by Karina Yan Glaser
publisher’s synopsis
It’s June’s first day at Huey House, and as if losing her home weren’t enough, she also can’t bring her cherished viola inside. Before the accident last year, her dad saved tip money for a year to buy her viola, and she’s not about to give it up now. Tyrell has been at Huey House for three years and gives June a glimpse of the good things about living there: friendship, hot meals, and a classical musician next door. Can he and June work together to oppose the government, or will families be forced out of Huey House before they are ready?
The characters were all charming. While June’s character voice was good, Tyrell’s voice was really clear and honed in. There are a number of side characters, so most of them don’t get a ton of page time. However, Glaser found the right balance so that the characters weren’t flat.
Glaser doesn’t shy away from some of life’s harder, sadder elements, but she writes them in a way that fits the novel. I also appreciated that the ending was left a little open. It wouldn’t have felt authentic if everything tied up neatly.
There are definitely some similar elements between The Vanderbeeker series and A Duet for Home, but I think those elements have more to do with Glaser’s writing style. The books didn’t feel too similar; the plots are completely different.
Overall, A Duet for Home was a sweet, thoughtful read.
Cautions: four instances of “coarser” language *
*This isn’t really a caution per se, but there’s a brief scene where a character reads a romance novel aloud so a dog doesn’t get motion sick (it makes sense in the book). There’s nothing inappropriate, but it’s briefly mentioned that the people on the cover aren’t fully clothed. It honestly just felt like poking fun at romance novels.
Hailey Huntington 
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