Can't-Wait Wednesday: Focused & Night Music

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I can't wait for 
Focused & Night Music !

Focused
Alyson Gerber
Age/Genre: Middle Grades, Contemporary
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: March 26, 2019
Goodreads

Following Braced, which had three starred reviews, comes a story of a girl caught between her love of chess and her ADHD.

Clea can't control her thoughts. She knows she has to do her homework . . . but she gets distracted. She knows she can't just say whatever thought comes into her head . . . but sometimes she can't help herself. She know she needs to focus . . . but how can she do that when the people around her are always chewing gum loudly or making other annoying noises?

It's starting to be a problem—not just in school, but when Clea's playing chess or just hanging out with her best friend. Other kids are starting to notice. When Clea fails one too many tests, her parents take her to be tested, and she finds out that she has ADHD, which means her attention is all over the place instead of where it needs to be.

Clea knows life can't continue the way it's been going. She's just not sure how you can fix a problem that's all in your head. But that's what she's going to have to do, to find a way to focus.

In a starred review, Booklist called Alyson Gerber's first novel, Braced, "a masterfully constructed and highly empathetic debut about a different kind of acceptance.” With Focused, she explores even further how, when life gives you a challenge, the best way to face it is with an open mind, an open heart, and the open support of the people around you.

Why I want to read this book

I absolutely LOVED Gerber's previous book, Braced, and was really excited when I saw she had a new book coming out. I thought she did a beautiful job helping us understand the challenges the Braced protagonist was dealing with, and I feel like she will tackle Clea's ADHD with the same care and candor.

Night Music
Jenn Marie Thorne
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Dial Books
Release Date: March 19, 2019
Goodreads

A romantic comedy that sweeps you up with breezy writing and canny social commentary, set behind the scenes of the classical music world during one hot, anything-can-happen, New York City summer

Ruby has always been Ruby Chertok future classical pianist, heir to the Chertok family legacy, daughter of renowned composer Martin Chertok. But after bungling her audition for the prestigious Amberley School of Music--where her father is on faculty--Ruby is suddenly just . . . Ruby. And who is that again? All she knows is that she wants out of the orbit of her relentlessly impressive family, and away from the world of classical music for good. Yes? Yes.

Oscar is a wunderkind, a musical genius. Just ask any of the 1.8 million people who've watched him conduct his own compositions on YouTube--or hey, just ask Oscar. But while he might be the type who'd name himself when asked about his favorite composer and somehow make you love him more for it, Oscar is not the type to jeopardize his chance to study under the great Martin Chertok--not for a crush. He's all too aware of how the ultra-privileged, ultra-white world of classical music might interpret a black guy like him falling for his benefactor's white daughter. Right? Right.

But as the New York City summer heats up, so does the spark between Ruby and Oscar. Soon their connection crackles with the same alive, uncontainable energy as the city itself. But can two people still figuring themselves out figure out how to be together? Or will the world make the choice for them?

Why I want to read this book

They had me at rom-com. Seriously, I have a love for rom-coms, that knows no bounds, and am excited to see more and more of them lately. It's also set in my hometown, which always seems to delight me, and from the synopsis, it sounds like not only does the author bring humor to this romance, but also incorporates issues of substance.

What are you waiting on?

Let us know in the comments!