I read Don’t Cry for Me in November and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this companion novel! This one was enjoyable, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first one.

This was definitely a necessary companion novel. After reading Don’t Cry for Me, I was very excited to hear Issac’s point of view. The writing style flows so smoothly that it feels so easily readable and you can really fly through it. And this book called me out SEVERAL times! I highlighted a lot of impactful quotes. There were lots of important discussions had throughout the story. However, at times the story felt less character driven than the first one and more like a lesson. And the lessons were very important, but they felt less organic. Issac’s Song had less emotion than Don’t Cry For Me. The characters felt more flat because I think the author just assumes we remember them from the first book, so they felt as if there was less depth and personality to them. Also, the ending dragged on so long to me. I feel like the book should’ve ended 10-15% earlier than it did.

But, this was still an enjoyable read! If you enjoyed Don’t Cry For Me, this will be a great next read for you! (Though I wouldn’t recommend it as a standalone. Read Don’t Cry For Me first!)

Thank you HTP Hive and NetGalley for this arc. All opinions are my own. 

content warnings: child abuse, homophobia, alcoholism, racism, racial & homophobic slurs, micro aggressions, graphic depictions of slavery, sexual assault, AIDS-related death