Sara Zarr is awesome. I read all her books a few years ago, which at that time meant three. This weekend I caught up on the two she published thereafter–How to Save a Life, and The Lucy Variations. I enjoyed them so much that I now count her among my favorite authors.
It’s a rare thing for me to read two books in a row by the same person, and an even rarer thing to love every book an author puts out with the same ferocity. I’ve finished each one and decided it’s my favorite, so take this with a grain of salt: The Lucy Variations is my favorite.
Lucy is a decorated pianist, or she was, before she quit suddenly from severe burnout. Her journey to discovering what she wants to do with her life is beautiful and nuanced; I’d recommend this book to every writer whose ever suffered from burnout–Lucy’s experience dovetails eerily with my own.
But really, if you love contemporary YA and you aren’t reading Sara Zarr, you’re missing out on one of the best authors in the genre. I’d say her books keep getting better, but I’m pretty sure if I went back to read Story of a Girl again, it would be my favorite.
That’s a problem I’m happy to have.
