SOLO

Author: Emily Barr ISBN: 0452285364 6/2005 CONTEMPROARY Publisher: PLUME

From London to NewYork, Emily Barr's feisty new heroine charms both sides of the Atlantic. Evie Silverman appears to have it all. A semi-celebrity in the British tabloids, she's known as much for her fabulous sense of style as for her increasing profile as a "pop" classical musician. But this self-made diva is getting restless, growing dissatisfied with both her stale marriage to her college sweetheart and her artistically shallow career. An extended trip to New York seems to be just what she needs, but Evie's problems in London make the transatlantic journey with her: the media demands on an emerging starlet, the increasing threats of a determined stalker, and a long-kept secret that could ruin her image and all of the relationships she holds dear.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

SOLO is an incredibly inspirational novel about the fear of failure that lives in all of us, and learning to accept oneself. It took me a really long time to read SOLO, and not because it is a long novel, but because I had to keep putting it down and walking away.

As I read more about the main character, Evie Silverman, I felt like I was reading a story about myself. No, I’m not a classical musician, and I haven’t been through the same hardships as Evie, but I have doubted myself and lied to myself and tried to hide from who I really am. Evie spent so many years pretending to be someone and something she was not, that she began to lose touch with the most important people in her life. She became so selfish that she really didn’t care about anyone else anymore.

But things started changing for Evie when she decided to get a divorce. As she began to be more independent, she realized that no one really knew her, and maybe she really didn’t know herself either. Evie grew up so much in this novel, and her story helped me see ways that I can grow up too.

As I reader, I really felt a connection with Evie. Throughout the novel Evie thinks back to her teenage years, and remembers some of the cruelties she faced. I remember those too. The teasing and gossiping from people you thought were your friends, the insecurities you feel when going through that awkward time known as adolescence. Being so obsessed with how you look and what others think of you—it really can get out of control and become your focus when you want so much to fit it.

Emily Barr has written a novel with depth and substance. I found this novel to be an inspiration to live a better life. To let people in, and let them get to know me even when it’s the scariest thing I can imagine. To put aside fears of not being liked or accepted, and just be happy with who I am and all that I have in my life. I love this novel and highly recommend it.

Carrye Syma