The Encore, Juliet Izon (Review by Cassy Van Drunen)
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Juliet Izon’s debut novel “The Encore” is a pitch perfect work of fiction.
We are first introduced to Lottie, a sixteen year old girl from New York City being raised by her (sometimes present) Uncle Aidan following her adopted mother’s passing. Desperate from a young age to know about her biological mother, Aidan grants her wish early by providing her with emancipation papers and her birth certificate.
Singing in perfect harmony to Lottie’s story is Anna. Starting in her Brookfield Conservatory days, readers get to follow Anna’s journey from studying music to becoming an indie star. However, the road to success is never straightforward. When presented with an unexpected pregnancy after a trist with her classmate Will, Anna must make difficult decisions.
When Anna and Lottie finally meet, their lives harmonize and clash in unexpected ways. But when Anna, Lottie, and Will decide to take a road trip of a lifetime, will their lives sing in perfect tune? Or will their new relationships be too much too soon?
Izon’s novel displays the classic tale of nature versus nurture in a new and interesting way. Through creative prose and musical explorations, we are able to watch how Lottie’s life has grown to be both alike and torrent from her biological parents.
Beyond this, Izon explores the difficult theme of forgiveness, examining how different wounds heal and fissure when characters are together and apart.
Overall, “The Encore” was a book that had me hooked by the prologue. My heart broke for the characters in this book as they tried to find their way back to one another. Izon was able to beautifully craft an interesting ensemble of characters, drawing you into their lives and experiences. Izon’s freshman novel was an incredible read and I definitely encourage everyone to look out for any future encore performances in the form of a sophomore novel.