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    This Song Will Save Your Life
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    This Song Will Save Your Life
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    This Song Will Save Your Life
    Audiobook8 hours

    This Song Will Save Your Life

    Written by Leila Sales

    Narrated by Rebecca Lowman

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski's strong suit. All throughout her life, she's been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.

    Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, Leila Sales' This Song Will Save Your Life is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.

    Editor's Note

    Last night a DJ saved my life…

    Despite tackling many sobering issues like bullying and suicide, “The Song Will Save Your Life” delivers on the hopefulness of its title with plenty of heart, humor, and, of course, a cool track list.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateMay 27, 2014
    ISBN9780553395822
    Unavailable
    This Song Will Save Your Life
    Author

    Leila Sales

    Leila Sales grew up outside Boston, USA, and graduated from the University of Chicago. Now she lives in Brooklyn, New York, and works as an editor for Penguin Children's Books. Her books This Song Will Save Your Lifeand Tonight the Streets Are Ours are published by Macmillan Children's Books. She has also written two previous novels, Mostly Good Girls and Past Perfect.

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    Reviews for This Song Will Save Your Life

    4/5

    182 ratings32 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Elise is 16. She is struggling. She has hurt herself in the past. She feels no one really understands her. How can she fit in? She has started to take walks at night, sneaking out of the house after her parents have fallen asleep. She just needs time to think and clear her head. One night she comes upon two girls and they call her over. They get her into START, a dance club in a warehouse area. Elise loves music and checks it out. This gets her into another world where she feels more comfortable and like she actually fits. She begins to guest DJ and her confidence slowly rises as she is accepted by this new crowd of people. Great story of finding who you are and what's really important. Recommend it to any youngster that is searching for themself.
    • 4/5
      Elise is forced to reveal who she is and who she wants to be as she discovers her inner talent. The characters are compelling and well-developed, realistic and believable. Into music and playlists? You'll enjoy learning about becoming a DJ. An enjoyable quick read, or listen to it as an eBook from Axis360. YALSA Best Fiction for YA 2014.
    • 4/5
      3.5 stars, it had many moments of brilliance, an important message, but I think the start was better than the end. I don't know. For me, there needed to be more plots, development etc.
    • 4/5
      i really enjoyed this books. ita about a girl who is quite depressed at the start until she finds her one true passion.Leila Sales did an amazing job at portraying the depression, which i think can be hard thing to do.i loved how the story played and i enjoyed reading this book:) i would recommend this book.
    • 4/5
      making friends has never been Elise and the outsider in every conversation.
    • 4/5
      I had a mental breakdown last week and this book was exactly what I needed to read after that
    • 4/5
      This was a lot better then I thought it was gonna be. Good audio listening.
    • 5/5
      There's so much to say about this book. I love it to pieces, and it's on my list of favorite books for sure. The thing is, I think that only some people will get as much out of the book as I did. If you've never been in Elise's situation, or at least to that extreme, then let me be honest, you probably won't love it as much as some of us do (you might though!).

      This is a heart-wrenching book, but it's a book that totally gets it. Elise's thoughts are spot-on, and I connected with her in so many ways. She was real, and I saw myself in her. And that's part of why I loved the book so much. I've struggled in situations similar, but not quite the same, as the ones Elise struggles with. Elise never came off as annoying or whiny to me, possibly because I've been there. The way that Leila Sales can get into a character such as Elise's brain so perfectly really amazes me.

      I also love the incorporation of awesome music. It enforced the whole DJ-ing aspect of the book, and I liked how it allowed me to find out about more awesome music! I also enjoyed that romance wasn't the focus of the book. It focuses on friendship, family, honesty, and a different kind of love.

      A lot of the side characters are also incredible. Whether you love or hate them, they're complex and have their own problems too. They feel real, and it's like they could be real people. I really came to love Vicky and even the security guard (I currently feel a bit brain-dead, so I can't think of his name right now). They all brought something to the table, and each person had their own agenda, whether it went along with Elise's or not.

      In the end, I think it's a book that you can only truly appreciate and understand if you've been there. I'm not saying you won't like it if you haven't, but there's a deeper connection to it. There's something about it that just pulls you in if you've gone through something similar, particularly if you've found friends and something you love like Elise did. There's something that you can't grasp or understand if you don't know what it's like. And I think that's why there are people that didn't enjoy the book as much. You don't get as much out of it. If you don't really have a million "yes, yes, yes;" "THIS!;" or "THIS JUST GETS IT" moments, then yeah, you probably won't enjoy it as much as someone who does. (Again, I'm not trying to say that this fits every person, but.) It's an inspiring book, really, and it's very much character-based, but there isn't as much drama or any of that stuff as compared to other contemporary books and just YA books in general. But for me, this book was almost beyond perfect because it just got it. It showed me that people understand, and that I'm not alone.
    • 4/5
      This was a satisfying, fun YA read, about a teenage girl, lonely and on the fringes of high school life, who becomes a DJ at a local underground dance club. I think it does a good job of talking about what it's like to see oneself as an outsider.It has some of the usual YA plot movers - some unrealistic things happen exactly when they need to occur in order to shift the focus in the direction the book needs to go, but nothing too major and it's easy enough to move on. ALL of the students but NONE of the administrators know about the blog? Elise doesn't get caught sneaking out until it's really important that she doesn't get caught sneaking out? Elise worries about a lot of things, but not about what will happen if she doesn't show up when she's committed to DJing at the new club night? And, she takes to things AWFULLY quickly.My biggest issue with this, for me, is to wonder if there is really a critical mass of teenagers and young people out there NOW who are listening to the same music I listened to in high school. Because that sounds neat, but at the same time, sort of like a desperate fantasy wish-fulfillment sort of thing. It definitely makes me want to go to a good dance club, though.
    • 4/5
      This was a fast read but not as light and funny as I was expecting. Elise is someone I would have been friends with in high school.
    • 4/5
      Elise has always felt and been treated like an outsider. Even after a summer project of working to fit in, she knows it is a sham. She contemplates suicide and cuts herself, but clearly it is a half hearted attempt. She's committed to changing herself, until she realizes that she has value the way she it. Elise is a little restless and takes to sneaking out at night to go on long walks. One night she comes across an underground dance party at a pop-up club which changes everything. She meets a cool community of people. She discovers a passion for DJing. And for the first time she feels like she fits and gets to understand what friendship is. She starts to realize how much she has going for her, even if someone is impersonating her in a fake blog that details her suicidal thoughts."True, things don't save the same forever...And with each of these moments you change and change again, your true self spinning, shifting position - but always at last it returns to you, like a dancer on the floor. Because throughout it all, you are still, always, you: beautiful and bruised, known and unknowable. And isn't that - just you - enough?" (274)
    • 4/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed the message of this book :)
    • 5/5
      I had a terrible experience in High School. I was lonely because I didn't have friends, I never fit in, I suffered from anxiety and the only thing I really connected to was music. I also really loved reading and I was always picking up books with blurbs that promised they'd make me feel less alone and touch me on a really emotional level but those books never did much for me. They were always about kids who usually didn't fit in, yes, but then they'd find friends or a boyfriend/girlfriend and everything would be all cheery by the end.This Song Will Save Your Life is honest and incredibly real. There are not quick fixes and all of the emotions and experiences Elise has were almost too real and familiar for me to keep reading at some points. THIS was the book that touched me on a really emotional level. It took me to the age of 21 but I've finally found that near perfect YA book to help me feel a little better about my experiences growing up and like someone finally didn't just try to write a book about those experiences but really GETS it and put those feelings into words in a beautiful way.I don't know how else to praise this book. There are a lot more in depth and deeply personal reviews of this book on goodreads but all I'll say is this instantly became one of my favorite books and I know it is a story that will stick with me. If you didn't have a good high school experience, if you've felt unlikable and like you don't fit in this story is truly worth your time.
    • 4/5
      Stayed up until midnight finishing this!
    • 5/5
      It's hard for me to talk about this book without going all out fangirl, because this book was just that good in my eyes. I personally found the main character to be so relatable, but can understand why not everyone would. For me, its the pure fact that I saw so much of my self as a teenager in Elise. From a young age I was always trying to make friends any way I could, and then when I got to high school I even tried reinventing myself to better suit those around me. Needless to say that never worked how I hoped it would, instead after a year I finally accepted that I wasn't like everyone else, I dressed how I wanted (on the days we didn't have to wear uniform), I listened to whatever type of music I wanted to and I never tried to change myself for others again. But more than that, when I found music it just became my life. I had friends, don't get me wrong. But music is what I turned to before I found books, I would sit at lunch time listening to it, I would read music magazines in class, I would talk about it constantly. It kept me sane.Elise was such an endearing character for me, she was just this poor girl who despite what how she tried she never had friends, people hated her from the start. And the most upsetting thing is she really did try hard and if she didn't meet Pippa and Vicky on one of her middle of the night walks, she wouldn't have found something that not only gave her so much joy but acceptance of who she was. (and a bit of a backbone haha). Since Elise was younger she hasn't been content with just being good at something, she's wanted to be #1 , so when Char offerers to teach her how to DJ, she jumps at the opportunity to spend time with him if not anything else. DJing for her is not something else she just wants to the the best at, its something she actually want's to do for now on, and she's good at it. Not everyone is happy for her though, and she has to lie to those she loves in order to achieve what she wants, but she finally know's who she is and that makes up for it, right? If falling in love with the main character wasn't enough how about the secondary characters, of which this book has plenty. Too often do you find that with very strong character, the author seems to slack when it comes to the others, thankfully that was not the case in this book. Everyone, even down to Elise's stepsister, are well developed and thought out. You have Vicky, she's in a band and turns out to be more like Elise than we thought. She's fiercely loyal , even when best friend Pippa is making herself look like an idiot pining over Char, someone who would never love her back. And of course we have Char, what can I say about him that hasn't already been said?. He's arrogant, envious and at times nothing but rude, but that's what makes him such a great character. It would have been so easy for Leila Sales to create this love interest that was god's gift, flawless and just seemingly perfect. But she chose to take the risk and it paid off.One thing I loved about this book, and will always love about books that are the same, is the relationship's in the book didn't completely over power everything else. Elise done what she needed to do and moved on after. she got what she wanted from it and instead of moping around she decided to focus purely on her set's, and it was the best choice for her.I know that no everyone likes this book, I personally though loved it from start to finish and I'm so glad because I was really worried that I wouldn't. It's one of those books that, no matter how many people review it or how much you think you know, you will not understand what everyone is talking until you pick it up yourself :)
    • 4/5
      I'm really impressed with this story. it dealt with bullying and loneliness and trying to fit in, but it was also about hope and love. I thought it was great that the MC had a good family and good parents, even if they were more clueless than they believed themselves to be. Plus as a bonus I learned about djing.
    • 4/5
      "I had always thought that if i did something extraordinary enough, then people would like me. But that wasn't true. You will drive away everyone by being extraordinary."

      Uhh, how do I write a review about this one? I have conflicting feelings about this book. I had glimpse the MCs dark and hopeful thoughts at the same time. Some things was just too morbid for me but I seriously didn't regret reading about Elise.

      "I didn't need to be the most exciting, beautiful, beloved girl in the world. I just needed to stop being me anymore."

      Oh gawd. So this book started with Elise spending her summer vacation knowing what popular people wear, knowing what popular people like to talk about, knowing what popular people like to eat, you get the picture. In other words, she spent her summer knowing how to stop being herself. Her freshman year in high school was so crappy that she decided to make a move. She doesn't liked to be treated like that anymore so she decided to change herself. But is a change like that could really make the opinions about you change? Really, why is it important for us to make people like us?

      "Because you were swept away by someone liking you."

      I guess, when people like you, you became confident about yourself. But really, what do you get besides those? You just let these people control you and smother your own shine.

      I learned this one because I also went through high school. I mean everybody experienced trying to fit in. How can you not relate to this?

      Elise's plan for this year to be different didn't work so after the first day of school, as she walked home, she decided to kill herself thinking that this will be her revenge to those people who mistreated her.

      Well, after some time, it sank in to her that she did not really want to die. All she wanted was attention so she called a girl from school and told her that she cut herself. It was really sad.

      I remember my friend told me once: "Love yourself. Because if you don't love yourself enough, no one else will." I wished Elise had someone to talk to like that then maybe she would not think these things.

      "Sometimes I did that, thought about suicide, though not in an active way--it was more like pulling a lucky stone out of your backpocket. It was a comforting thing to have with you, so you could rub your fingers over it, reassure yourself that it was there if you needed it."

      This quote made me raised my eyebrows. I thought, wow. It is kind of sad that some people think like this. I do not consider myself a very optimistic person but just nooo this quote just gave me the chills.

      What I liked about this book is that the author captured perfectly what I think is in the thoughts of many young people nowadays. The book was raw and painfully honest. A voice wanted to be heard and I heard her very well.

      So, my only problem is that I know that people like this won't just go out one night and then BAM! found something life-changing to happen. People won't just suddenly found something to do like DJing and then be different. I want something real.

      What I mean is I wished Elise discovered herself's worth in a much more ideal way. I don't know if what I say made sense but yeah I would like that.

      The story wrapped up in a very good way in the end though and I liked that Elise has learned something valuable.

      Overall, this was a very relatable book even if you had experienced this or not. Definitely worth my reading time!
    • 3/5
      This book was ok. It wasn't my favourite book and it wasn't really my thing. I picked it up expecting to find a happy, music book and suddenly found something completely different. However, I still like it and the writing was good. Overall, an okay book...
    • 5/5
      Just the other day on Twitter, I mentioned the fact that I couldn't really think of any YA heroines whose high school experience in any way recalled my own, and along comes This Song Will Save Your Life. For this reason, This Song was a really personal read for me, one that I found immensely moving, comforting, and beautiful. As a teenager, I wish Leila Sales' book had already been out, because it would have immensely helped and comforted my teenage self.In the opening chapter of This Song Will Save Your Life, the reader meets Elise Dembowski, an incredibly unhappy but brilliant girl. Elise does not struggle academically and has a loving family; her divorced parents have worked out a great system, and do the best they can for her. However, Elise has never fit in with the other kids at school, and she's sick of being friendless and lonely. Being a girl who generally can accomplish anything she sets her mind to, she spends the whole summer learning how to be cool and just like the other kids. However, the first day of sophomore year does not go as planned and Elise decides to skip the second half of the day and commit suicide, all hope lost. And, I promise, this really is all in the first chapter.Now, this may seem melodramatic to you, but all of this resonated with me so incredibly strongly. I see so much of myself in Elise Dembowski: her bitterness and desperation, her thoughts that maybe it won't be better and that it would be best to end it all. In my case, I never seriously contemplated suicide, but I did think about it, imagining everyone fraught with guilt and sadness that they never appreciated me in life. Like Elise, I really didn't have friends and could not understand why everyone was either antagonistic to me or completely ignored me. In her, I see what I also later learned about myself: the fact that part of the reason people avoided me was my own attitude, one I hardly realized I had. Though I was not actively bullied like Elise (at least in high school), everything she felt and experienced was so close to my own life in that period.From there, Elise's experience no longer mirrors my own, but continues to be emotionally resonant and touching. This Song Will Save Your Life really is a story of a girl finding herself and discovering her passions. She's learning to accept who she is and how much happier life is when you stop judging yourself by the rules of society, and do and be what makes you happy. Accepting society's definition of yourself is so easy to do; learning to reject this is a crucial life lesson. I myself learned that in college and I have been so much more satisfied with life since, because I could finally quit chasing after things I don't actually want just because society says I should want them.Unlike so much YA fiction, This Song Will Save Your Life focuses much more on family and friendship than on romance. I love Elise's family so much. Sales depicts a healthy example of both divorce and remarriage. Both her single father and her mother, remarried with two more children, love her and take good care of her. Elise's family situation is healthy, and, even when Elise misbehaves, they support her and really do encourage her in her pursuits. Even Elise's little siblings are adorable, and her relations with her younger sister Alex broke my heart.With regards to friendship, Sales presents a realistic portrayal of high school dynamics. There's the stereotypical mean girl and brutish jocks, as well as the outcasts. However, Sales goes beyond the stereotypes and shows the ways that people can surprise you if you let them. Again, Elise's journey highlights the way that she pushes people away without realizing she's doing so, all the time desperately wishing for someone to like her.Finally, the romance, which me being the person I am, I can't not talk about. Elise differs so greatly from the average YA heroine. There's not an instaloving bone in her body. She clearly distinguishes between lust and love. When a guy does something questionable, she will call him on it, being the forthright person she is. For once, I understand the motivations and logic of a YA heroine in her reactions with guys. All I'll say is that the romance was handled perfectly, precisely the way I hoped, and entirely in an atypical way for young adult novels.This Song Will Save Your Life is a book that I could see saving lives. I sincerely hope that young people who are friendless and desperate, who do not understand why no one likes them, find this book and know that they're not alone. It will get better, maybe not as soon as it did for Elise, but, out there in the world, there are kindred spirits and, if you hold on, you'll find them.
    • 5/5
      This story is for all the people who didn't or don't fit in at high school. Elise Dembowski knows she isn't cool but during the summer between her freshman and sophomore year she studies up on pop culture and determines to change her life. Unfortunately, it doesn't work out for her and she decides that her best option is to die. Please note that this isn't a spoiler as it happens in Chapter 2. The rest of the book deals with the consequences of that decision.Elise is unhappy, friendless, and bullied at her high school. She splits her time between her divorced parents. Her dad works in a music store and was part of a band that still plays that had one hit in the 70s. Elise has grown up around music and loves it. Her mom has remarried and she has two more children. Her mom and new husband are political activists. Elise doesn't feel that she can tell either of them how unhappy she is. She takes to going on long walks and listening to her iPod after everyone has gone to sleep. One of her walks takes her by an underground dance club which changes her life.She meets Vicky and Pippa who accept her. And she meets Char, short for The Charming Man, who is the DJ and who teaches Elise how to DJ too. Elise has found her passion and she continually sneaks out of her mother's house to go to Start and DJ every Thursday night. She begins a relationship with Char but he isn't her boyfriend. They only see each other on Thursdays and she doesn't even know his real name.Meanwhile, at school, someone has created an online super secret diary that is supposed to be written by Elise which bares her secrets to the world. Everyone is convinced that Elise is actually writing it. Elise doesn't tell her parents about that either but she finds it easier to ignore because the focus of her life is Start and DJing.This was a great story. Elise was a smart character with talents and gifts that it took her a while to recognize. I didn't find any of the story "laugh out loud" but I did find it to be touching and entertaining. I can't wait to share this one with my students whether of not they are part of the popular crowd.
    • 5/5
      '...I also felt like an eggshell that had gotten a tiny crack. You can't repair something like that. All you can do is hope that it sticks together, hope that the crack doesn't grow until all your insides come spilling right out.'Elise Dembowski is the unpopular girl in school. She's that girl that eats her lunch in the bathroom. She's the one that never gets asked to the school dances. She's the one that shuffles along silently down the halls, never saying a word, never making eye contact with anyone. The invisible one.Elise decides she's going to spend the entire summer leading up to the new school year learning how to be just like all the popular kids so that this year can be different. But it's not. It ends up being just as disastrous as all others, but everything changes the day she goes home and decides to commit suicide."I had once thought that I wanted to get revenge by dying. But getting revenge by living, and living well, was much, much sweeter."I love how this book has been the conduit for so many shared personal stories. It resonated deep with me too, so I can't but share my own tale.The first half of this book I couldn't seem to connect with Elise's story and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why. I thought about it, discussed it with others and it finally hit me that the reason was due to how much I could relate and that I was unconsciously trying to emotionally disconnect. While I know I wasn't the most tortured kid in school, my early school days are not filled with memories that I look back on fondly. I dealt with bullies at the bus stop and being teased for my choice in fashion for years. But what resonated the most with me was that intense desire that Elise had to just be noticed by the popular group of kids. I remember the day the popular group of kids at school finally talked to me, asking me for a quick favor, just to keep something in my backpack for them... saying no never crossed my mind. I remember being called to the principal's office, having him search my bag and finding pot... apparently my "new friends" had been caught and had quickly decided to pawn it off on someone and I ended up being the perfect one to take the fall. It took me a long time to understand the full extent of what those girls did to me that day. That incident made me realize that there are some people in this world that may put on a happy face and pretend to be your friend but they don't have your best interests at heart. They don't care what happens to you. And they are most certainly not people you want/need to have in your life. Even if you can't relate to Elise's story, I'm sure you've known an 'Elise' type at some point in your life. But this can truly be a life lesson for everyone, whether you relate or not, because everyone is misjudged at some point in their life. This Song Will Save Your Life is a novel of self-discovery. It's about finding good people to have in your life that will treat you with kindness and respect. It's about finding what makes you happy in life. It's about being shamelessly you... and realizing there isn't a damn thing wrong with that.
    • 5/5
      Fans of contemporary YA fiction are seriously missing out if they haven't read any of Leila Sales' novels. This Song Will Save Your Life is the third book I've read from Sales, who is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors for smart, heartfelt realistic fiction and witty, engaging main characters.This Song Will Save Your Life follows Elise Dembowski, a passionate girl who flings herself wholeheartedly into life and pursues her diverse interests with a reckless abandon. Well, at least she did, until she realized that being passionate and interesting just made her an easier target - for judgement, for laughter, for bullying. Elise decides to blend by embracing anything and everything that's "in" in an effort to discourage the teasing and bullying, but, much to her disappointment, she finds even this carefully planned effort to escape loneliness isn't enough. And then, unexpectedly, everything changes. One night Elise stumbles across a secret party, where she meets people who don't know that she's the unpopular, constantly mocked Elise Dembowski. Instead, she's an interesting girl with good taste in music and a natural skill for DJing. Elise loses - and finds - herself during her clandestine nights at the secret warehouse parties, but the double life she's carefully cultivated can't last forever.Though it's alluded to in the novel's description, I really didn't realize how much of This Song Will Save Your Life would focus on bullying and suicide, nor did I realize how much it would affect me. This book reminded me how powerful a bully can be and how senseless bullying is. I was ridiculously angry at the kids in the book that picked on Elise over the years for absolutely no reason. Not that there is ever a situation that warrants bullying, but Elise, with her passion and interesting hobbies, is awesome! And I couldn't understand how her peers couldn't see how awesome she is.When Elise finally gives up on winning the approval of her peers, I cheered for her. It was difficult to see her try to win over people who so clearly didn't appreciate what she had to offer (friendship with an interesting, unique person!) and see the resulting low self-esteem take hold and inevitable, self-questioning of what was wrong with her (rather than what was wrong with them). I think that this aspect of the book really shone: Elise taking charge of her life, in spite of the haters, and reaffirming what she believed in and cared about, to hell with all of them!There is a small amount of romance in This Song Will Save Your Life, but it's definitely not the focus of the story. The romance elements seemed to be included to illustrate Elise's growth and the changes in her self-worth. The true romance in this book is between Elise, the music, and the sense of pride it allows her.I highly recommend all of Leila Sales' novels, This Song Will Save Your Life included. Not only is this a great story about overcoming bullying and finding yourself, music lovers will appreciate the mentions of fantastic bands and songs!
    • 4/5
      Leila Sales has quickly become one of my favorite YA authors for her very realistic characters and TSWSYL is no exception. Recommended for fans of contemporary YA, especially those with a musical flair.
    • 5/5
      another great read

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      This book will save your life.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      .
    • 4/5
      Stayed up late to finish this one. It reminds me of all of the many reasons I was so happy to leave high school behind. I also love that the main character was able to fall into her tribe and discover how she could make her passion something profitable that she could share with the world. It's a short read and is in some ways a little bit underdeveloped, but I still really liked it.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      2.5 - 3 Stars

      If not for its perfect timing, I would have given This Song Will Save Your Life two stars.

      When I first began this popular book, my expectations went from the heavens, down to rock bottom. I absolutely loathed the first few chapters. I was forced to endure a narrator who was not only judgmental, but who seemed to be suffering from permanent PMS. High school isn't that bad, I thought. The girl is a damn drama queen.

      Of course, after this line of thinking irony decided to make its very welcomed appearance into my life.

      Note: Beware of hyperboles galore.

      The week I was reading This Song Will Save Your Life, everything that could possibly go wrong during school, naturally, went wrong. All of a sudden my grades began to drop, I did horrible on a couple of my finals, and had to go through unnecessary drama I never thought actually existed outside of Mean Girls. And, to put frosting on the cake, a bird decided that my hand was the perfect target to relieve itself of its warm black-and-white droppings.

      I'll be honest here, I'm the kind of person that is over-enthusiastic about everything. I participate way too much in class more like yell out answers, I try to cheer up people when they clearly don’t want to talk, and I’m nerdy as hell when it comes to my choice of jokes. I'm not saying I've never been criticized before because of my optimism in school, but lately, fellow peers have been projecting their hate unto me. Seeing me as the best target, those eye-rolling chicks (and guys) from this particular novel magically came to life and decided to make their way into my school. I cannot count how many times I was insulted, talked down to, and graced with the pleasure of seeing someone roll their eyes at me in the span of one week. I don’t know where these girls came from, but I assure you, I’m not exaggerating.

      There were a series of other events that unfolded which I’m too lazy to recount at the moment, but the point of my autobiography story is that, somehow, This Song Will Save Your Life opened my eyes. It proved me wrong, and stomped on my pride while continually laughing at me. To an extent, it helped me through the hell that was last week. Because sometimes, you need an exaggerated story to brighten up your life.

      Now to the actual review. I think what I loved most about TSWSYL is the brutally honest writing. The narrator is not exactly a happy camper, but her cynicism is what gave this novel its originality.

      I enjoyed the breath of fresh air that was the romance. No, the romance the protagonist shared wasn’t transcendent or magical in any way; it was just a normal love affair, and didn't pretend to be anything more.

      Initially, I did not like Elise’s attitude, as you can probably tell. She looked down upon everyone (and when I say everyone, I mean EVERY SINGLE DAMN PERSON). She was a full-fledged snob, and one of the most judgmental jerks I've met, fictionally or otherwise. She did not exactly improve as the story wore on, and while I’m not sure how or when this transformation occurred, I began to not mind her that much. Regardless, I know for a fact that she will never be a favored protagonist of mine.

      That being said, there are some aspects of the novel that are not easily overlooked. During the first few chapters, she tries to commit suicide, but makes sure to distinguish her attempt from others as being more justified. The ease with which she dismissed teenage suicide was disgusting and insensitive. She generalized all suicide attempts as being petty, and portrays herself as an angel from heaven in her attempt.
      ”But I wouldn't ask, because that made everything seem so clichéd. Another teenage suicide attempt, another cry for attention. It’s all been done before.
      Speaking of clichéd, despite my above story, I still do believe high school was stereotyped a bit extremely. Not everyone in high school is that shallow, or mindless, or immature. So far, I've met my share of some awesome people, and none of them are by any means like the characters in TSWSYL. Sure, there a few unlikable people here and there, but the whole school? Isn't that a bit too unrealistic?

      Moreover, I’m still not sold on the fact that everyone in the entire school knows who Elise is and hates her with a fiery passion. People may display indifference towards her (and that’s only because of her attitude), but hate is a pretty strong word reserved for people who have actually done something noteworthy (and not in a positive way).

      TSWSYL definitely is a unique contemporary, but I only think people with the utmost amount of patience and are able to swallow down Elise’s snobiness would enjoy this. If you are like me, you’ll probably find yourself banging your head on a wall from the protagonist’s narrow-mindedness.

      As for any life lessons I would have gained from this book, it’s nothing much, even though I am pretty much the target audience for this book.

      ALSO: Am I the only one who thought the girl on the cover was sporting a Leia hair-do?
    • 4/5
      Since this was in last Sunday’s New York Times book review, I thought I’d add my two cents.In this debut novel by Leila Sales, sixteen-year-old Elise Dembowski is invisible most of the time and taunted the other times. A driven teenager, she spent the summer reading teen and fashion magazines, listening to gossip, learning how to dress and what to talk about, all in the hopes that come September she’d fit in, have friends. However, on the first day of school, nothing has changed, so she left early, went home and feebly attempted suicide by slitting her wrists. Sitting in the bathroom bleeding through a bandage she put on, she called a girl she wanted to be friends with, Amelia Kindl, who immediately called 911, which started a chain of events including therapy.Fast forward seven months and Elise (still nothing has changed), who splits her time between her divorced parents’ houses, finds it hard to sleep so she sneaks out at night to walk the neighborhood. One night two girls beckon her over, thinking she was looking for the dance club, Start. Following them inside, Elise is in awe and, getting introduced to the DJ, realizes that’s something she would love to do.I must say that This Song Will Save Your Life reminded DerbyGirlme a bit of Derby Girl by Shauna Cross, which I really liked (young misfit teen finds something she’s passionate about but is too young to pursue it without parental consent). Readers will immediately like Elise and feel her pain. They’ll also like Vicki (read the book to find out who she is). They’ll understand Elise’s desire for recognition, acceptance, friends and her inability, at times, to recognize who her friends really are. Sales is a talented writer and if this book is any indication, I can’t wait for her next book. It’s a fun story on a serious issue.And….there’s a bonus; a playlist at the back of the book. So, now I’m off to find some CDs with songs mentioned on the playlist.
    • 5/5
      Elise Dembowski doesn't fit in, she isn't 'popular', she isn't 'cool' and her social life is none existent. But all that is all going to change. She decides the summer before freshman year to become someone entirely different. But it's not that easy. Changing yourself is, if not impossible, pretty near impossible. A new hair cut, some nail polish, a cute top and some lipgloss, sure you may look like a new person but look just a little closer, just under the surface and you see the same girl that was there all along. A shy, socially awkward, overachieving teenager who just doesn't fit in. After realizing that her summer was a complete bust and that no matter how hard she tries she will always be Elise Dembowski she decides she can't take it anymore. She goes home after the first day of school and tries to kill herself. Months later she is still under the watchful eyes of her divorced parents. However neither one seems to notice when she leaves the house late at night to walk. Just walk, no destination in mind. She walks and walks until she gets tired and then she turns around and goes home to sleep. Until one night when she stumbles across an underground club. Vicki, the lead singer of her own band and Pippa a snarky British girl both befriend Elise and instantly Elise has a purpose, a place to be, even if it's only for one night a week. She longs for those nights and life is so much better being able to look forward to spending her time there.When Char the clubs DJ offers to let her guest DJ she throws herself into her new hobby, not only does she love it she's good at it. The crowd loves her and the music she plays. Each time she plays a Cure song or a song by The Smiths or Bruce Springsteen she comes one step closer to realizing that the Elise Dembowski she is is just the one she is meant to be. Not only does the music heal her it brings her new friends, a new found confidence and the self esteem she had in her all along. Change is inevitable, you meet new people, your discover new music, you get new scars. All of that changes you, but you're still you. You're still the person you were all along. And Elise discovers that maybe, just maybe, that's enough. I can't recommend this book enough, from the very first chapter I was hooked. To be truthful the title alone drew me in and I knew this would become an instant favorite of mine. I have never found the words to express how much music means to me, how one song, one strum of a guitar can instantly make my day better. There are certain bands I know will never let me down, bands that have been with me for most of my life, some people roll their eyes and just can't seem to understand why someone who is no longer a teenager still jumps up and down screaming when these bands release new songs or announce a tour. But I feel as though Leila Sales understands. One of my favorite quotes is by Alex Gaskarth, member of All Time Low, if, like me, this song rings true in your heart then I can guarantee you that this book is for you. “Never underestimate a girl’s love for her favorite band. Never think even for a minute, that she won’t defend them to her death. Because it’s not just the music that makes that band her favorite. It’s the guys, the gals. It’s the fans. People whom of which she has interacted with thanks to the band. That band might of saved her life, or just made her smile everyday. That band has never broke her heart and has yet to leave her. No wonder she finds such joy in her music.”Just like the bands I keep in my heart this book now has a special place there that is all it's own."This Song Will Save Your Life" is for fans of music, heartbreak and rediscovering who you really are. Until next time, Ginger