Review: Virtuosity

Virtuosity 
Jessica Martinez
Release Date: October 18, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 294

Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. And Jeremy is hands-down the wrong guy for her to fall for. He is infuriating, arrogant, and the only person who can stand in the way of Carmen getting the one thing she wants most: to win the prestigious Guarneri competition. Carmen's whole life is violin, and until she met Jeremy, her whole focus was winning. But what if Jeremy isn't just hot...what if Jeremy is better?
Carmen knows that kissing Jeremy can't end well, but she just can't stay away. Nobody else understands her--and riles her up--like he does. Still, she can't trust him with her biggest secret: She is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to perform, and what started out as an easy fix has become a hungry addiction. Carmen is sick of not felling anything on the stage and even more sick of always doing what she's told, doing what's expected.
Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall...

I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. I thought it would just be a quick read (which it was) but it was so much more.

I really felt like I could relate to the subject matter as playing an instrument myself. Although I play the cello instead of violin and I'm nowhere near as talented as Carmen is. But I do think that those who don't have a musical background can also enjoy this book.

Carmen was my favorite part of this book. I loved watching her grow throughout the book. She learned how to decide for herself what she wants and what she does. She was a little weak in the beginning, which was a tad bothersome, but she grew and became a stronger person, which I liked that about her.

Virtuosity is a fantastic debut--one that I wasn't expecting to like so much. Even with its short length, there is an addictive quality to it and wonderful character.