A Little Wanting Song

Title: A Little Wanting Song
Author: Cath Crowley
Genre: YA
Page Count: 263
Why I read it: ARC Tour
Grade: A
Publication date is June 8, 2010

Synopsis:
CHARLIE DUSKIN loves music, and she knows she's good at it. But she only sings when she's alone, on the moonlit porch or in the back room at Old Gus's Secondhand Record and CD Store. Charlie's mom and grandmother have both died, and this summer she's visiting her grandpa in the country, surrounded by ghosts and grieving family, and serving burgers to the local kids at the milk bar. She's got her iPod, her guitar, and all her recording equipment, but she wants more: A friend. A dad who notices her. The chance to show Dave Robbie that she's not entirely unspectacular.
ROSE BUTLER lives next door to Charlie's grandfather and spends her days watching cars pass on the freeway and hanging out with her troublemaker boyfriend. She loves Luke but can't wait to leave their small country town. And she's figured out a way: she's won a scholarship to a science school in the city, and now she has to convince her parents to let her go. This is where Charlie comes in. Charlie, who lives in the city, and whom Rose has ignored for years. Charlie, who just might be Rose's ticket out.
Told in alternating voices and filled with music, friendship, and romance, Charlie and Rose's "little wanting song" is about the kind of longing that begins as a heavy ache but ultimately makes us feel hopeful and wonderfully alive.

My review:
This is one of those sweet novels that when I read the last page I just want more. This was not a fast-paced novel. There really wasn't any action, and there wasn't a lot going on either. It was more of an internal story--a story about two girls realizing who they are and who they can be.

I really liked Charlie from the beginning. She was a great character. Rose took awhile to grow on me. I felt like she was selfish and snotty, but in the end I liked her. In fact, I liked all the characters in one way or another.

There were times I thought the writing might be a little too flowery for me. Things like the sunset being like a cello playing. I think in real life if someone talked to me like that, I would think they were maybe a bit pretentious, if I'm being honest. But it works for this story, and it didn't really bother me.

I would recommend this to fans of YA. I liked it a lot better than I thought I would.