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A Clash of Symphonies
When Michael died, Allissa woke to the sound of red.
In an instant, all of her plans have been thrown into chaos. Her dream of becoming a famous violinist now seems trivial. A future with the boy of her dreams, gone. Even her synesthesia -- allowing her to see colors from sounds -- has begun to change, colors mix in new ways and strange new visions are haunting her at every turn.
As Allissa begins to wade through the living symphony of chaotic beauty swirling around her, she discovers something terrifying and miraculous. She can touch this symphony. She can change it. And it can change the world around her.
Still heavy with grief she begins to realize that though the colors and music are glorious, not everything is harmonious.
Discord lurks. Rotting, empty eyes are watching.
Eyes that want her silence.
Allissa must gain control of her new abilities and unravel the mystery of Michael’s death quickly before her symphony comes to an abrupt end before it’s even begun.
In an instant, all of her plans have been thrown into chaos. Her dream of becoming a famous violinist now seems trivial. A future with the boy of her dreams, gone. Even her synesthesia -- allowing her to see colors from sounds -- has begun to change, colors mix in new ways and strange new visions are haunting her at every turn.
As Allissa begins to wade through the living symphony of chaotic beauty swirling around her, she discovers something terrifying and miraculous. She can touch this symphony. She can change it. And it can change the world around her.
Still heavy with grief she begins to realize that though the colors and music are glorious, not everything is harmonious.
Discord lurks. Rotting, empty eyes are watching.
Eyes that want her silence.
Allissa must gain control of her new abilities and unravel the mystery of Michael’s death quickly before her symphony comes to an abrupt end before it’s even begun.
326 pages, Audible Audio
First published December 26, 2018
4 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 30, 2018
I first read this as a Beta Read for the author. I enjoyed the creativity in his writing. The character of Alyssa, the girl with Synesthesia was really well done. I could really imagine the colors as he described them as part of her world and her music. Anyone who has a passion for music would especially enjoy this book. It is written about teens and geared at the YA audience. However, I think adults would enjoy it too.
August 22, 2019
I did not really enjoy this story but I find it hard to know whether it was the book or the audio or both.
Reasons to give it 2 stars:
- where was actual plot or development? The time they sit in the cafeteria eating was like 50% of the story
- Every metaphor was over explained until it was overdone and basically useless
- I felt no emotional investment in anyone (except maybe Virgil)
- the mystery was not a mystery at all. Was I supposed to be intrigued?
- I did not like the fantastical turn the story took
Reasons to give it 3 stars:
- I did finish it
- Not everything was badly written, there were some okay scenes
- Yeah, I just realized I cannot give this three stars
Reasons to give it 2 stars:
- where was actual plot or development? The time they sit in the cafeteria eating was like 50% of the story
- Every metaphor was over explained until it was overdone and basically useless
- I felt no emotional investment in anyone (except maybe Virgil)
- the mystery was not a mystery at all. Was I supposed to be intrigued?
- I did not like the fantastical turn the story took
Reasons to give it 3 stars:
- I did finish it
- Not everything was badly written, there were some okay scenes
- Yeah, I just realized I cannot give this three stars
May 13, 2025
Full disclosure, my husband is the author, but he can tell you I’m as critical as anyone else! When I read his first draft, I had a lot of constructive criticism and I’m thrilled that he listened to me ;). The descriptions are vibrant and the concept is original and intriguing. There is so much to explore, so I look forward to the sequel!
January 18, 2024
A Clash of Symphonies is such a beautiful premise. I love stories about music and musicians and was looking forward to reading this one.
Having finished, my major positive feedback is that it is a wonderful idea for a story. I wanted it to be so much more than it was, and it pains me to say that the story needed lots of help with its execution.
For example, the novel is rife with spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, and poor mechanics — so much so that I was tempted to stop reading. One of the worst issues is the lack of commas after introductory or clarifying phrases. This problem caused me great confusion and several times I had to stop and restart a sentence just to understand it. For example, “Turning away Allissa looked up at the ceiling …” (page 172, Kindle edition) I did make notes in my Kindle of many of the errors I spotted, in case the author happens to see this. I’d also be glad read it again and receive payment for my edits (haha!).
I think that the author attempted to craft strong, memorable characters. However, all the characters’ “quirks” serve to make them less likable. For instance, Myra’s aloof superiority seems contradictory to her being Allissa’s best friend, and Virgil’s cringe-worthy dialogue is not endearing.
Additionally, all of the dialogue struggles to flow naturally. I found that most of the teenagers’ conversations were attempts at banter that seemed forced and fell flat.
Much of the book is repetitive and lends to rough pacing. The characters spend most of their time walking to and from the dining hall. The same descriptions of characters and Allissa’s synesthesia are given over and over again. I would love to have seen more variation in events and development.
Back to a positive comment, the author is great at exposition and describing the world he has created.
Were it not for all the errors, I would have given three stars. Despite its flaws, I appreciate A Clash of Symphonies and all the effort that the author put in. I only hope that his next story will be an improvement.
Having finished, my major positive feedback is that it is a wonderful idea for a story. I wanted it to be so much more than it was, and it pains me to say that the story needed lots of help with its execution.
For example, the novel is rife with spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, and poor mechanics — so much so that I was tempted to stop reading. One of the worst issues is the lack of commas after introductory or clarifying phrases. This problem caused me great confusion and several times I had to stop and restart a sentence just to understand it. For example, “Turning away Allissa looked up at the ceiling …” (page 172, Kindle edition) I did make notes in my Kindle of many of the errors I spotted, in case the author happens to see this. I’d also be glad read it again and receive payment for my edits (haha!).
I think that the author attempted to craft strong, memorable characters. However, all the characters’ “quirks” serve to make them less likable. For instance, Myra’s aloof superiority seems contradictory to her being Allissa’s best friend, and Virgil’s cringe-worthy dialogue is not endearing.
Additionally, all of the dialogue struggles to flow naturally. I found that most of the teenagers’ conversations were attempts at banter that seemed forced and fell flat.
Much of the book is repetitive and lends to rough pacing. The characters spend most of their time walking to and from the dining hall. The same descriptions of characters and Allissa’s synesthesia are given over and over again. I would love to have seen more variation in events and development.
Back to a positive comment, the author is great at exposition and describing the world he has created.
Were it not for all the errors, I would have given three stars. Despite its flaws, I appreciate A Clash of Symphonies and all the effort that the author put in. I only hope that his next story will be an improvement.
August 20, 2019
I enjoyed learning more about the experience of synesthesia through reading A Clash of Symphonies, and also loved how the story took a turn for the mysterious and the mystical. I particularly appreciate the strong themes in this book common for ambitious teenage girls; Allissa strives to be as perfect as she can be while her support system is always looking out for her well-being. Also, Allissa's mind is so strong that it helps her move through the seemingly insurmountable challenges in the story -- that and her tight bond with her school, her family, and her friends. This is a sweet story that I think is great for YA and curious adults. In the audiobook the narrator does a great job giving voice to the smart teen, Allissa, and her quirky companions, and helps bring the story to life!
April 25, 2024
3.5/5 stars
I quite liked how this book has an unique voice, getting into the thoughts of something with synesthesia, much less writing a character who has synesthesia is tough and I commend the author for that. It's really descriptive, especially in terms of the synesthesia, and slow paced. But the book covers grief and dealing with your inner demons quite well, the mystery of certain blindspots that was anticlimactic in my opinion but it was never the less poetic. I didn't quite understand the demons, but I feel they were perhaps part of a metaphor for life that I'm yet to understand. I will be doing a reread just to perhaps get a better grip of certain notions, but this was a nice leisurely read.
I received an advanced copy from Booksirens for an honest review.
I quite liked how this book has an unique voice, getting into the thoughts of something with synesthesia, much less writing a character who has synesthesia is tough and I commend the author for that. It's really descriptive, especially in terms of the synesthesia, and slow paced. But the book covers grief and dealing with your inner demons quite well, the mystery of certain blindspots that was anticlimactic in my opinion but it was never the less poetic. I didn't quite understand the demons, but I feel they were perhaps part of a metaphor for life that I'm yet to understand. I will be doing a reread just to perhaps get a better grip of certain notions, but this was a nice leisurely read.
I received an advanced copy from Booksirens for an honest review.
April 21, 2019
A journey like no other. A young girl travels a path where sights and sounds mix with color in a world filled with mystery. Where music can move and be moved. On her journey, she learns what the colors mean, becomes aware of the music's power and significance, and grows in her understanding of them and herself. She uses her gift to answer questions and fight for what she believes in.
November 1, 2019
A Clash of Symphonies is a debut book about Allissa, a young violin virtuoso with a rare condition of synesthesia where she sees sounds as colors. This book is written from her perspective and, as a result, becomes a very immersive experience where everything she does is described in a vibrant palette of beauty.
I found it fascinating to know that this is an actual condition and not a simple fabrication for the sake of a fantasy novel. I kept coming back to that fact in the parts where it started to feel a bit repetitive. (There are only so many ways to describe bright colors.)
I was most compelled with the mystery behind the death of her boyfriend, and fellow synesthete, Michael. Allissa not only struggles with how unique (read, awkward, different, etc) she is because of the synesthesia, but her grief is doubly painful because of the death along with the loss of a person that she could relate so well to. The emotion seemed very authentic and was well done.
My only critique almost seems unfair. I found that there became too much of the descriptions of Allissa’s visual colorful perceptions. I still commend the author for tackling a unique concept.
I was given this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. The narrator did a fine job and it certainly did not take away from the enjoyment of the story. 3.6/5 stars.
I found it fascinating to know that this is an actual condition and not a simple fabrication for the sake of a fantasy novel. I kept coming back to that fact in the parts where it started to feel a bit repetitive. (There are only so many ways to describe bright colors.)
I was most compelled with the mystery behind the death of her boyfriend, and fellow synesthete, Michael. Allissa not only struggles with how unique (read, awkward, different, etc) she is because of the synesthesia, but her grief is doubly painful because of the death along with the loss of a person that she could relate so well to. The emotion seemed very authentic and was well done.
My only critique almost seems unfair. I found that there became too much of the descriptions of Allissa’s visual colorful perceptions. I still commend the author for tackling a unique concept.
I was given this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. The narrator did a fine job and it certainly did not take away from the enjoyment of the story. 3.6/5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews