Someday, Somewhere

by Lindsay Champion

"That's the thing about music, I guess. It begins, it consumes you, and then it ends."

Dominique is a high school junior from a gritty neighborhood in Trenton, where she and her mom are barely getting by.

Ben is a musical prodigy from the Upper East Side, a violinist at a top conservatory with obsessive talent and a brilliant future.

When Dom's class is taken to hear a concert at Carnegie Hall, she expects to be bored out of her mind. But then she sees the boy in the front row playing violin like his life depends on it --- and she is transfixed.

Posing as an NYU student, Dom sneaks back to New York City to track down Ben Tristan, a magnetic genius who whisks her into a fantasy world of jazz clubs and opera, infatuation and possibility. Each sees something in the other that promises to complete them.

As Dom's web of lies grows, though, so does Ben's manic need to conquer Beethoven's famous Kreutzer Sonata. Ben's genius, which captivates Dominique, conceals his struggle with mental illness, and the challenges of Dom's life may make it difficult for her to help him.

Alternating perspectives and an unreliable narrator create suspense and momentum, romance and heartbreak. Author Lindsay Champion's deep roots in theater and music are evident on every page --- structured like a sonata with hints of West Side Story, her debut novel hits all the right notes.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Fiction, Mental Health, Music, Realistic Fiction

280 pages, Hardcover

First published April 3, 2018

About the author

Lifelong theater geek Lindsay Champion made her stage debut as a tiger in her second-grade musical. Since then, she's built sets, run the light board, operated the spotlight and (her favorite) stage managed. She is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and was the Features Editor at Broadway.com. She writes books about kids discovering and falling in love with the arts. She is the author of the YA novel SOMEDAY, SOMEWHERE and the middle-grade drama club series CAST VS. CREW.

Reviews

[Sara ➽ Ink Is My Sword · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 “Wonderful insight on music and mental illness” Stars

“Exactly! Exactly. Art is worth giving up everything. If you want to stay safe, you’re never going to be vulnerable enough to create something real. So that’s it. That’s my plan. To be vulnerable. To be real.”

➽ FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED:


Disclaimer: Copy Provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Buddy reading this with the best person to call with, a beauty, soft Nadhira.😙

I want to start my review giving a tip to people who have this book on their radar to enjoy the book more. Dive into it expecting a book with great mental illness representation and how music affects life, rather than an epic contemporary romance. If I had known this, I would have probably loved it.

Being a debut novel I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I loved the writing. I felt it was a great part of why I enjoyed the story so much. As it was full of very frustrating and annoying situations, but the way the author makes you connect to the characters won me over. It also gripped me and made me keep reading, which is why I sucked at my buddy-read. I was at 20% and suddenly 35% and before I knew it I was already at 68%. I had to know what was really going on with the characters and how would the author end up wrapping up their love story.

I loved how unique and refreshing this book was by focusing on classical music and dance. We also had main characters from a very different background, a rich-white boy, and a poor-American-Latina girl. I loved how the author showed to us the way economical situation reflect a lot in the way these teens evaluate decisions. In one hand Ben impulses made him just swap his credit card without second thought, while Dominique had to scrap, ask and even steal. I know this is not one of the main focuses of the story, but it was something that really touched home for me.

The book touched incredibly well on mental illness, bipolar disorder, and it was something that opened my eyes. I am guilty of using the word bipolar without much thought, or even thinking the disorder is just about mood changes, but is not, I am wrong and I am glad I was able to learn and correct myself. Bipolar disorder has different stages of Mania and Depression, two of them. And we were able to see this so clearly in one of our characters. The way it handled his life and how people could easily mistake it for passion or just craziness. Is incredibly hard to see our character handle with this illness without us, the reader, knowing what the hell is going on. It makes him do a very questionable decision that you get to understand at the end.

Now, I was highly disappointed on the romance, but I didn’t completely hate it and I will tell you why. This was hella insta-lovey, like seriously. Also, it started very stalkerish which gave me the creeps. What I didn’t like was the way Dominique recklessly made a decision just to meet this boy, who was barely present, to be honest. Like hell, she treated her best friend like crap, and it broke my heart when we knew her mother was struggling so hard yet she just kept taking money. Basically, I just couldn’t buy into it, but the ending was something that left me satisfied.

I recommend it to fans of YA contemporary who would like to see more mental health representation and a classical music environment.

[Shai · Rating 4 out of 5]

While reading, I was already thinking of how many stars should I give to this novel. A three-star was my initial rating but after reading the ending, I suppose that it deserves another star. I don't believe in whirlwind romance, thus, when I've read how Dominique fell in love at first sight at Ben, I surmised that I may not enjoy this. However, I think that there was progress in the story when the revelations to the latter of the book were finally uncovered.

What was I thinking when I thought that I should only give this a three-star rating? As I mentioned, I don't like the insta-love kind of stories because it is just mere infatuation and pure physical attraction. Another reason is the lack of exposure to how much Dominique loves dancing, even if she already gave up her dream of being a famous dancer at the beginning. I believe that Ben's musical talent is highlighted more, therefore Dominique's passion is not emphasized.

Lastly, the supporting characters didn't play much part in the narrative and were literally for support roles because of how the story just focus on the two main characters. However, the "one perfect day" that Ben has prepared for Dominique and the ending made up for these flaws, which I also consider the perfect parts in the book.

Someday, Somewhere is a light-read novel that not only features about lie, love, and achieving dreams, but as well as the serious issue of mental health disorder. In general, I can recommend this for those who are looking for something to read during their weekend-off or while they are on a short vacation.

[Nadhira Satria · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 STARS

Here I am, at a cafe after driving mindlessly for an hour after finishing this book. I was angry and sad and happy and wholesome, I couldn't find the words to describe how I feel reading this book.
For someone who's not emotional, for someone who never cries while reading a book, this book ripped my heart out of my chest and shattered it. lmao yo I didn't even know I have a heart. When I requested this book, I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I do now. And tbh it's the best surprise in the world

What makes this book so emotional for me is the fact that it has a bipolar rep. Never have I ever read a character I can connect and relate to so much. Most mental illness that ya books have are either Anxiety or Depression. Finding one with my illness is honestly very hard to find. and when i do it's trash ass books like All the Bright Places which I do NOT recommend if you're looking for a good bipolar rep.
But this book? I felt like as if I was reading about myself. There are so many times where I had to stop reading and stare at the wall because I feel so represented. By the first page of Ben's narration I knew he have what I have. I knew he has bipolar even before the reveal in the later pages. I think that the author did an excellent job on the rep, I can tell she has done massive research for this. (I even thought that the author also have this illness since the rep is so accurate)

Some clear giveaways of his illness and explanations for them:

✨Ben forgets to eat or sleep, when I'm in my manic episode I'd be the same. I'm never tired, never hungry. It's like I have too much energy and too many things to do to sleep or eat. I keep thinking about things which makes me unable to go to sleep and I get obsessive over something that I completely forgot to take care of myself. There are times where I'm so high on my manic episode that I just write for the whole day and only drink coffee and smoke cigarettes as "food" and go on 48 hours of no sleep without feeling tired.

✨Ben feels like he's the best violinist in school and that his classmates are talentless. For some people this might seem as arrogance or cockiness. it's not. When I'm on manic episode, i feel like i'm the best person on earth. I can go on telling people how I'm the smartest person in the world and how dumb other people are. I'm not a cocky asshole. It's just that with mania, it feels that way. We get delusional.

✨Some people think that this book has insta-love but this is not the case. And I get why they would because Ben is suddenly all obsessed with Dom. It's NOT Insta love. It's Mania. When we find someone we can connect with and whom we find attractive, we get obsessed. We get so caught up on how great this other person is and we seem infatuated with them. But when the mania goes away so our feelings for them. It comes as fast as it goes.

✨Ben's irritation. Being rude to his parents and his little brother. Belittling his peers and looking down on them. Again we are not assholes.

✨Ben's obsession with being the best in school. No he doesnt have OCD. For us bipolar people, when we like one thing we don't just like it. We become obsessed with it. especially when we’re in mania

✨Ben's depression
Nearing the end of the book Ben shuts off and abandon all social life by being in bed for days. When people come down from mania, they feel the hunger and the lack of sleep that they didn't when they're on mania. He feels worthless and felt like he has nothing to fight for anymore

✨Ben’s delusions
Thinking he have can read other people’s mind and that he has powers of knowing what people feel / think??? that’s classic mania

Overall
This book crushed my soul and ripped my heart in two. I know some people don't like the ending but I liked it. It hurt me in the best way possible. And it explains that it's not love. It's mania
And the fact that the title is a reference of west side story ( i love broadway) is a cherry on top.

ARC provided by publisher from netgalley in exchange of an honest review



Buddy read with this annoying weird softie💫

[Aj the Ravenous Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someday, Somewhere is a captivating YA romance that is full of ironies and juxtapositions. She lives in a place (Trenton) where dreams get crushed and yet she still dreams and gets excited about the prospect of a nice future while he lives in a place (New York) where he can be free to do anything he wants but he is too stiff and too focused on competing with others .

Of course, since this is a romantic story, Ben and Dominique find each other in a city with a population of more than 8 million people. (Lol). But the characters did put a lot of effort in trying to find each other again. It’s not like they were always seeing each other coincidentally. I think their romance is very sweet especially because they both feel like the biggest dorks in the presence of each other.

What I do appreciate is how the story is more than just your standard YA romance. The plot actually kind of reminds me of that of When We Collided where the girl has bipolar disorder. In this case, it is the boy who has it without knowing it. In WWC, the girl paints while the boy cooks. In SS, the girl loves dancing while the boy loves music. Love might be too mild a word for it. He is obessed with playing music, in trying to perfect his craft that anything else seems of little significance to him.

And just like in WWC, this is obviously not a love story where there is a happily ever after but it is a story that ends in hope. It reminds readers that sometimes in life we meet people who change our lives but we don’t necessarily wind up spending our lives with them. People come and go but as the title suggests, there is always the possibility of Someday, Somewhere.

[Roobie · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐4 stars⭐

That's the thing about music, I guess. It begins, it consumes you and then it ends.

A lovely debut novel by Lindsay Champion. I loved her writing and even though there were parts in the story I'm not usually a fan of, I still enjoyed the book much more than I expected to.
It was sweet, fast paced and filled with music and I'm one of those who actually liked how it all ended.

★Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book★

[Lara Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning had me IN LOVE with this book, just generally EVERYTHING about it was perfect for the entire first half of the book and then it turned into a general pile of confusion and then it just ended...

I think overall that if you are a musical person and you like contemporaries, you are likely to enjoy this book. If you aren't really into music. then maybe this is not for you, as this book centres a LOT around music.

(Also, would it even be one of my reviews if I didn't comment on the cover which is 97% if the reason I picked up this book?! GO LOOK AT IT AGAIN, how is it so pretty?!)

The #meetcute was actual perfection. I had heart eyes, it was so good!! I shipped it before they shipped each other, and that is quite rare for me... (Okay fine, that was a lie. But they were really cute!)

I loved the two perspective style of writing, the interchanging between the two of them was spot on!

And all of the music! I loved the music being incorporated into all different aspects of the story, and I was listening to the playlists while I was reading and I JUST LOVED THE MUSIC IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL!

And this book also deals with mental illness, which is definitely an important topic, so that was very well done.

The pacing!! I loved how they separated the book into the three movements and the pacing matched, that just made me so SO SO HAPPY AND ahhhhhhhh it was perfect!!

I have unanswered questions, and was just generally confused about a whole bunch of everything and everybody was illogical?

Overall though, it was kinda enjoyable I think? (Yeah, coherency isn't really my strong suit, but that's what I feel.)

I am going to say, I am disappointed in the ending. I wasn't emotionally destroyed, I wasn't satisfied, I was just... ??? Although I did enjoy the book overall, I felt that it just kind of trailed off and ended without really







Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy. All opinions are my own.

[Eli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was PERFECT, this book is EVERYTHING and this is me right now



Ben was music. And that's the thing about music, I guess. It begins, it consumes you and then it ends.

I didn't expect anything from this book, but it's the best love story I read in years! I still don't have any coherent thoughts on this because my mind is just blown and I'm a sobbing mess. This book was perfect in every aspect.
The characters are amazing, I loved all of them, even though they're really not perfect and especially Dom makes many mistakes (in my opinion). I could really connect to them and the portrait of Bens mental illness was also very relatable.
So a very thought provoking, sometimes painful but very beautiful book!

Thank you netgalley for accepting me for this arc!

[The Candid Cover (Olivia & Lori) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always been drawn to books about music, so it’s no wonder that I enjoyed Someday, Somewhere so much. This book is absolutely heartbreaking, but beautiful at the same time. The main characters are realistic and easy to root for, and the dual perspectives add so much emotion to the story. I would definitely recommend this one, especially to those with an interest in music.

Full review on The Candid Cover

[Stacee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Between that cover and the synopsis, there wasn’t a reason for me to not devour this book.

Dominique and Ben are both interesting characters. They’re both struggling with something and even though their backgrounds are wildly different, they’re both yearning. I really enjoyed the scenes with them together. Dom’s BFF, Cass, was a fantastic secondary and I wish we would have gotten something more of substance. I wasn’t a fan of how Dom treated him.

Plot wise, it was what I expected. The music portion on Ben’s side is frantic and obsessive and I absolutely loved it. Dom’s POV is maybe a bit whiny and needy, but her wanting was palpable. It was fairly obvious to me what the secret was going to be, but it didn’t take away from the story. The writing sounded more like someone’s actual stream of consciousness and I’m not sure that’s a proper description or a good thing. The page long sentences didn’t help.

Overall, it was an easy read, but there was still something in the back of my head that kept me from loving it. Oh and I definitely wanted more from the ending.

**Huge thanks to KCP Loft for providing the arc free of charge**

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

*An ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

"In New York City you can be absolutely anyone you want to be. You don't need a lot of money or status to be glamorous and captivating and magical."

When I requested this, it was the wee hours of the morning and I was requesting anything with buzz words I like. “New York” and “music” are some of those. I had no idea that this would be one of those mental health books I would shove into the hands of anyone who asked.

Not gonna lie, there was some insta-love in here and that made me nervous. Especially in the beginning. But once the plot hit, and trust me, the plot of this hits like a freight train, I was all in with no chance of taking meal or bathroom breaks.

It's so hard to write a spoiler free review for this book because everything starts happening past 30%. Up until then, it's a cutesy insta-love romance about a protege violinist and a dancer who has given up dance. After that, it's a story about two people and the way life deals us cards that we can't always handle alone.

[Kylie Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

** I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher KCP Loft in exchange for my honest review**

This book was a very cute and quick read that dealt with important topics throughout the novel.

Trigger Warning: Bipolar Disorder

Pros:
- I LOVED THE SETTING. I really could relate to where this book was set, NYC and NJ. Because I live in one, and I dream to live in the other. So you can imagine how happy I was to read so much about those places.
- As well as relating to the setting, I found myself really relating to both Dom and Ben, in terms of me being a struggling artist like the both of them. Especially like Dom, being a dancer and finding how to fit into the world of one.
- I enjoyed how the two main characters meet, it was a little bit of insta love (I wish I got more out of them starting to date so that's a con), but it was cute how they both went above and beyond to try and find each other again after they part ways.

Cons:
- The ending. I thought I was going to get SOOOO MUCH MORE. I swiped the screen thinking there would be more but I was at the acknowledgements page and I was like whhatttt this cannot be true.
-Honestly I wanted more of Anton. I wanted to get inside his head and see where his thoughts came from. I also wanted to know more about why Dom had such an issue with Anton after they broke up.
- I was left with a lot of questions, and truly just didn't like that I was. They weren't questions like "I want more, I need another book. I can't get enough of these characters." It was more like confusion. Why did this happen, and what happened between some lost space.

This book is definitely enjoyable and a good one for Champion's debut novel. But I really wish I got more.
3.5 Stars

Check out the full review on my blog!
www.savedbythebook.com

[Lea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Someday, Somewhere is a novel that I have very conflicting feelings about. I just really can't say I had a good time while reading it and while writing this review I realized, I don't think the issues raised in this novel were handled very well.

This book was an incredibly uncomfortable read for me. I definitely think the cover gives off a wrong vibe. Going into this novel I simply didn't expect it to deal with so many serious issues and it was honestly kinda a downer.
Now I don't wanna take away from anyone seeing themselves in these main characters but I just wanna warn you. Do not expect a fluffy, happy contemporary romance with some drama on the side. That is not what this is it all. This is definitely far from happy.

While I guess a lot of the issues I had with this redeemed themselves at the end and it did feel like the characters developed well, the romance just made feel icky throughout the novel. First of all, it is based on a big old pot of lies. And I just can't be invested in a romance that I know is based on lies. DON'T BASE YOU RELATIONSHIPS ON LIES. That's literally the worst thing and I hated reading about it so much. Also because it made no sense. At all. I know the main character had her reasons for her lies but I don't think it was written well enough to actually be relatable. And her best friend supporting her in her lies? Telling her “he will leave you if you tell him the truth”? Eww. I can't handle that shit. I always need one person to stay clear-headed. And there simply was none.
Then when the lies finally got revealed there were seemingly no consequences AT ALL. I might be petty and if there's feelings involved they won't change according to your background story, but oh my god. I can't believe we brushed that whole thing off in like.. two sentences. No. Just no.

Also.. I might be exaggerating but in a way I feel like mental illness was used as a plot twist? I just think this should have been talked about way earlier in the novel. I would have wanted to see this resolved in detail. Instead this is another thing that really got brushed off in just a couple of sentence.

And as I'm writing this review I'm realizing this is where my issue is and why I felt so uncomfortable while reading this book and even after finishing. Yes, everything is “okay” at the end but where's the journey to this part? We see all of these problems building up and up, leading to a downright problematic relationship. And then we never really deal with the problems. We know everyone does the right thing and they learn from their mistakes. But as a reader I don't think I was able to get much out of it because it was cramped into the ending.

In general I didn't really think any of the relationships stood out. I didn't really enjoy any of the parental relationships or the friendships. Really, the only relationship I had some interest in was between Ben and his brother. Honestly his brother is really kinda the only person I had some real sympathy for in this novel and he was the only one who stayed clear-headed.
I think this novel could have benefited from more outsider POVs but I guess that would've spoiled the mental illness because it's no longer coming from an unreliable narrator... Yikes.
I can't speak for anyone who actually suffers from this particular mental illness and I'm not saying the representation itself was bad, it's just that the way it was handled and resolved left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Ultimately I feel more mad about this novel now that I was actually able to sit down and reflect on my experience. I can't say there was much that I enjoyed and ultimately it will be a novel I'll forget about in a couple of days.

♦ Booktube Channel ♦ Twitter ♦ Instagram ♦

I received an ARC of this through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This love-at-first-sight story had me instantly hooked, and I kept reading because I was so invested in the outcome for these two.

•Pro: I was instantly in love with Dom and cheering for her the whole time. I wanted more for her, and was beyond happy with where Champion took her story.

•Pro: Ben was so intense. I have a certain admiration for the dedication those who perform at an elite level have, and that intensity came through ten-fold with Ben. Watching him spiral out was really difficult, because I wanted him to succeed. The look we got into his world was quite intriguing as well, and I found all the musical references fascinating.

•Pro: The romance was wonderful! From the meet-cute to how Ben found Dom again. It all made my heart flutter.

•Pro: The setting was wonderful. I have a special place in my heart for NYC. I lived there until I was in my teens, and it is still my hometown. I love revisiting places I know, and Champion took us on a fun tour.

•Con: I had such a love/hate thing with the ending. I felt like I had enough closure for most of the characters, but I was still left a little wanting.

•Pro: These kids were my kind of people, as they shared my love for old movies, especially musicals.

•Pro: The mental health issues were well done. I diagnosed Ben well before his problems were acknowledged in the story.

•Pro: Cass was a top-notch friend. I absolutely adored him, and you could see how much he loved Dom. It was in everything he did for her.

•Pro: Dom's life was not easy. She was poor, and lived in an unsafe neighborhood, hoping to have enough to make ends meet, but Dom and her mom had each other, and their bond was quite beautiful.

•Pro: I loved the way Champion divided the book, and matched the pacing to it's musical equivalent. Ben was learning this sonata, and at one point, he explained the three movements of it, and I thought using the movements was an interesting way to divide the book.

•Pro: Though the book deals with some heavy issues, it was never too heavy.

Overall: An equally heartbreaking and heartwarming story.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS

[AlexH Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting the ending?? This author better come out with more books.

[Ally Wiegand · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the end of this book, I was finding it hard to believe that Someday, Somewhere is Lindsay Champion’s debut novel. What a fantastic start to a writing career!

The story itself is about two young adults trying to make it. Dominique is faced with the challenge of being extremely poor and living on the wrong side of the river. While, Ben is faced with an overwhelming sensation to be the best and will not stop at nothing to achieve that. Dominique watches Ben perform at a concert and then forces an “accidental” run-in to occur between the two of them, which starts a whirlwind romance.

The characters were each complex in their own ways, which I loved because you rarely see that in a YA romance novel. Ben and his overwhelming need for achievement is very relatable. But also, Dominique’s situation of coming from a low-income background and having dreams of making it in a big city is also an idea that is relatable as well as one that people love to root for. Which is exactly what I found myself doing. Throughout the whole story, I found myself rooting for both Ben and Dominique because of how likable each of them were.

I also loved how short the chapters were. The book itself is not even 300 pages and the set-up of the book made it go that much quicker, which I loved. Also, Champion included little pictures related to the story, like a ticket stub or postcard, in the text and part of me wished there were more opportunities to include them throughout the book, but loved the idea!

Overall, this book will pull at your heartstrings. It’s addicting, light, fun, flirty, and totally worth the read.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Ben was music. And that’s the thing about music, I guess. It begins, it consumes you and then it ends."

If this book were a person, I'd squish their cheeks right about now. This was just such an enthralling YA contemporary.

So, this story is told in dual POV - Ben, who's a musical prodigy living on the Upper East Side, studying at this prestige conservatory and who cares about almost nothing besides music. Then we have Dominique, who lives in a bad part of Trenton with her mother who runs her own struggling Laundromat, basically surviving on a steady diet of beans and rice. On a chance school trip to New York, Dom sees Ben playing the violin and is mesmerized - almost as much as I was by their story.

Let's break this down:

+ the characters

Listen, Dom and Ben are fan-fucking-tastic, I can't even.
Ben is this violinist prodigy who spends every single minute of every single day playing his heart out because he knows he can only be the best if he practices constantly. The passion he puts into his music translated so beautifully in this novel, I wanted to cry. I'm absolutely tone deaf but always had daydreams about being this brilliant virtuoso, and I might have lived a bit vicariously through Ben's experience.

Dom, on the other hand, lives a completely different life. She comes from a poor household, she loves dancing, and she can't afford to take classes because her mom and her are barely scraping by. This was executed so well - so often in literature, people just slap the label 'poor' on characters to show their struggle, but Dom felt so real. She has to help out her mom, doesn't get an allowance and basically only gets to meet Ben because she has this best friend Cass (who is the coolest) who helps her out any way he can so she can get her happily ever after. Friendship goals right there.

+ the themes

MUSIC I can't read sheet music, I can't tell you if a specific sonata is by Beethoven or Vivaldi or whoever, but I love listening to classical music and this book just perfectly described the feeling??
10/10 would recommend listening to the pieces Ben mentions while reading the book!

The wish for more I love the ambition in this book: Dom and Cass want to get out of Trenton, want to move to New York and have their own lives away from the poor one they grew up in. Though Dom never loses sight of how improbable it seems, she also fights for her better future. Ben is determined to be the youngest, best violinist out there. This drive (which as we learn pretty early on is unhealthy) and struggle and pressure was so relatable I wanted to cry.

Mental illness It sneaks up on you in this book, but the bipolar disorder rep was incredible. We get this slow unraveling of Ben, these phases he goes through as he grows more frantic and erratic, not only in the pursuing of his music but in his relationships and it was so intoxicating I'm getting a bit antsy just writing about it.

+ the romance
...was actually my least favorite part of this?! Don't get me wrong, Dom and Ben are adorable, but I'm always hesitant about instalove and it just didn't feel entirely authentic that the both of them were talking about love literally after meeting three times and not having any real contact between those meetings. That being said, boy, were they cute when they were actually together. Their meet cute at a fountain made my cold heart beat faster.

+ the ending (spoilers ahead, fair warning!)
...left me a bit disappointed. We get pretty good closure concerning Dom's story, but Ben's story just - stops. I just wish we would have learned more about how he recovered and what happened to his musical career. Has he switched instruments? Has he found a healthy balance in his life? Is he still obsessing over music? I need answers!

If you're looking for a YA contemporary with a lot of heart, a handsome violinist and some good mental illness rep, this one's for you!

*I was provided with an e-arc through Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review, so thank you!*

[Azbaqiyah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I just love it!

Maybe it should be a little bit more drama since the ending a little bit hasten...

...and I need more of it!

[Kim Chance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, I am blown away by this wonderfully raw and poignant debut by Lindsay Champion! When I started reading this book, I didn't expect to be clutching the book in both happy and sad tears at the end! But that's exactly what happened! Champion not only tells an incredible real and relatable tale, but one that moved me exactly the way a beautiful piece of music does for so many. I was moved by this book and it is one that will definitely stick with me for a long while yet. A beautiful, heartbreaking, lovely, and poetic novel that I cannot recommend enough!

[Mariah Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received this arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Dominique lives in a small town in New Jersey and has always dreamed of going to New York with her best friend, Cass. Ben is a violinist who dreams of being the best in the world. One night on a school fieldtrip, Dominique sees Ben and can't stop thinking about him. Always there to help, Cass encourages Dominique to go back and talk to him, so she does. Now that she's "met" Ben, he's the one that can't stop thinking about her. But Dominique and Ben have issues they both need to face, and Dominque needs to fix what she's done if she wants to be with Ben. In heartwarming and true fashion, Lindsay Champion delivers a tale of finding the one, finding yourself, and where you belong.

First of all, how is this a debut novel? Champion writes with the skill of a seasoned pro, and I fell in love with this book in the first two chapters. Dominique and Ben are the cutest little couple, but they can't make it if they aren't honest with themselves and each other. The characters are extremely well written, with little quirks, mannerisms, and wants like everybody else, but different. Their struggle is all their own, but they are still relatable. The setting of the places they go leaves me wanting to see the same places, and I loved how the story unfolded; slow at times, but appropriately so for the situation. At times, things moved so fast, but it was meant to be like that, and you find out why afterwards. That ending had my heart ripping out of my chest, but I understand that it was better this way. Excellent work and I will definitely be looking out for Lindsay Champion in the future.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

All my reviews can be found at: http://jessicasreadingroom.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Someday, Somewhere is Lindsay Champion’s debut novel, and it is quite the debut! She takes what she knows of music in life and brings it to us on the page. I was in band in high school, so I was looking forward to the musical aspect of the novel to ‘bring me back’ to that time. And let me say this about the cover: It is beautiful!

We have two alternating points of view in Someday, Somewhere and going between both Dom and Ben keeps you wanting to read the next chapter to see what happens next. You can’t help but like all the characters, but my favorite was Cass. I know the story is Dom and Ben’s but Cass stole the show for me. I wanted more of Cass and need a Cass in my life!

Yes, they are both teens and they make the mistakes that teens will most likely make. You can’t help but root for Dom and Ben and want them to be happy though things are against them. I pictured Ben as David Garrett, even though Ben’s hair is dark. It is the talent that both Ben and David have that made me compare the two.

Someday, Somewhere is more than a sweet YA romance; it deals with some serious issues including race, poverty, lies, and abandonment. Don’t think you are going into this novel with a sweet, pleasant outcome: It deals with real issues with a real ending. I applaud Champion for ‘going against the grain’ of having a happy ending. As long as you keep this in mind you should enjoy Someday, Somewhere. These are lifelike characters that make ‘real people’ mistakes.

Someday, Somewhere is recommended. Thank you to KCP Loft for sending me a copy to read and review.

[Lia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someday, Somewhere is not just the cute contemporary romance story it seems it is. It starts off with some insta-love, which was a little too much for me but it was also kinda cute in a way. Ben and Dominique are drawn to each other and what follows is a whirlwind romance, but there are also other things going on. The story is also about mental illness, poverty and race.

“Ben was music. And that’s the thing about music, I guess. It begins, it consumes you and then it ends."

Dominique is mixed-race and from a poor background, and Ben is white and has never known what it’s like to not have money. The characters are very different in background which is a topic often addressed in the book, and yet they have such amazing chemistry. I loved reading their conversations, but I also loved reading their individual perspectives. Neither of the characters is 100% good, Dom (short for Dominique) is dishonest and Ben is a bit arrogant and chaotic, but both are passionate and lovely characters to read about.

“I crack myself open and pour everything tender and passionate and vulnerable out into a pool across the stage to counteract all the nerves and terror, sweat and fear. I can’t make everything sound right, but I can turn the notes on the page into music. That’s what I always do. That’s what everyone expects me to do.”

This is one of those books that just sweeps you away. While I was reading, I just forgot about everything, even time and I could keep reading forever if the book was that long. I can’t really put my finger on what it was that made this book so engaging, maybe the writing style, maybe the story, but it was so amazing. It also made me remember that books actually can do that, because it’s not something that happens often with me. I’m not a binge reader, but this book made me one.

"She’s flowy and messy and jumbled, but in this totally beautiful way. Like Jazz."

I am giving this book 4 stars, because it was a really fun book that also had some darker and less joyful parts. It was happy but also sad, so don’t go into this book thinking you’re just going to read a cute contemporary! The book reminded me a lot of The Sun is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon, because it is similar in many ways. So I definitely recommend it if you liked that!

[Colleen's Conclusions · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recieved Someday, Somewhere by Lindsay Champion from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don't remember when I requested this book, but I wasn't expecting to get it because it was sooooooo close to the publication date, but I got the eARC the day before the book was about to be published. I was happy about the fact that this book was mobi/epub file so they could go on both my Nook and Kindle. (I do read on both.)

That cover was what drew me in the most, and then the plot. The book pretty much lived up to the plot. The writing was very fast paced. I was a bit worried about not being able to get through with it so quickly since I got the eARC at the very last minute, but that ended up not being a problem at all. I like it when books have a good pace for me. I also liked the short chapters, and the different point of views.

Cass was actually my favorite character in this book. I wish he had been in the story more because he was super loyal to Dominique even when she had some of her silly teenager moments she had because of a guy. I will be honest that there were a couple of instant moments where I was just more than shaking my head at her. Some of the things she did just made me frustrated, but I liked how it all came to a circle in the end.

I liked how the happily ever after didn't happen the way it was supposed to with the way the book was going. I was happy with how it ended because it showed character growth. I really liked Champion's writing style.

I am still super thankful I was given a chance to read this book at the very last minute. THANK YOU publishers and Netgalley again!! I will definitely be on the look out for more of this author's books. The rating is a four star read especially since I was able to enjoy it and get through it a couple of days instead of a long time like I first thought. That plot was just gorgeous! I just liked how real it was with the emotions. The instant love plot made this book work as well.

[Novelly Blissful · Rating 4 out of 5]

{ARC was provided for an honest review}

Review Scale out of 10:
Cover/Illustration Quality: 8/10
Writing Quality: 9/10
Character Development: 8/10
“Couldn’t Put it Down” scale: 8/10
Originality: 9/10
Overall Rating: 8/10

​First off, I’d like to give a shoutout to LINDSAY CHAMPION – this is her debut novel! The quality of the writing and originality was superb; the character depth and story progression had me hooked from the get go, and the heartbreaking issues of the story was brought to surface in way that left you reeling in the end. The musical aspect of the story really captivated me, as well as the pressure, rules, and standards when studying classical music. I was playing the piano at 5 years old, and was playing in concerts and events for many year… so I definitely connected with one of the characters in some aspect of the way. I honestly was surprised by Champion’s writing style – it flowed and pulled the reader, creating dimensions that wove the characters and issues together.

​“Someday, Somewhere” by Lindsay Champion is told in a dual Point of View. It begins with Dominique’s POV (nickname: Dom), as we are introduced to her best friend Cass (real name is Chris) who both live in Trenton, New Jersey, and are both high school juniors. Their music class is going on a field trip to New York City – Carnegie Hall to be exact, to watch a concert. When they get there, Dom is captivated and entranced by the black haired violinist in the front row, playing his heart out. We then alternate Point of View’s to Ben’s – the black haired violinist, and a musical prodigy. We are given insight to his world of music, and the thoughts that run through his head. With the alternating POV’s we are thrusted into Dom and Ben’s world, as Dom poses as a NYU student to meet Ben again. They are drawn to each other, and Ben takes her around NYC and whisks her away to Jazz Club’s and Opera’s – opening up her world to the possibilities of the future - and their journey of friendship and love escalate through the streets and magic of NYC – as both get tangled in lies, and Ben’s growing obsession on a specific concert piece. Because of the alternative perspectives, we are given insight into each of their lives, their thoughts, and their issues. Written like a musical Sonata, the writing is superb as we are taken through a musical written journey with beats, tempos, intervals, and coda that encompasses a heartbreaking story of youth, adolescence, dreams, mental issues, heartbreak, and hope.


​Again, I loved this book – and would recommend it to those who love contemporary, or YA fiction. Here are some reason why I loved this book:

• Storyline: The story itself is one that is extremely captivating. It’s not fantasy novel where you’re being whisked away to a fantasy world, but you are definitely whisked away to the magic and power of New York City. The story progression is wonderful as you wonder what’s going to unfold as each page gets turned. Have you ever played music before? Know how I sonata piece composed off? Well the storyline is filled with musical innuendos and riffs, that embody the flow of a musical Sonata.

• Writing: As her debut novel, I have to say that this was excellent work. Champion’s writing career is definitely off to a superb start. I was absorbed in the flow her writing style and loved how she sectioned the book like it was a musical sonata piece. The dual POV she uses in writing the story allows the reader to intricately understand and connect with Dom and Ben. The narration in Ben’s POV was erratic and added to the tone and suspense of the novel – since the reader is left figuring out what the issues are and how the story plays out.

• Characters: I loved getting to know both Dom and Ben – similar in away, but at the same time different as well. The character growth was definitely felt in the book, more in Ben than in Dom (but regardless both had character growth). I could feel the how each character progressively changed throughout the book. I wanted more in the end, but I am one who particularly like the ending… It allowed some depth and thought for the reader to grasp the final outcome of the story and how the characters played out.

• Issues: I say it is pretty difficult to write about either social issues, personality issues, or mental issues in a book. I only say this because, as a writer you don’t want to offend anyone that’s going through whatever issues your writing about… and as a reader, it’s sometimes difficult reading about these issues because it might pertain to you. Champion did a wonderful job addressing youth and adolescence, and the issues of mental health. She did it with respect and understanding, and I definitely commend her for that.


A beautifully crafted story that I’ll be recommending to friends and family; to those who want a new contemporary book recommendation; and to those who are looking for the next book to be engrossed in.

[Kristi Housman Confessions of a YA Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someday, Somewhere is so much more than a love story.

Dominique is a poor junior living with her mom in New Jersey. They can barely get by and Dom's dad hasn't helped out since he left years before. Dom loves dance, but she had to give it up to help her mom at their laundry business. Dom has the most amazing best friend, Cass. I loved him so much. Cass isn't his real name, but he has a great love of musicals and old movies. So his nickname is perfect for him. He is such a supportive best friend and I wish we would have had more of him. Cass was actually my favorite person in the book. Dom is a good person and she has little moments throughout the book that made me laugh.

"I wonder if I'll have a roommate in jail, or if they sentence stalkers to solitary confinement."

Ben is a musical prodigy living in New York City. His parents have a lot of money and he has no idea what it's like to struggle like Dom. They are complete opposites. Ben is harder to like. I know that he has mental health issues and we see him falling apart as the book goes on. But he's cocky and mean to people.

"I'm speechless. I'm fucking speechless. This talentless nothing is trying to ruin my career because she's jealous? She's sabotaging everything I've ever worked for in my whold goddamn life, just like that."

Ben criticizes everyone around him and he's not nice about it. I'm sure most of it is because of the mental illness, but it made it hard for me to like him throughout the book. I do think his decline in mental health was well done.


Dom and Ben meet by chance one day. There is an instant connection for both of them. The problem is that Dom lied and said she was going to NYU. She then has to keep up with this story while trying to find enough money to take a train to meet up with Ben. They start going on these perfect dates and fall in love quickly. Some people may complain about insta love, but I thought it felt similar to your first love in high school. It happens quickly and is all consuming. You can't think of anything else at times and you start planning your future. But with Ben, I felt that it became very obsessive and a tad unhealthy. I don't think it would have been like that except for the timing with his health decline.

There was a lot to this story. Love, family issues, mental health, reaching goals, abandonment issues, and poverty issues. It was more than I expected. I loved all the music and dance parts and thought it was well written. I ended up liking it more than I thought I would.

I gave this book 4 stars. Thank you to the publisher for sending a book to review (for a book blog). Quotes were taken from an arc and may change for the final copy.

This was a great debut novel.

[Jennifer]

Someday, Somewhere, a debut novel, by Lindsay Champion is the story of Ben and Dom. This book contains a lot of tropes and things most people, including me, don't like in a contemporary story. Examples being; lying, insta-love and building a relationship based off of almost nothing. But somehow this author makes it work and I found myself really into the story.

Dom is a junior at a school in Jersey. Her class goes on a trip to Carnegie Hall in New York City and there, she sees this stunning guy that she instantly falls for. Love at first sight? Yes. Love at first string? Also, yes. Dom falls for this guy because of his looks and his amazing ability to play the violin. Now that Dom has seen her soulmate, she has to figure out how to meet him and see where things could go. But that will be kind of hard when it costs nearly $20 to go back and forth to NYC every day and her and her mother can barely make ends meet.

Ben has a very obsessive personality which tends to become unhealthy. Normally his obsession only gravitates towards his violin playing but when he meets Dom, he can't stop thinking about her. The book is told from both characters POV's and while I really loved both characters I think I enjoyed Ben's side a little bit more. I always end up liking the troubled character the best. I also really liked how the book felt like a piece of Ben's work. Everything was paced well then it started speeding up the closer we got to the finish.

The authors writing in this book just draws you in. Even if you hate insta-love or dislike books about music, this book will win you over. But this book is about so much more than those things. There is a pretty prominent mental illness subject. There is a lot of lying. This book pretty much is meant, to me at least, to teach a lesson. Each person will form their own opinion and get their own lesson from this book but what this book has taught me is be careful who you fall in love with.

In the end, this was such a great book and had a lot of depth that I wasn't expecting. I was expecting this cutesy romance story but it had so much more to it. Lindsay Champion has one hell of a debut novel on her hands.

Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 stars.

[Kyle Pucciarello · Rating 5 out of 5]

"And that's the thing about music, I guess. It begins, it consumes you and then it ends."

That's the thing about this book as well. I was incredibly reluctant to read this one - a YA romance novel?! But as soon as it began, it consumed me and I was in all the way.

There's a lot to love here. A bit of Romeo and Juliet. A bit of "An Unquiet Mind." A lecture on music and dedication. A treatsie on the trials and tribulation of young love, and trying to find a place in the world.

For me, this book perfectly captured what it was like to be a teenager in New Jersey, longing for a way out. As Dom sits in the train looking at towns pass by, towns that I've lived in, I know exactly how she felt. I felt that way too - I want to BE the people in NYC, but how can I possibly make that happen?! For a little while, anyway, she does. And by the end of the book, maybe a little while will last a little longer.

Tremendous attention to detail, and incredible moments of reflection and dreaming from our two protagonists. Like when Dom enters Ben's house for the first time, and thinks "Our hands fit better together when we were outside," as she learns the true distance between her life and his.

That feeling of being in NYC as a teenager: "I belong here. I'm part of the city's constellation. I'm the shining buckle of Orion's belt. Or at least one of the toes - I'm not picky."

Or, just little details of NYC that are exactly as she writes: "The sidewalks are full of people out on dates and running errands after work and hanging out by the subway station and hailing cabs on the corner and eating folded pizza on paper plates. I pass a movie theater - the marquee blazes with old round lightbulbs."

Some detractors seem to want to argue that this story glorifies questionable situations, like a young girl stealing/lying in order to get to NYC to see a boy she met for just a second. Though Dominique may be an unreliable narrator at times (though far moreso than Ben), nothing is necessarily glorified - she knows it's silly, maybe wrong, and definitely dangerous. But this is teenage love. This is what it's like - sometimes you run with an emotion without knowing entirely why.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay.

I probably shouldn’t have gone into this expecting it to be a light, upbeat, music-based contemporary. That was probably my biggest mistake. Had I read the entirety of the blurb, I would’ve been able to figure it out. This is probably a life lesson for me, honestly. Because those of you who’ve read the book know this is not a light, fluffy, read-in-one-sitting contemporary.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing, and I didn’t rate it down because of it or anything. I just...wasn’t prepared at all for the complete wreckage of my emotions during only 270 pages. I was in tears by the end of this book. It’s so heavy for such a short book. You wouldn’t expect something so tiny to be that emotional, but you’d be surprised.

Someday, Somewhere is the story of Ben, a a talented and overly ambitious musician, and Dominique, a girl who dreams of being a dancer. When Dominique’s class takes a field trip to Carnegie Hall to watch these students (who are in some sort of conservatory program) perform, she meets Ben. Immediately entranced, Dominique convinced her best friend to help her to get back to NYC to see Ben again. (Sorry, I suck at descriptions).

I’ll admit, I’m not a big fan of the whole ‘relationship based on lies’ things, but honestly it didn’t bother me too much. I think it just went to show how unhealthy this relationship truly was. I also appreciate how Ben was able to recognize that their relationship was problematic, although Dominique struggled to understand that, I still feel like it was an important part and the author’s way of acknowledging she doesn’t condone this type of relationship.

I liked Dominique enough, but I’ll be honest with you, the character I truly felt connected too was Ben. Unreliable, unlikeable, and yet so realistic. He felt like a real person to me, and my heart truly broke for him. I wanted to see him get better, to be okay. I was truly invested during his chapters because I understood why he acted that way. I emphasized with him mainly because he felt he didn’t really have anyone to turn to, and was really scared about what was happening to him.

Which makes the ending...even more unsatisfying and heartbreaking. Dominique’s story wrapped up nicely-she’s got a relationship with her dad again, she’s planning on going off to college, auditions to be a dancer at the Ailey (which was her dream)...For Dominique, everything was going well. Which was great. I was happy for her. But what about Ben? The last few chapters of his were all diagnoses and medical records. I really wanted to see how his story ended, so I felt a bit disappointed by the end.

Overall, though, this was a beautiful, heartbreaking story that had me sobbing by the end. Really looking forward to reading other stories from this author in the future!

[Anna Schumacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

SOMEDAY, SOMEWHERE is a beautiful, emotional, visceral, and—most of all—musical book. The prose just sings: Ben and Dom each have their own unique voice, hers wistful and his frenetic, and they intertwine in such an achingly gorgeous way.

I was dying to read this book because I'd heard it was structured after Beethoven's Kreutzer sonata for violin and piano, and even though it's not a piece I'm intimately familiar with I could almost hear the music as I read. Even though it's billed as a love story, it's not so much a typical romance as it is a love letter to following your passions, listening to your heart and falling in love with New York City...for the first time, or all over again. As a longtime New Yorker I found myself rediscovering the city through Dominique's eyes, and I even learned some cool NYC facts I'd never heard before (not going to spoil anything, but I listen to the subway in a whole new way now)!

This book explores some deep themes, and is deeper, tougher, and more real than your typical girl-meets-boy love-at-first-sight fairy-tale. It doesn't follow a traditional romance arc, but there is still beauty and redemption in spades. Highly recommended for anyone who loves music, New York, or lyrical writing about flawed but shimmering characters.

[Lilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll be honest, I thought this was going to be a pretty typical YA Love story, but once you begin reading, it's more complicated that it first lets on. This novel is chock full of music references (so glad I took a music theory class in college!). Love at first sight is on the surface, but really this book is about trust and integrity, and the complex nature of relationships with everyone in our lives. Read it and see how it unfolds.

[Lisa Mandina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe more of a 3.5, but I like to round up. This was one that I wasn't sure if I wanted to pick up. The publisher sent it to me without me requesting it, so often I won't read it if it doesn't sound good. But I did pick it up and get sucked into it pretty quickly. However, it didn't hold up all the way through to impress me as much as I'd thought it would based on the beginning. I will say that it was a very unique story, even with all the obvious things you have in stories that frustrate me, even while I know they are used in stories to add the drama. I think this definitely had some surprises in it with what happened with Ben. Things that we weren't really given a clear view of even when we got chapters from his point of view. Definitely the way it ended was a bit of a surprise, but in what I think is a good way for characters of this age to get a story. I won't say what happened, because it is worth a read for you if it sounds good to you, and I would want you to discover it naturally as the author intended as reading.