Love Will Keep Us Together?

Aside from listening to music, which I do a lot of, I also really enjoy reading. I find that lately I haven't had much time to sit down and enjoy a good book, but it's something that I'd like to pick up again. I don't have a particular style of book that I prefer, usually just what catches my eye when walking through Borders with a friend. However, when I found a book that could combine my love of reading and love of music, I was intrigued.

The book is called Love Will Tear Us Apart, by Sarah Rainone. I haven't finished it yet, but so far, I would say that it's a pretty good book. The plot involves a group of young adults that return home for their mutual friends' wedding. The guests feel like their lives are falling apart, and that they didn't live up to a certain potential. Their feelings are only intensified by how the bride and groom seem to lead such perfect lives, and have everything so together.

How does this relate to music? Each chapter starts with a different song title, ranging from "Smells Like Teen Spirit" to "Beat It" to "Like a Prayer." The song/chapter title appropriately corresponds with what is happening in the book, and sets the atmosphere for what is to come. By adding the song titles, the author has added a soundtrack to the book. Since soundtracks are usually only found in movies or TV shows, this book, by most standards, is fairly unique.

The idea of having a soundtrack to go along with the book was what initially drew me to the book. I've never seen a book structured the way this one is, and though it was confusing at first, it was easy to pick up on the author's style.

Overall, I think that the author's experiment with style and creativity was successful, but then again, I'm not any kind of a professional critic. The book isn't for everyone. Sometimes some strong language is used, and some might not appreciate some of the topics discussed. That was just a disclaimer. However, it ultimately depends on the person. For me, though the novel pushed the line a bit, it helped offer a more "real" depiction of the problems that some young adults may face. There are some things that could be improved upon, but ultimately, it was an interesting approach, and a creative style.

I really feel like I just wrote another review, but not for class. Weird.

As a side note, this is the song that the novel title is referencing:


And this is the song that it always makes me think of:


I have no idea why.