The Notes

March 15, 2024
A 16-year-old classical pianist receives mysterious notes warning her not to idolize her school's new music teacher. Inspired by the author's experiences at the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities, this coming-of-age story is set at a prestigious public boarding school full of talented musicians, dancers, artists, actors, and writers. In the fall of her junior year, Chinese American Claire Wu is immediately awed when glamorous and accomplished Taiwanese pianist Dr. Tina Li joins the faculty. Claire has never had an Asian teacher before, and she's determined to impress the demanding, Juilliard-trained Dr. Li, who believes piano should be the students' sole focus. Soon, Claire begins to receive handwritten notes encouraging her not to fall under Li's spell, a sentiment with which her best friend, Jenny Stone, and crush, Rocky Wong, both fellow pianists, agree. The notes, while nonthreatening, are invasive and borderline stalkerish. When she's not consumed with the mystery of the unwanted notes, Claire dedicates herself to perfecting her piano repertoire and falling for the brilliant and rebellious Rocky, a senior and a member of the exclusive Asian Student Society, which she hopes to join. Debut author Con Morse sensitively captures the emotional, physical, and mental health challenges of elite young artists, particularly classical musicians, as well as the complexities of being among the few Asians in a predominantly white space. A compelling exploration of art, identity, and falling in love. (content note, playlist) (Fiction. 12-18)

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April 1, 2024
Grades 9-12 Con Morse's contemporary coming-of-age debut accurately depicts the daily pressures and joys of a young classical musician. When shy Chinese American pianist Claire Wu arrives for her junior year at Greenwood, a South Carolina boarding school for the arts, she is immediately fascinated by her new piano teacher, Dr. Tina Li, the school's first Asian faculty member. Dr. Li is beautiful and sophisticated; she also pushes her students harder than they are accustomed to. Claire accepts Dr. Li's challenges and suggestions, but her charming crush, Rocky, the studio's top pianist, is skeptical. Then Claire begins receiving cryptic, anonymous notes warning her against Dr. Li, and her anxiety spikes. Ultimately, Claire's confidence and abilities blossom, while Rocky falters in the face of college auditions. When he disappears after a performance, everyone fears the worst. While secondary characters are underdeveloped and Greenwood students experience an improbable lack of supervision and counseling, this novel shines as an earnest examination of belonging, loneliness, artistic and personal growth, self-doubt, and mental health struggles (including self-harm) among high-achieving performers.

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May 17, 2024

Gr 7 Up-At a prestigious arts boarding school, pianist Claire Wu is taken with her demanding new piano teacher, the enigmatic Dr. Li. Shortly after classes begin for the new term, Claire starts receiving handwritten notes warning her away from Dr. Li. Many of her friends and classmates, especially her roommate Jenny and crush Rocky, agree with the note-writer, but Claire finds herself blooming under Dr. Li's high standards and finds comfort in having an Asian teacher in the predominantly white school. As the school year progresses, Claire works to find her voice both in her music, but also in her life. She admires her friends' assurance and confidence, but doesn't fully notice the pressure they're also under and how some are secretly struggling. Debut author Con Morse trained as a pianist at a similar school, which shows in the way she perfectly captures the small details and feelings of practicing and performing. She skillfully explores the reverberations of Rocky's mental health struggles and the sense of unease and fear the notes cause Claire. VERDICT A captivating musical coming-of-age novel that sensitively explores racial identity, belonging, and mental illness.-Jennifer Rothschild

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