Let This Creative YA Novel Whisk You Away | Review of The Enchanted Sonata

About the Book (the author's website)

Clara Stahlbaum has her future perfectly planned: to marry the handsome pianist, Johann Kahler (ah!), and settle down to a life full of music. But all that changes on Christmas Eve, when Clara receives a mysterious and magical nutcracker.

Whisked away to his world—an enchanted empire of beautiful palaces, fickle fairies, enormous rats, and a prince—Clara must face a magician who uses music as spells…and the future she thought she wanted.

The Enchanted Sonata, a retelling of The Nutcracker Ballet with a dash of The Pied Piper, will captivate readers of all ages.

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My Rating

Spring

My Review

I absolutely adored Entwined by Heather Dixon, so I was excited for another book by her with such a promising premise. And it truly is a charming story!

First of all, the way the story is told is very clever and fun, a story within a story with plenty of adventure and surprises. Second, Heather excels at imaginative descriptions, and this book is full of them—from the way Nutcracker is portrayed to the grandeur of the train and city to the delightful candies and cozy rooms in Polichinelle's. (Now there's a fictional business I'd love to visit!) Third, just like with Entwined, the characters are quite lovable, especially the two main ones.

I'm not sure if the review e-copy I read was final or not, but it did feel somewhat unpolished. I would say that the story is a little like a toy soldier marching—a bit clunky in some plot pieces, but also a bit too neat in how some of the plot is resolved. While it may feel less polished and impactful than how I remember Entwined, the way this story unfolds and then gets tied together is still sweetly satisfying.

I really enjoyed Clara's journey, how she matures and what she learns about the nature of love and dreams worth pursuing. Heather's writing is fun and engaging and very distinctive, and The Enchanted Sonata is a lovely new presentation from her. Let the music whisk you away in this creative young-adult tale that balances some intense topics with a light voice—a great choice for the holidays.

*With thanks to Smith Publicity and the author through NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.*