An interesting take on Mozart's life
One of my first thoughts when I first saw that Marie Lu was going to write this book was thank goodness it isn't a series. Not that I don't mind Marie Lu's series! I actually love her work, but I don't think I could keep up with another series in general. College life is demanding. It requires a lot of energy and time, and I don't have a lot to spare for my hobbies at the moment. With classes and an internship, I really don't have time to read anything that isn't a textbook. That's why I'm extra thankful that I get to enjoy this story by one of my favorite YA authors without the hassle of a series.
A unique factor of The Kingdom of Back is how classical music is such a big factor in the story. I don't know any YA novels that focus on a classical composer. The most I've seen of classical music in young adult literature is if a character plays a classical instrument or is part of an orchestra. As someone who grew up playing the piano and cello, seeing the two things that made up my childhood (music and books) come together seemed like a dream come true. That being said, I'm not sure I liked this story as much as I wanted to. It's an interesting concept. I don't know too many YA novels that take a historical figure's life and add a mystical element to it. On top of that, it's in the perspective of the sibling of the famous composer. I'm not sure how historically accurate the story is, but seeing the author's take on Mozart's life through the lens of a family member was really interesting. However, the plot itself seemed a little predictable.
What I should have done before reading The Kingdom of Back is alter my expectations. I went in expecting something more of the older side of young adult, but the book is geared towards the younger audience of YA. I just think I hyped it up in my mind too much because I love Marie Lu's work.
The story is a little repetitive. There is this cycle of Nannerl traveling with her family across Europe while performing with her younger brother. There's a lot of yearning for her father's approval and wanting to compose music but not being able to. Then with great bouts of emotion, Hyacinth swoops in and takes her to the Kingdom of Back to fulfill her part of a promise made. Then she goes back into the real world and there is some sort of mishap that happens that makes her suspicious they're related to her trips to the magical kingdom. And the cycle starts all over again several times. Despite my complaints, though, I can't deny that the story is really interesting, and I really enjoyed it.
I think what makes this story so special is its imagery and the contrast between the real world and the Kingdom of Back. The kingdom itself is very rich and full of interesting details that I love about fantastical worlds. The real world seems a bit drab in comparison.
All in all, The Kingdom of Back is a solid story. I would recommend everyone to read it because it's unlike anything I've seen in YA so far. It's worth a read.
A unique factor of The Kingdom of Back is how classical music is such a big factor in the story. I don't know any YA novels that focus on a classical composer. The most I've seen of classical music in young adult literature is if a character plays a classical instrument or is part of an orchestra. As someone who grew up playing the piano and cello, seeing the two things that made up my childhood (music and books) come together seemed like a dream come true. That being said, I'm not sure I liked this story as much as I wanted to. It's an interesting concept. I don't know too many YA novels that take a historical figure's life and add a mystical element to it. On top of that, it's in the perspective of the sibling of the famous composer. I'm not sure how historically accurate the story is, but seeing the author's take on Mozart's life through the lens of a family member was really interesting. However, the plot itself seemed a little predictable.
What I should have done before reading The Kingdom of Back is alter my expectations. I went in expecting something more of the older side of young adult, but the book is geared towards the younger audience of YA. I just think I hyped it up in my mind too much because I love Marie Lu's work.
The story is a little repetitive. There is this cycle of Nannerl traveling with her family across Europe while performing with her younger brother. There's a lot of yearning for her father's approval and wanting to compose music but not being able to. Then with great bouts of emotion, Hyacinth swoops in and takes her to the Kingdom of Back to fulfill her part of a promise made. Then she goes back into the real world and there is some sort of mishap that happens that makes her suspicious they're related to her trips to the magical kingdom. And the cycle starts all over again several times. Despite my complaints, though, I can't deny that the story is really interesting, and I really enjoyed it.
I think what makes this story so special is its imagery and the contrast between the real world and the Kingdom of Back. The kingdom itself is very rich and full of interesting details that I love about fantastical worlds. The real world seems a bit drab in comparison.
All in all, The Kingdom of Back is a solid story. I would recommend everyone to read it because it's unlike anything I've seen in YA so far. It's worth a read.