Satyr's Melody

Forest Heights, Book 2

By: John Darr

Narrated by: J.R. Yussuf

Moving from Atlanta to a small town did not sit well with Jamari Evans at all. In addition to his current mood about his new home, he becomes the latest target of the local bully. Great!

Seeking solace and sanctuary from his current situation, he dives into his writing, finding peace in the literary worlds he’s created. That escape is short-lived when the bully manages to get a hold of Jamari’s works and destroys them all.

Now, Jamari searches for a way to end this bully’s torment. Not through traditional means, but in a way that Jamari knows best: his creativity.

©2017 John Darr Books (P)2023 John Darr Books

A fantastical story about self discovery

First of all, I really enjoyed the narrator's voice. I thought he was perfect for this.

Jamari is forced to uproot his life once again as his dad's job relocates him to a small town. Jamari, an aspiring writer, struggles to fit in as he starts highschool in a place where nobody knows him. However, he doesn't want to be completely known as he's hiding a secret.... he has a crush on a boy!

Between discovering who he is, the social terrors of high school, and a fantastical statuette of a satyr which inspires Jamari with bouts of creativity, this will be a crazy first year. To make matter worse, the big bully has set his sights on the newbie.

I loved this story. It felt like a very true representation of a student trying to hide from who they truly are. I loved how he was able to embrace his true self while making a name for his creative writing. I also loved how this story directly tied into the first Forest Heights book, My Prince, My Boy, with returning characters like Tyrone and Avery.

This was a beautiful story, with a warm and heartfelt ending.