Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by caseythereader
The Secret Song of Shelby Rey by Rayne Lacko
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Thanks to Books Forward PR for the free copy of this book.
- THE SECRET SONG OF SHELBY REY sounds at first like a magical adventure, but hidden inside is a story of poverty, addiction, and the mental health system.
- I loved this idea that Shelby could see to the truth of a person just by touching them, and Lacko showed us how equally amazing and terrible that could be.
- Shelby gets kicked around a lot in this story, especially by the men in her life. But I never stopped rooting for her to begin loving herself, and for those around her to see her light.
- THE SECRET SONG OF SHELBY REY sounds at first like a magical adventure, but hidden inside is a story of poverty, addiction, and the mental health system.
- I loved this idea that Shelby could see to the truth of a person just by touching them, and Lacko showed us how equally amazing and terrible that could be.
- Shelby gets kicked around a lot in this story, especially by the men in her life. But I never stopped rooting for her to begin loving herself, and for those around her to see her light.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Cursing, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual content