10 of our Beauty and Lace members are reading The Astrid Notes by Taryn Bashford. You can read their feedback in the comments section below, or contribute to the conversation with your own thoughts on the book. Review copies are courtesy of the publisher.
ISBN: 9781760552213
Format: Paperback
Imprint: Pan Australia
Astrid Bell
Dutiful daughter. Classical singer. Secret pop songwriter. And suffering from stage fright.
Jacob Skalicky.
Trust-fund kid. Indie singer. Immensely gifted performer. And refusing to sing again.
Are they polar opposites? In his grief and fury at the world, Jacob certainly thinks so.
But when Jacob loses everything and Astrid uncovers a shocking family secret, they may need each other to make sense of their lives.
Hi, I’m Anna the Editor of Beauty and Lace.
I enjoyed this book thoroughly and found it hard to put down! A fantastic story of young adults and the reality of grief, love and struggles as well as the world of music and opera.
An easy story to read and I would recommend it
The Astrid Notes by Taryn Bashford and published by Pan Macmillan,
is an interesting story which delves into the trials and tribulations of making it in the elite music world. However it is also a story about people dealing with grief, different family dynamics, growing up and young love.
It is told from the perspectives of the two main characters, Astrid a budding opera star who secretly writes pop songs and Jacob an indie band musician, with a voice that’s perfect for ‘popera’.
Both teenagers have suffered great heartbreak and are still coming to terms with the loss of loved ones. Though they are drawn to each other, Astrid and Jacob come from quite different backgrounds and family situations. Their paths intertwine through the ‘maestro’ who is keen to nurture the music in each of them, although he’d rather it was separately not combined!
But before either of them can fulfill their musical destinies they each need to discover more about themselves and what motivates them, uncovering some hurtful truths along the way.
A quick and nicely balanced read, that is full of heart.
Thank you Beauty and Lace Bookclub, Pan Macmillan Publishers for the opportunity to read The Astrid Notes by Taryn Bashford. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and found it hard to put down. I found I liked both main characters Astrid & Jacob. I thought the way Taryn Bashford approached the themes of loss, grief, betrayal, family secrets and teenage love was well written and age appropriate for a YA novel. I will certainly be recommending this book to my daughter and nieces. Thank you again for the opportunity to read and review The Astrid Notes by Taryn Bashford.
Thanks Beauty and Lace bookclub for the opportunity to read The Astrid Notes written by Taryn Bashfird. My first impressions were that this was going to be a light YA fiction but by the fifth page that idea was thrown out of the window and I was hooked. While the book was an easy read the characters were complex and likeable.
The glue between the characters is music and I enjoyed the glimpse into the competitive music industry, whether opera, indie or pop.
The book also explores themes of grief, mental health, trust and the complex dynamic of the parent/child relationship.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will be passing it on to my teenage daughter to read.
This is a great summer time read or a great young adult book.
Gripping book that is hard to put down with great story line and character development. I particularly enjoyed the thread of grief, family secrets, betrayal and young love which kept the story going and my interest peaked.
A well written book which would appeal to the young at heart or someone who just wants to get wrapped up in a good story.
I absolutely loved this novel, I was worried when I realised it was the second in the series, but it works well as a standalone and because I love music I could really get into this book.
The two main characters Astrid and Jacob were wonderful characters to get to know. This was a much deeper book than I was expecting and delved into some interesting themes and took some interesting turns.
I stayed up well past my bedtime to get this finished.
Thanks to Beauty and Lace Book Club and Pan Macmillan Australia for a copy in return for an honest review.
Thank you to the Beauty and Lace book club for sending me this book to review.
I really enjoyed this book, it was an interesting read where the two main characters are talented musicians who are both experiencing grief at the same time Their lives cross paths at just the right time for both of them.
I would recommend this book to others who are looking for a good read.
The Astrid Notes was a good young adult read. It’s about two young characters who are bonded by grief and their love of music.
I liked how it explored their friendships and all through the eyes of the opera music world (mixed with a bit of pop)
It is not an overly predictable book and was an easy read.
Thanks for the opportunity to read this Beauty and Lace club!