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A review by mitzee
Sofi and the Bone Song by Adrienne Tooley
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A little predictable in some ways but overall I enjoyed the story and character development. Definitely feels like it was written for younger audience.
Sophi is raised to basically take over her dad’s job - musician in some royal guild - a very honored position. On the day that they are auditioning for his apprentice (she still had to audition like everyone else) some random girl that Sophi has a crush on shows up and is completely unprepared, like she didn’t even know she was supposed to bring an instrument. Her dad freaked out and didn’t want to lend her his instrument for the audition but he finally relented and she was amazing. Sophie was watching all this happen while hidden.
So his lute or whatever is OBVIOUSLY ENCHANTED because magic is more or less forbidden by all musicians and witches are like hunted in this kingdom.
Anyway her dad kills himself before he has to teach this kid as his apprentice-because the apprentice gets selected by committee, not by the teacher. And The fucking coward dies without giving her any insights about any of this.
But she’s smart - duh, of course- so she comes up with a plan to hopefully destroy this other girl she has a crush on because she thinks the girl is a witch. Eventually they fall in love because of course. Sophi learns that SHE is a witch and the instrument is enchanted and there some revenge shit that goes on with the guy who had blackmailed her dad. Everything ends well - obviously.
The parts about Sofi’s dad and his “training” definitely felt like an allegory for religious parents who find out their kids a queer and try to “train” it out of them with strict rules that cause them to internalize shame and guilt and make it hard for them to have personal relationships.
There was also a lot that was predictable like, obviously the lute was enchanted and obviously Sofi is a witch, and got it from her dead mother. But the rest of it was fun to see revealed along the way.
Sophi is raised to basically take over her dad’s job - musician in some royal guild - a very honored position. On the day that they are auditioning for his apprentice (she still had to audition like everyone else) some random girl that Sophi has a crush on shows up and is completely unprepared, like she didn’t even know she was supposed to bring an instrument. Her dad freaked out and didn’t want to lend her his instrument for the audition but he finally relented and she was amazing. Sophie was watching all this happen while hidden.
So his lute or whatever is OBVIOUSLY ENCHANTED because magic is more or less forbidden by all musicians and witches are like hunted in this kingdom.
Anyway her dad kills himself before he has to teach this kid as his apprentice-because the apprentice gets selected by committee, not by the teacher. And The fucking coward dies without giving her any insights about any of this.
But she’s smart - duh, of course- so she comes up with a plan to hopefully destroy this other girl she has a crush on because she thinks the girl is a witch. Eventually they fall in love because of course. Sophi learns that SHE is a witch and the instrument is enchanted and there some revenge shit that goes on with the guy who had blackmailed her dad. Everything ends well - obviously.
The parts about Sofi’s dad and his “training” definitely felt like an allegory for religious parents who find out their kids a queer and try to “train” it out of them with strict rules that cause them to internalize shame and guilt and make it hard for them to have personal relationships.
There was also a lot that was predictable like, obviously the lute was enchanted and obviously Sofi is a witch, and got it from her dead mother. But the rest of it was fun to see revealed along the way.