Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass

Reviewed by Anna M.
Grade 9

While Sarah Dass’s debut novel Where the Rhythm Takes You was not the best YA book I’ve read, it definitely was not the worst. It is a retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, and if you’re looking for the similarities you can find many.

Taking place in Tobago, the novel began with Reyna, a seventeen-year-old girl trying to run her late mother’s hotel almost completely by herself. Then, like every other romance, her ex-boyfriend, Aiden, shows up with his bandmates and two women, one of which may or may not be his new girlfriend. Awkwardly, Reyna and Aiden decide to avoid each other, but since he’s staying at HER HOTEL…..well let’s just say that doesn’t happen. Aiden’s friends actually ask Reyna’s father for her to be their guide around Tobago. Her dad, who is completely ignorant of the romance once between Aiden and Reyna, agrees, wanting to give Reyna a fun vacation. By fate (or maybe just good luck), Aiden and Reyna are always thrown together, and Reyna finds herself falling in love again or maybe she just never stopped. Unselfishly, she is willing to sacrifice her dreams and happiness to live out her mom’s plans for her life. Worried about the hotel and her feelings with Aiden, Reyna feels the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Showing the experience of loss, love, and hope, this novel was definitely an interesting read. However, I found it hard to buy into the “never stopped loving you” fluff, especially since Aiden was hooking up with another girl during the time spent apart. Personally, I think if someone really loves somebody, they’re going to be loyal to that person, but everyone’s entitled to their own opinion I guess. Overall, I thought the novel was a pretty generic YA romance, though it was unique that the setting was in the Caribbean. The writing was well done; therefore the cheesiness of the romance was forgivable. Ultimately, I think Sarah Dass is a good author and I look forward to reading more novels by her.

While it has romance novel stereotypes, it also has an originality that’s hard to pinpoint. This book was not a bad time-killer. I would not recommend this book to someone who does not like romance, but if you do, give it a try.