Private Lessons by Cynthia Salaysay

genre: young adult

When Claire auditions for Paul Avon, she is convinced that being one of his piano students will be the key to finding the edge she needs to really succeed and make something of herself as a pianist.  Living with her widowed and very traditional Filipino mother, Claire lives to practice and perform - and to be the best.  Because when you are the best, you deserve to be loved and more than anything, Claire needs to feel special and loved, even more than the average seventeen year old.  With her deepest desires - to be the best and to be loved - all twisted up inside her, it wouldn't be too surprising for her relationship with her handsome and haunted teacher become complicated.

There is a lot to appreciate in this book - the writing is actually quite good. I felt like everything to do with the piano was so authentic and powerful, I truly expected the author to be a musician (she's not).  Claire is a tricky character but in a relatable way, the roads she goes down and the choices she make are uncomfortable but ultimately understandable, understanding her mind as we do. I really REALLY appreciated that by the end of this book that the correct words for what's happened to Claire are used, that her experience is deconstructed so that teens reading can understand what is not okay about it.  Not a book for young teens, there are sexually descriptive scenes here - they aren't titillating, but they are specific.  While it wasn't a page turner and so much of it was sad and dissatisfying  (in the way our teenage lives and choices can be sometimes) I did want to finish it and make sure that Claire was going to be okay.

content warning for sensitive readers: a few instances of strong language, descriptive sexual scenes, sexual aggression

**Advanced Review Copy provided by the publisher**