(Not Quite) the Same Old Song by Lindsey Ouimet

(Not Quite) the Same Old Song by Lindsey Ouimet
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (195 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

When her brother relapses—again—and disappears with the rent money, Darcy Andrews is forced to pawn the one thing that means the most to her. Her guitar, Darlene. Suddenly the plus-size teen’s plans for a stress-free summer before senior year are washed down the drain. Now she must earn enough money to get her brother the help he needs and to buy Darlene back.

Canadian steroid company is cialis no prescription canada Genexpharma, they manufacture in Canada and sell worldwide. It is because the internet based suppliers offer generico cialis on line different exclusive purchase benefits. Since the problem is connected with male emotions and his relation. commander viagra Doctors would immediately prescribe some prescription that cialis india price can aid manage these symptoms. Enter Grey, the pawnshop owner’s son. Popular, annoyingly hot, and inexplicably on stage with Darlene in his hands. Not only is he playing her guitar, but he kind of sucks at it. Before she can stop herself, Darcy is offering Grey guitar lessons, adding yet another complication to her plans—a summer romance with the last boy she ever thought would be interested in her.

It’s all sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll. Except, not quite. She’s down one guitar, the drugs are her brother’s problem, and once school starts back, Darcy is afraid Grey is embarrassed to be seen with her. But when an opportunity to win money for her brother’s rehab arises, she won’t let all that stand in her way.

You never really know what someone might be dealing with behind closed doors.

The arc of the romantic plot line was perfect. I adored the chemistry between Darcy and Grey. They had so much in common that I immediately knew I wanted them to remain in each other’s lives either as friends or a couple. As they got to know each other better, I became even more convinced that they’d make the perfect match. Not only did they share the same hobbies, they had the same values as well. That is, they were both far more interested in quietly doing the right thing no matter who noticed than in getting credit for it. Their strong senses of integrity were well matched and also made me love both of these characters even more than I did when I first met them.

Darcy was such a relatable and interesting protagonist. Most high school students don’t need to worry about helping their moms pay rent or keep food on the table. As tough as these added responsibilities made her life, they also shaped her into a hard-working and trustworthy young woman. She took life seriously in a good way. When she did have opportunities to relax, she dove into those experiences with joy. I wanted her to finally get a happy ending after everything she’d been through.

I was also impressed with how sensitively and honestly Ms. Ouimet handled Quinn’s substance abuse. He was Darcy’s only sibling, their family was low income, and they honestly didn’t have much of a social safety net at all. All of these things made an already difficult situation even harder to cope with. There was simply not enough time, emotional support, or money to deal with all of the negative consequences of his addiction. I’ll admit to blinking back tears a few times while I read this story because of how much empathy I had for this family. They were facing awful circumstances, and the author did an amazing job of showing how Quinn’s choices affected not only his own life but the lives of his mother and sister.

(Not Quite) the Same Old Song is a must-read for anyone who has ever had personal experience with substance abuse or who wonders what it feels like to love someone who is in such a self-destructive cycle.