Blog Tour Playlist: The Way the Light Bends by Cordelia Jensen

Book Blurb:

Virtual twins Linc and Holly were once extremely close. But while artistic, creative Linc is her parents' daughter biologically, it's smart, popular Holly, adopted from Ghana as a baby, who exemplifies the family's high-achieving model of academic success.

Linc is desperate to pursue photography, to find a place of belonging, and for her family to accept her for who she is, despite her surgeon mother's constant disapproval and her growing distance from Holly. So when she comes up with a plan to use her photography interests and skills to do better in school--via a project based on Seneca Village, a long-gone village in the space that now holds Central Park, where all inhabitants, regardless of race, lived together harmoniously--Linc is excited and determined to prove that her differences are assets, that she has what it takes to make her mother proud. But when a long-buried family secret comes to light, Linc must decide whether her mother's love is worth obtaining.

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Music plays a large, important role in pretty much everything I do- be it motivation, an expression of emotion or association between items. Because the book is told through free verse, which is an art form itself and the story focuses on art, I created a playlist (because music is my favorite art form) for The Way The Light Bends.

1. Good Enough by Lifehouse -the emotion behind the words fits so well with Linc's belief that she doesn't belong

2. All I want Is You by U2- this song's lyrics are as close to poetry as I have seen, which reminds me of the book

3. Photograph by Ed Sheeran- Ugh, the emotions! Yep, this song has the feels that the book brought to life

4. Pictures of You by The Cure- This song is dedicated to Linc and her love of all things art, especially her camera and the photos she takes to cherish of what her family use to be, how close she and Holly use to be

5. My Sister by Reba McEntire- This is a really cute, feel good song about the bond between sisters and how no matter what it will prevail

My Review:

4.5 Out Of 5 Stars

I will be the first to admit that I don't read poetry, ever- I have never sought it out, connected to it or enjoyed it in any way; really it is something I try to avoid if being totally honest. That being said, this book was completely written in free verse and it was gorgeous. Cordelia was able to convey so much emotional heartbreak, turmoil, love, struggle, and angst, through the use of her words. But not only word choice, but word placement on the pages and the font used on the words- everything was just so carefully crafted to make the whole. I have never read a book like this before and I was blown away by how connected I felt to Linc and her emotions. I felt like I was right there with her, through this journey of self-discovery and I am still kind of baffled how Cordelia was so skilled with just a few words.

I highly recommend this completely unique read to any fans of YA contemporary. The way The Light Bends was a beautiful layout as well as a highly emotional read full of self-discovery and triumphs.

I received an early copy of this title for reviewing purposes.

Author Bio:

Cordelia Jensen holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and teaches creative writing in Philadelphia, where she lives with her husband and children. She is also the author of Skyscraping. Follow her on Twitter @cordeliajensen

Week One:

3/19 – Arctic Books – Author Guest Post

3/20 – Forever Literary – Interview

3/21 – Hello Jenny reviews – Interview

3/22 – AEB Book Reviews – Review

3/23 – Book reporter – Review

Week Two:

3/26 – Stacked – Author Guest Post

3/27 – Blossoms & Bullets – Interview

3/28 – Booknerd Chelcie – Review

3/29 – Smada’s Book Smack – Playlist