Songs From the Phenomenal Nothing by Steven Luna

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Description:
It’s just me and him. Him and me. A man I can’t comprehend, designated by the universe as my father but someone I prefer to call Tom, and a kid he can’t relate to but calls son anyway because he’s determined to try. I really wish he’d just call me Tyler.

He probably wishes I’d call him Dad.

But I’m not comfortable with that at this point.

Our differences and our lack of mutual understanding are the only things we seem to agree on. And even those get heated sometimes.

Seriously, it’s a miracle that we haven’t hurt each other yet.

I’m not sure how much longer we can hold out.
***
Seventeen year-old guitar prodigy Tyler Mills has become lost in the aftermath of his mother’s death. Disconnected more and more from his father, he takes refuge from it all in two things: his music and his girlfriend. But everything changes with the chance discovery of his mother’s journal—and the long-held family secret within that could alter his life forever

Review:

Songs From The Phenomenal Nothing is the first work in the YA genre for author Steven Luna.  Seventeen year old Tyler Thomas Mills is struggling.  Struggling with the life he has been dealt.  Tyler lost his mother six months ago to cancer, and the world as he knew it ended.  The one person that he believed completely understood him has been “uncreated”. Leaving him with the man he calls Tom.  He can no longer call him Dad.  Tyler is a tall, lanky, blue-eyed musician who everyone considers “pretty.”  Tom is a hard-working, short, not so handsome auto mechanic.  They couldn’t be more opposite if they tried.   

On punishment for a mistake that he makes, Tyler is stuck cleaning out the garage.  There he finds a box that contains journals belonging to his mother.  Missing her and needing a connection with her he decides to delve into reading them.  He is mesmerized by his mother’s writings, they are beautiful, poetic and magical.  Yet they open doors to secrets of her past.  Secrets that Tyler isn’t quite sure he should be reading.  He becomes obsessed with the journals, while his relationship with Tom becomes more and more strained. 

What a wonderful coming of age story!  This book touched me on several levels.  The struggle of coming of age, becoming the adult you want to be, the conflict that teens often encounter with their parents and the search for their own identity!   At first I found Tyler a tad self-absorbed – yet realistic for a seventeen year old. I believe I connected him with my own twenty year old son and the struggles he is facing becoming his own man!  Searching for his own identity.  Yet Tyler has the added struggle of losing the one person he thought understood him.  This story also examines the legacy that secrets leave behind.  Those that others may find and misunderstand, or not fully understand, and those that forever change lives.   The story had many twists and turns, which at times were emotionally wrenching.  The ending left me in tears – in a wonderfully good way!