regret it. 

The chapters are not super short, nor are they super long. They are just the right length. Twenty-one chapters is about the length of a cozy mystery, give or take one or two chapters. It never felt too long or too short. Someone had excellent judgment when deciding the chapter and book length. 

conclusion 

To make a long story short, I'll give the basic reasons to drop by your local bookstore for a copy. It isn't going to take you forever to read it. The foreshadowing is brilliant and the darker, creepier tone is good enough to be an episode of Night Gallery or Twilight Zone. The characters were amazing and I cared about them, to the point of deep emotion. Go check it out and you'll see. You'll be thinking about it for a few days after, too. It was that good. 

No, I didn't forget about my own book in writing this review. Clickhere to reach my amazon page. My first suspense novel Wrenville is available in paperback and kindle ebook form. Check it out!