BOOK REVIEW: Rhythm, Chord & Malykhin

Rhythm, Chord & Malykhin by Mariana Zapata

So, this was my very 1^st Mariana Zapata book, and let me just say, wow. Did I expect to love it this much? No. Did I have any idea what I was in for? Not a clue. Did I know of the frustration that laid ahead? Nope. Mariana Zapata is best known as the Queen of Slow-Burns, and like any other idiot I was like, “Yeah. Okay. Sounds good.” But boy was I in for a ride. Half of the book I was screeching in joy (and freaking my boyfriend out) and the other have I was screaming in frustration. It was bad, but also so, so freaking good. To be fair, I did binge this book in a 24hr period and therefore was way more invested than the casual reader. Rhythm, Chord & Malykhin follows the story of Gaby Barreto a recently dumped college graduate who’s looking at a summer spent job hunting while back in her childhood bedroom at her parent’s. Then her brother calls begging for her to his band’s merch girl on the tour this summer, and after some haggling, she agrees with reluctance and the plot begins.

What I Did Like:

• I absolutely loved the brotherly/sisterly love shown between Gaby and the boys. While it was sometimes a bit much, I usually felt a happy glow of familiarity at their interactions. Eli had this mindset of “I can mess with my sister and it’s okay, but if anyone’s else hurts with her, they die.” (Which reminds me a lot of my brother.)
• Sacha and Gaby’s friendship is just so freaking adorable. It’s cute and heartfelt but doesn’t take itself too seriously. (These were usually the parts I was screeching in joy over, as mentioned above.)
• The slow burn. Ugh, yes! It drove me up the wall in frustration, I swear. But that just means it was all the better when the tension was finally relinquished.

What I Didn’t Like:

• They never reveal what happened to a certain character’s car, and I really wanted to know what they thought was an appropriate level of revenge. (My guess is that it probably went too far.)
• The epilogue bothered me. It skips forward an unstated amount of time and gives no context to how long its been, or when certain events happened.
• The resolution of Gaby’ career path. It seemed to me that Mariana Zapata took the easy way out and didn’t bother finding a more interesting solution.

Recap:

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a book that is equally joyful and stressful (but in a good way). I think the setting of the novel is unique and interesting, especially to those who are dedicated concert goers and have always wondered what it is like to go on tour. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Rhythm, Chord & Malykhin and I can’t wait to continue working my way through the rest of Mariana Zapata’s novels.

4/5 stars

xoxo, Bree

Goodreads Link: Rhythm, Chord & Malykhin

Other Mariana Zapata Reviews:
BOOK REVIEW: From Lukov with Love
BOOK REVIEW: The Wall of Winnipeg & Me