And when you show love, they don't either. I bet half the time, when people show you love, you barely even know it. I am sure many will enjoy this book, but unfortunately I wasn't one of them. I really appreciated the filipino rep too (ownvoices!), which came as a welcome surprise. The writing was well done, and had some nice prose at times particularly to do with music. I don't want to be overly critical of this book because it is a debut, and I didn't finish it. Of course there's nothing wrong with that- but again- wrong expectations from me. I can only speak for the first half of the novel, but from what I read it felt more like a coming of age, self discovery teen type of deal. I'm sure that premise still comes into play later, but I expected it to be a much larger aspect of the story than it was. But I made it to 50% through the book with none of that occurring. Private Lessons was marketed as a #MeToo book, featuring a young girl stuck in a manipulative relationship with her piano teacher. So when I stumbled upon this book on Netgalley, I thought it could suffice as a YA equivalent. However, because my library is shut, I was left with a yearning for a story I could not access.
I went into this book with certain expectations in mind, and when they weren't realised I was disappointed.įor some context, I have recently heard nothing but amazing things about the book 'My Dark Vanessa', which similarly tackles issues of a manipulative student-teacher relationship. I think this book is a classic case of it's not you, it's me.
Timely and vital, Private Lessons delves into a complicated student/teacher relationship, as well as class and cultural differences, with honesty and grace. Author Cynthia Salaysay composes a moving, beautifully written portrait of rigorous perfectionism, sexual awakening, and the challenges of self-acceptance. She practices constantly, foregoing a social life, but no matter how hard she works or how well she plays, it seems impossible to gain Paul’s approval, let alone his affection. Soon Claire loses herself in Paul’s world and his way of digging into a composition’s emotional core. In the hopes of earning a college scholarship, Claire auditions for Paul Avon, a prominent piano teacher, who agrees to take Claire as a pupil. Claire likes herself best when she plays his old piano, a welcome escape from the sadness - and her traditional Filipino mother’s prayer groups. In a standout debut for the #MeToo era, a young pianist devotes herself to her art - and to the demanding, charismatic teacher she idolizes.Īfter seventeen-year-old Claire Alalay’s father's death, only music has helped her channel her grief.
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