Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia

One part The Shining, two parts Scooby-Doo equals Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia. Well, maybe not Scooby-Doo, but a mystery that is distinctly less frightening than The Shinning. Bellweather Rhapsody is a novel that is so up my alley, that it comes as now surprise that I whirled right through it.

Rabbit and Alice are twins chosen, along with about 100 other music prodigies,  to go to a statewide music festival hosted annually at the once regal Bellweather Hotel in upstate New York. For Alice this is a dream come true until her famous roommate turns up dead. For Rabbit, the weekend marks the beginning of a personal journey without Alice by his side. The teachers and chaperons of the event seem to be up to hi jinks of their own, and the weather conspires to snow them all in. Are ya with me?

Overall, the story is, at times, needlessly complicated and convoluted, but that did not halt my enjoyment. Racculia has written a charming novel. I was surprised, however, to find out that this is her sophomore effort. There is so much packed into the pages, that it felt like a first novel to me. I suspect that as Racculia matures her work will continue to improve. Her characters were great and the story was well paced. There were just some quirks that could have been omitted or seemed to serve no grand purpose.

Who would like this book? I know that I’m not alone in liking books set at camps/ boarding schools/ weekend retreats where the characters are precocious and coming of age. If you too fall into this category, then go ahead and pick up Bellweather Rhapsody immediately. I can also favorably compare it to the early sections of The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer (review), and The Starboard Sea by Amber Dermott (review).

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley  in exchange for an honest review.