Melophobia
by James Morris
Publisher: Kindle Press (September 22, 2015)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Rating: 4/5

Book Summary:

Melophobia: fear or hatred of music.

The time—now; the place—America, but in a world where the government controls all forms of art and creativity. Any music sowing the seeds of anarchy is banned—destroyed if found—its creators and listeners harshly punished.

Merrin Pierce works as an undercover Patrol officer assigned to apprehend a fugitive musician who threatens the safe fabric of society, only to confront everything she thought to be true – her values, upbringing, job, and future.

Can love survive in a world without music?

Publisher’s Weekly called it “a convincing alternative history novel and…an accomplished coming-of-age love story that asks big questions about freedom and expressiveness in the face of oppression.”

My Review:

This book is unlike anything I have ever read before. It’s quite literally the War on Music. Imagine a world where music is illegal. Where the sounds that make you feel all those wonderful emotions, happiness, sadness, that make you laugh and cry are stripped from society. You can’t listen to it. If you do, and you get caught, then terrible things happen to you. Melophobia takes place in present day America, but with a government that controls and regulates all things music. The government in the story wants to suppress people by taking away the one thing that could truly make them feel. The Minister approves all things Musak, a form of sounds that is dull and monotonous, completely unidentifiable and in no ways original or spectacular, or makes us feel anything at all. This Musak is given in place of music. The Minister also happens to be the father of the undercover Patrol officer Merrin Pierce. Merrin goes under several sting operations, posing as a music lover in order to shut down underground clubs and place the illegal music listeners in jail where they belong. Merrin works with Anders, a former boyfriend that now serves as her dutiful partner in handling each case. As Merrin’s success grows, she is given the biggest assignment of her life. To find The Source. The Source is a secret identity for the person, or the group of persons responsible for handing out the illicit music to the people in charge of the underground music scenes. The equivalent of a drug lord. The supplier. The one that makes the music–the one that makes such beautiful sounds.

Merrin, determined to find The Source and shut down all things music is forced to go even deeper undercover. To listen to music she’s never listened to before, and to do whatever it takes to find The Source and shut The Source down. But Merrin feels an undeniable tug from the illegal music. From the sounds that make her feel. She tries to ignores it, sure. But how long until the music takes root inside of her and becomes a part of her that she can’t deny?

Melophobia is a story about love, about the undeniable beauty in music and how it makes us feel. The story starts off a little slow, but really builds once the author sets the stage for the type of world Merrin and Anders live in. A wonderful crescendo in the story. The further Merrin goes undercover, the further she’s lulled by the power of music, the more she falls for a man named Rowan that writes Musak for her father, the more you want to read until you get to the last page with the big letters THE END and think wait, what? I want more! And then your heart races and you retrace the pages back and re-read the words THE END again. And then you think: holy cow, that ending! This is a book that sticks with you, I like to call them book hangovers. Melophobia is sure to give you a book hangover. Those are always my favorite types of books. The books you need a moment to process and think about for a time before you are ready to pick up another book. The books that are awe-inspiring, deeply moving, and you can’t stop thinking about. Melophobia has definitely given me a book hangover. There are so many great things to love about this book, and so many things to think about.

Melophobia is definitely it’s own symphony, it’s own incredible masterpiece. And the ending is quite the finale! Don’t miss out on your chance to read such an incredible unique story! James Morris is a very talented author. His ability to world build is incredible, and he gives us such memorable characters as we read through their struggles and their gains. Merrin Pierce starts off as a person that would do just about anything to uphold the law, but then we see the music transform her as her story unfolds and it’s quite beautiful to see that transformation.

I am a huge music fan. I’ve played the piano since I was 10. I received my undergrad in Music Composition. I even went to graduate school for a little while, working towards my masters in music therapy. Music is very much a part of my life. Now as a special ed teacher, I use music every day. Music does so much for us. And it’s hard to imagine a life without music. Without the ability to feel from music. When I go to the movies, and I hear a beautiful, emotional composition, not going to lie, I cry from how beautiful it is. Music is such a huge part of my life. I breathe music. The world is very well painted in Melophobia, and my heart really ached for the people that were so desperate to hear music and what happened to them once they were caught. If music was never really a part of my life, and then all of a sudden it was around me, I can only imagine how big of a sensory overload it would be for me, and how much I would be willing to do in order to keep it a part of my life. And there’s people throughout history and even now, that aren’t just talented, but truly gifted with music. That can create such wondrous sounds. The thought of taking that gift away from people truly effects me. This book really hit home for me. And it has come to my realization that there is no possible way I could survive in the world of Melophobia!

Melophobia is definitely a unique and inspiring read. It’s action packed, with a beautiful, memorable, heart wrenching love story. Melophobia is definitely a must read! For the love of music, I highly recommend reading it!

About the Author:

James Morris is a former television writer who now works in digital media. When not writing, you can find him scoping out the latest sushi spot, watching ‘House Hunters Renovation’, or trying new recipes in the kitchen. He lives with his wife and dog in Los Angeles.

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