A Clash of Symphonies

By: W. D. Visalli

Narrated by: Rachel Roasek

When Michael died, Allissa woke to the sound of red.

In an instant, all of her plans have been thrown into chaos. Her dream of becoming a famous violinist now seems trivial. A future with the boy of her dreams, gone. Even her synesthesia - allowing her to see colors from sounds - has begun to change, colors mix in new ways and strange new visions are haunting her at every turn.

As Allissa begins to wade through the living symphony of chaotic beauty swirling around her, she discovers something terrifying and miraculous. She can touch this symphony. She can change it. And it can change the world around her.

Still heavy with grief she begins to realize that though the colors and music are glorious, not everything is harmonious.

Discord lurks. Rotting, empty eyes are watching.

Eyes that want her silence.

Allissa must gain control of her new abilities and unravel the mystery of Michael’s death quickly before her symphony comes to an abrupt end before it’s even begun.

©2018 William Douglas Visalli (P)2019 William Douglas Visalli

Colorful story

Full disclosure: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

A Clash of Symphonies is about Alissa and her synesthesia. In Alissa's case, her synesthesia allows her to be able to see sounds in the form of colors. She has to come terms with her synesthesia, continuing music performance classes, and the death of her close friend Michael who could have been more than a friend in the future. This was a very enjoyable part of the book and is present for a little more than half the book. The other part of the book was Alissa dealing with a darker creature who embodies a darker emotion. This was a bit stranger, but allowed Allisa to grow.
Overall the book was enjoyable and I enjoyed Alissa and her interactions with synesthesia.
The narrator Rachel, did a good job with the voices and it was easy to distinguish the different characters.

a clash of brilliance

i received this as a review credit and will give an honest review. These are usually a hit or miss and this was a hit. the story was very well written and narrated. I could actually get into the story and the MC; their feelings, thoughts, emotions. the story flowed naturally and developed just as well. reccomend for anyone interested in a different type of coming of age story with music, color, mystery, and a murder to get things started.

Colorful

A slow starter, but fun none the less. Would have made fun an enjoyable animated movie for sure.

Great narration.

It was a great book, great descriptions of colors and sounds. I really enjoyed the narrator she captured all the characters very well.

enchanting, dynamic, and sensitive

In The Clash of Symphonies audiobook the narrator does a great job giving voice to the smart teen, Allissa, and her quirky companions, and helps bring the story to life! The author makes Allissa's unique experience with synesthesia accessible by consistently describing color and sound through his words. I enjoyed learning more about the experience of synesthesia, and also as the story took a turn for the mysterious and the mystical. Some of the lengthy audio descriptions of sounds and music as color were occasionally lost on me, but I always enjoyed how unique and imaginative the story was. I particularly appreciate the strong themes in this book common for ambitious teenage girls; Allissa strives to be as perfect as she can be while her support system is always looking out for her well-being. Also, Allissa's mind is so strong that it helps her move through the seemingly insurmountable challenges in the story -- that and her tight bond with her school, her family, and her friends. This is a sweet story that I think is great for YA and curious adults.