Sing by Vivi Greene

 

"Sing"

By Vivi Greene

Today, I completed my reading journey with "Sing" by Vivi Greene. When I stumbled upon this book in the clearance section of my local Half Price Books store, I gave the back cover a cursory glance and perused the introductory pages. Initially, I assumed it would be a conventional tale of a teenage pop idol discovering a new passion or love beyond the glitz and glamour of stardom. As I delved into the story, I found myself anticipating certain plot twists and predicting scenarios that mostly aligned with my initial expectations. However, as I reached the novel's conclusion, I discovered that my assumptions were not entirely accurate, leading to a complete shift in my perspective on the book

The book starts out with a famous pop-star singer by the name of Lily Ross who has just went through a very public and emotional break up with her also famous boyfriend Jeb Munroe. To help herself move on from her sudden break-up, Lily's best friends convince her to take the summer off at her friend Tess's family's cottage out in Penobscot Bay. While on this vacation, Lily has decided to wipe her original music for her up coming tour and create a whole new album. Her deadline is close and the pressure is on. While trying to relax and focus on her music in the small town, Lily begins to have brain-fog in creating new music. This is not good, not just for her upcoming tour, but also for her friends who relied on her music for their financial stability.

No music + No tour = No income.

For a while, Lily enjoyed the unwavering support of her friends during this challenging period. However, she soon noticed a change in their attitudes, and she realized that she, too, was not being entirely truthful with them. One afternoon, Lily decided to venture into town by herself and literally crashed into a local's truck. The attractive stranger Lily had encountered turned out to be none other than Noel, a close friend of her best friend Tess. As they continued to meet discreetly, Lily embarked on a clandestine romance with Noel, inadvertently creating a divide between herself and her friends. At the same time, the creative barrier that had previously hindered Lily's music-making abilities dissolved upon her encounter with Noel, sparking a newfound inspiration for composing new music. Lily found herself entangled in an internal struggle, torn between the desire to dive headfirst into love so swiftly and the need to conceal her newfound romance from her closest friends. In time, she begins to see that drift in her friendship, and knows that she cannot hide her relationship with Noel forever. After coming clean one evening, Lily realizes that even though she was honest, her openness had created a rift in the complete trust her friends had once placed in her. 

As events continue to unfold, tensions mount within Lily's relationship with Noel and his family, coinciding with the worldwide promotion of her new album. Noel is thrust into the relentless world of paparazzi and constant scrutiny, which strains their budding romance. At this pivotal moment, Lily faces a defining choice: to prioritize her love life or her career. Amidst this critical choice, she creates a rift between herself and Noel, causing emotional strain in their relationship. However, this decision also uncovers the hidden secrets her two best friends have been harboring. 

Lily's long-time best friend, Tess, had been concealing her discomfort about the intrusion into her childhood home when Lily brought her music production team inside. And while fighting this discomfort, Tess had her own secret: a hidden romantic relationship with the local yoga instructor, Maya. As recent events unfolded, with Tess expressing her frustration over the breach of privacy in her childhood home and Lily unexpectedly spotting Tess and Maya holding hands in town, Lily started to grasp that she wasn't the sole one harboring secrets and being less than completely honest. Lily's best friend since childhood Sammy, too, had her own hidden secret. Throughout the entire trip, she appeared fatigued on most days, often toting a novel that appeared to remain untouched. However, in truth, she had been confining herself to her room, diligently studying a nursing textbook in preparation for her imminent enrollment in nursing school. This is the point at which Lily had to come to terms with the fact that her friends deserved to forge their own paths in life, and she had been inadvertently hindering their progress. So many things were making Lily realize that she was built for this life of fame and success, but not her friendships or relationships. She realized it was time to seize control of her life and pursue her dreams independently, even if it meant walking a path where love and the company of her close friends might not always be at her side.

Ultimately, I had hoped that Lily's relationship with Noel would find its way to a happily ever after, but the truth was that Lily departed Penobscot Bay for her tour, and Noel didn't accompany her. As the chaos of tour preparations unfolded, they gradually lost contact, and Lily embarked on her first tour solo, without her friends or the love of her life by her side. After her debut performance on the tour, Lily had a heartwarming reunion with her two dearest friends, Tess and Sammy. Nevertheless, there was an unmistakable void as she couldn't help but realize that Noel was conspicuously absent, even though she had sent him reserved tickets. While she carried on with her concert, pouring her heart out to the fans in the audience, Lily caught a fleeting glimpse of Noel among the crowd. In that moment, she understood that whatever unfolded in her life, her true journey was bound to her music and her devoted fans.

It wasn't the ending I had anticipated, but it provided a thought-provoking sense of closure. In most of the books I've read, the couples typically find their way back to each other, but in this one, the future of the two characters remains uncertain. It stood in stark contrast to the typical plot of a Lifetime or Hallmark movie, where the protagonist usually opts for romance over their career. In Lily's case, she prioritized her fans over personal life because she understood that this choice would bring her genuine joy and fulfillment. 

Overall, I would give the book a 4 out of 5-star rating. Would I revisit it? Probably not, but I would certainly recommend it to anyone grappling with the dilemma of prioritizing their happiness above all else.