Leisha's Song is a well written young adult novel which has a good balance of mystery and romance. Leisha is a scholarship student at a prestigious private school. She is a very talented singer and her dream is to pursue a career in music. Her African American grandfather, the only parent she's ever known, wants her to become a doctor. He has also forbidden her from dating white boys.
When her beloved vocal coach mysteriously disappears, she senses that something is wrong. She determinedly investigates her teacher's disappearance and is helped by her boyfriend Cody, a cellist who comes from a rich, white family. Cody's family opposes him dating an African American girl.
The story is fast-paced with well developed characters. Cody is a kind and respectful boyfriend. I admired the determination of the two teenagers to solve the mystery and be true to each other and themselves. Themes of parent-child conflict, interracial relationships and flawed adults are explored. Leisha's Song is a young adult novel with a lot of depth. #booksforwardfriends ( )

I liked this book. I found the mystery aspect to be mild like a cozy mystery. In fact, I kind of got Nancy Drew vibes while reading this book with Leisha as Nancy Drew and Cody as Nancy Drew's boyfriend, Ned.

This book is a nice one. While, I did like it I felt like it can be better appreciated by the younger reader audience. Just because I think the younger readers will relate to Leisha and Cody better. At times I felt like the pacing of the story did move slowly and I did skim ahead some to rush the story along. The latter third of the story is where the pacing picked up and the mystery was solved. Overall, this was a good read. ( )

When Leisha's vocal teacher, Ms. Wells, abruptly leaves Stonefield Academy, Leisha instantly knows something is wrong. Ms. Wells is her favorite teacher and Leisha knows that she wouldn't leave her students before a vocal competition. Leisha's friends and the school administration tell her to let Ms. Wells go. Leisha can't shake the feeling that something is wrong and decides to investigate on her own. Cody, a cellist at the Academy, has feelings for Leisha and wants to help her. Together, they uncover a series a clues that indicate that Ms. Wells is in danger. However, Leisha's grandfather and Cody's parents care more about keeping Leisha and Cody apart as well as making sure their future careers are not in music.

Leisha's Song is a young adult mystery combined with romance and family drama. I was pulled in immediately by the prologue. The mystery was very well crafted. I liked the progression of the clues and had no idea of the culprit until the end. Leisha is an interesting character. As a black student at a prestigious Academy, Leisha is different, she is trying to uphold all of the standards placed on her by her grandfather who wants her to be a doctor and stay away from boys, especially white boys. I could easily relate to Leisha's predicament and wanted her to follow her dreams of singing. I did think her voice sounded a little off, not a genuine modern black high school student dealing with pressures from every side. I did appreciate Leisha's point of view, how she was dealing with the challenges in her life and her determination to move forward despite being pushed back. The romance between Leisha and Cody ended up being really sweet. Cody took me some time to warm up to, he was persistent in his pursuit of Leisha even after she said 'no' several times. I could tell that there was a spark between the two of them, but Cody needed to respect when she said no. The writing style built the mystery and suspense of Ms. Wells' disappearance as pressure was being put on Leisha from her school and her grandfather to create an exciting and unexpected conclusion.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )

The music academy setting sets the perfect stage for mystery, romance and family struggles.

Leisha is a very talented singer and can't wait to join the upcoming competition, but just when her training is rolling along, her vocal coach disappears. The woman is like a mother to Leisha, and she knows something is wrong despite the school's reassurance that the teacher simple resigned. Together with the last guy she should be crushing on, she tries to figure out the truth behind her teacher's disappearance and deal with personal problems she can no longer ignore.

This is a rich story in so many ways. Not only does it take place in a setting where music fills everyone's lives, but it sweeps into a hard to predict mystery. Then, there is the romance, a bi-racial one which causes many personal problems for Leisha. Lastly, add the family problems, which Leisha needs to struggle with, and there is a wealth of subplots and depth. Something happens on every page, and this not only includes the mystery, which is very hard to predict, but also the emotional front.

Leisha is a lovely character, who is already going against her grandparents by studying music but has taken their other views to heart. The character growth is well done as she comes head-to-head with her grandfather...a man, who is very hard to like. While some characters were pure good in this tale, the grandfather reflects the more realistic problems families can face, and these aren't always easy to solve...if there is a solution. It was a refreshing approach on this front and made Leisha that much more likeable.

This is a book carried by wonderful characters and a well-woven plot. The world building didn't quite pull me in, especially in the first chapters, but the quick pace makes up for that. Unfortunately, the ending was a bit rushed, but that was the only stumbling point on that end. Everything else grabs and creates an intrigue tale to get lost in and enjoy. I received an ARC and enjoyed the read quite a bit. ( )