{REVIEW} A SONG FOR JULIA by CHARLES SHEEHAN-MILES

Series: Thompson Sisters #2
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Cincinnatus Press
Publication Date: 12/5/12
Format: ebook
Pages: 374
Source: Received from author for review.

Everyone should have something to rebel against.

Crank Wilson left his South Boston home at sixteen to start a punk band and burn out his rage at the world. Six years later, he’s still at odds with his father, a Boston cop, and doesn’t ever speak to his mother. The only relationship that really matters is with his younger brother, but watching out for Sean can be a full-time job. The one thing Crank wants in life is to be left the hell alone to write his music and drive his band to success.

Julia Thompson left a secret behind in Beijing that exploded into scandal in Washington, DC, threatening her father's career and dominating her family's life. Now, in her senior year at Harvard, she's haunted by a voice from her past and refuses to ever lose control of her emotions again, especially when it comes to a guy.

When Julia and Crank meet at an anti-war protest in Washington in the fall of 2002, the connection between them is so powerful it threatens to tear everything apart.

A Song for Julia is a story of Crank and Julia, who both seem to be sort of drifting. It, for me, spoke of meeting the right person at the right time, and moving beyond the past into a better future together.

A Song for Julia takes place late 2002, when it seems clear that the US is headed to war with Iraq. Julia and Crank meet at an anti-war concert/protest in Washington, DC, where his band is performing and she is organizing the event. I found the time setting to be great, as this is a troubled time in recent history. The politics of war doesn't play a big part of the day-to-day story, but it does give a bit of impact later, as Julia's father is a diplomat and Crank's is a Reserve.

Both living in Boston, Crank and Julia, form an instant connection, and spend the day together with no intention of ever seeing each other again after they return home. But forunately for us, life has other plans for Crank and Julia, and they soon become friends. Kind of. Crank, against his usual MO, wants more with Julia. But Julia is still battling her past, and refuses to get close to Crank. As they spend more time together, though, Julia and Crank's feeling grow stronger, but will Julia be able to take the leap?

I found Julia and Crank to both be likeable characters. Crank is portrayed as a bad-boy ladies man, but he's not abrasive at all. Initially it seems that he and his father have major issues, but I didn't see that at all. That got along much better than a lot of father-and-sons that I've read or known. He basically seems to have things together, but just needs his band to catch a break.

Julia is clearly the more troubled in this relationship. She's lived a luxurious life, traveling the world with her family, but like a lot of priviledged teens, she was lacking the parental support she so needed. I don't want to give too much of Julia's story away, but I really love that the author wrote about girls in her position. It is very important to stress the issue of older, more mature guys and younger girls. I don't think there are enough stories that talk about this. Given Julia's emotional barriers, it would have been very easy for her character to be abrasive or unlikeable. I've read a lot of books lately that have troubled heroines, but they're written to be so hateful that I found it hard to sympathize. The author did an excellent job of presenting her in a way that made Julia endearing.

I really liked A Song for Julia. I never felt overwhelmed with emotion, or that the love was this all-consuming passionate romance. I did not realize until after I'd read the book that it is a companion to Just Remember to Breathe, in the Thompson Sister's series. Book one is about younger sister Alexandra, and I will definitely read that in the near (ish) future.


Favorite Quote:

  "You don't want to see me again," he said.
  I did. But I shook my head no.
  "You don't sleep with guys unless you're serious with them," he said.
  "I don't have room for serious in my life."
   He stepped close and brushed my lips with his, then spoke in a low tone. "I want you to be serious about me," he said.  ~8%


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