Virtuosity – Jessica Martinez (A Review)

Hardcover, 304 pages
Expected publication: October 18th 2011 by Simon Pulse
Source: Publisher

Synopsis:

Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. And Jeremy is hands-down the wrong guy for her to fall for. He is infuriating, arrogant, and the only person who can stand in the way of Carmen getting the one thing she wants most: to win the prestigious Guarneri competition. Carmen’s whole life is violin, and until she met Jeremy, her whole focus was winning. But what if Jeremy isn’t just hot…what if Jeremy is better?

Carmen knows that kissing Jeremy can’t end well, but she just can’t stay away. Nobody else understands her–and riles her up–like he does. Still, she can’t trust him with her biggest secret: She is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to perform, and what started as an easy fix has become a hungry addiction. Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of always doing what she’s told, doing what’s expected.

Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall….

Review:

Let me be (one of) the first to say it:

Virtuosity just may be the strongest debut of 2011. And I have read enough of them to form an educated opinion.

I don’t know about you guys but I love books about music. Or movies about music. Or manga about music… you get the idea. (And if you haven’t yet looked up Nodame Cantabile, I reckon you should.) Anyway, Virtuosity is a well crafted novel that allows the reader a close look into the life of a musical prodigy. In this case, the prodigy would be Carmen and the instrument of choice would be the violin. Ms. Martinez does a splendid job in creating Carmen. Her neuroses, her determination, the person she is underneath all the accolades, all the glamour foisted upon her public persona is very well portrayed. I especially empathized with her isolation from people of her own age and a life that other kids take for granted. Also, I loved how the scenes that related the times she played the violin were narrated. They were powerful and led the reader close to the moment when the violinist makes magic with her violin.

The plot is refreshing and very relevant and I especially love how Martinez explored the rifts between the parents and Carmen without demonizing the adults. The sense of confusion, the bewilderment, the utter betrayal – these are so well conveyed that you can’t help but be swept into the world where people will do just about anything for a win.

The love interest is also intriguing but it is Carmen who carries the show. And the ending was so beautifully done. I like it when endings are somewhat left open to the interpretation without tying up every single thread all neat and tidy. This is not to imply that the book ends without addressing all relevant questions. No. I just mean that the book ends on a note of possibility, on a note of a future that the reader would want for Carmen.

It really is a fantastic novel and I look forward to seeing what Ms. Martinez comes up with next. I recommend this book, guys. If you want a passionate contemporary, this is for you. Even if you don’t like contemporaries, I think you should give this one a try. It’s well written and has a lot of heart. You’ll enjoy it.