The Lucy Variations - by Sara Zarr (Paperback)

About the Book

National Book Award Finalist Zarr ("Story of a Girl") draws readers into the glamorous and high-pressure world of top-level music competitions and complicated family dynamics in this immersive drama.

Book Synopsis

Lucy Beck-Moreau once had a promising future as a concert pianist. Now, at sixteen, it's over. A death, and a betrayal, led her to walk away. But without music in her life, Lucy's not sure who she is, or who she wants to be. Then she meets Will, her brother's new piano teacher, who is young, kind, and interested in helping Lucy find her way back to piano-not for an audience, but on her own terms.
National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr takes readers inside one girl's struggle to reclaim her love of music, life, and herself in this stunning novel about finding joy in unexpected places.

Review Quotes

* "[Zarr] really, truly gets inside her characters' minds and shows us what makes them complex human beings -- their faults, fears, and hopes...This is a mellifluous novel about rekindling joy -- in music, in the everyday, and in the beauty around us."--Booklist, starred review

* "Exploring relationships is where Zarr soars . . . This strong coming-of-age story about music, passion, and the search for identity will appeal to longtime fans of Zarr's work and newcomers alike."--SLJ, starred review

* "The combination of sympathetic main character and unusual social and cultural world makes this satisfying coming-of-age story stand out."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Zarr doesn't waste a word in this superb study of a young musical prodigy trying to reclaim her life....[Lucy is] a deeply real and sympathetic character, and that dimensionality extends to the rest of the cast. The pressures Lucy is under feels powerful, immediate, and true -- her journey of self-discovery will strike a profound chord with readers."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"[A] gripping YA novel about a 16-year-old music prodigy trying to survive the cutthroat world of piano competitions."--InStyle

"A satisfying coming-of-age story and a thoughtful treatise on art, identity, and personal fulfillment."--The Horn Book

"An elegant novel...Zarr vividly develops the title character, illuminating Lucy's teenage insecurities, her close and fractious friendships and the coming-of-age realization that she can pursue her dreams on her own terms...A rewarding journey for readers."--The New York Times Book Review

"This book has so much depth and character that it stays with you like actual memories. I love how Sara Zarr can make you laugh and cry on the same page, and I think this is her best book yet."--James Dashner, New York Times bestselling author of The Maze Runner (Metro New York)

About the Author

Sara Zarr was raised in San Francisco, California, and now lives with her husband in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is the author of The Lucy Variations, How to Save a Life, What We Lost, Sweethearts, and the National Book Award finalist Story of a Girl. Her website is www.sarazarr.com.