Title: In Tune
Author: Yeyet Soriano
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Date: 13 November 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Synopsis:
FIRST SET:
Between fulfilling family obligations and navigating the tricky social climate at her private school, Sydney Mendoza tries hard to keep a balance.
Himig Raymundo, on the other hand, knows the feeling of living in the shadow of his successful parents and the agony of being with schoolmates who won’t let him forget.
When Sydney and Himig get “volunteered” to be the stars of High School Night by their batchmates who want to see them fail miserably, they band together to prove everyone wrong, and, in the process, find the one silver lining in the prank—each other.
SECOND SET:
In the midst of college applications and entrance exams, Sydney finds herself at a crossroads: work abroad to earn money for her family or continue on to college on an all-expense-paid scholarship. Ironically, Himig, the school campus’s reluctant star, becomes the rock that anchors her so she won’t get lost in the fray.
No longer bound in anonymity, Himig gets a chance to finally step out of his famous parents’ shadow and show everyone who he really is, as Sydney reveals to him her most hidden secret.
Trigger/Content warnings:
- Bullying in private school due to social status, sexual orientation, physical appearance
- Slight family bullying where kids are pressured to do what parents tell them to to
- Teen pregnancy and single motherhood (MC’s sister)
- Working while underaged (MC)
Remember leather jackets and boots during highschool pageantry?
Remember forming a band and playing guitar in music rooms after school hours?
Remember your college applications?
Remember your first kiss?...
...Your first love?
To be honest, highschool backdrops has long since ceased to be my thing in books anymore. I cannot say that there's a 'but' in that statement BUT I can say that this book is pretty nostalgic when it came to the typical Filipino highschool experience, and if you want to relive your highschool emo or rocker days, this book will take you to a trip down the memory lane.
Syd is the poor student in Agats, not exactly an outcast, but never friends with the rich ones. Himig is the son of a famous theatre actress but not comfortable in performing onstage. One uneventful day when Syd was asleep in the library, her best friend happened to be late on her dance class and asked Himig to look after the sleeping Syd, and that's where the new friendship began and eventually bloomed to something else. Himig and Syd's group of friends weren't uncool but they were bullied by students who think they're above everyone else, and they will show the entire school how to stand up and be true to themselves, but one of them just can't seem to untangle the web of lies they created. With so many things that is happening between their lives, with family, future, relationships and friendships, how will Syd manage to do something she wanted, just for once, for herself?
FAMILY
Being Filipino means being entangled in family affairs whether you want it or not. They say you cannot choose where you come from, but you can choose who you become. Easier said than done. We are all on different boats in this vast ocean of problems and this book portrayed different boats that may sink or float depending on their status in life.
Syd is born in a poor family and she dreams of becoming the first person in her family to graduate college and work her way to give her family a stable life, but is it in the cards for her? Well not according to her mother. Syd's mother never believed that education can take them out of the poverty they are living, and that graduating highschool is more than enough.
In Tune portrayed this reality in a crucial manner that doesn't beg for any pity. We saw Syd's family situation, and we got a glimpse of a family that loves each other yet faces a bigger dilemma that would douse out dreams just to get by. Syd loved her family to a point of sacrificing her own happiness to keep earning to live through each day and eat at night. We also saw Syd interact with her new found friends and how these friends helped her every step of the way because she let them, and the friendship dynamics in this book is what I most enjoyed while reading In Tune.
DREAMS and REALITY
In Tune also tackled overcoming shadows that the society casts upon its children. Even when nobody tells anybody to live up to the success of their parents, the whispers will always be louder than any person's desire to create a name for themselves.
Everyone expected Himig to be a great singer, an even greater performer if we're being blunt, just because his mother is THE famous theatre actress who sang alongside Lea Salonga in Miss Saigon, and was cast as Gigi. But the thing is, nobody asked him what he wanted to be.
Another thing that this book shed light upon is pursuing creative passions as they chose which university to get into. Nobody asked anybody to be a doctor or an engineer and anybody reading the book, especially SHS students, would feel validated in their choices, whatever strand they choose.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Over all, I gave this book a 3.5/5 stars. I don't particularly enjoyed the writing style, but story-wise, I kind of enjoyed everything towards the second half of the story.
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