The Poet & The Muse: More Than Your Typical Coming of Age Love Story

Author: Scheneider Victor

Genre: Romance, Coming of Age

Published: 2023

Social Media: Instagram @iluvanimegirls

The Poet & The Muse was everything but the normal cliche young romance. While the story mainly follows the relationship between poet, Trae Parker, and artist, Nya Smith, this book is also a tale highlighting the importance of friendship, strong familial presence and overcoming adversity.

The novel is told from Trae's perspective so you get a pleasant taste of the mind of an adolescent male undergoing the tribulations that teenage life brings. You will not only see his thoughts as he navigates his relationship with Nya and his loved ones but also his talent that he hasn't shared with the world just yet. For anyone that pursued art at an early age, Trae's character is extremely relatable and reading his growth felt rewarding.

Early on, readers are introduced to Trae's love interest, Nya. Nya is a creative, kind hearted and passionate soul. Much like Trae, she has an affinity for art but expresses herself through painting rather than words. Throughout the novel, you see the impact she bears on Trae in regards to his writing capabilities which I loved. Both possess their own set of flaws that leave you wondering whether they'll be able to overcome their nuisances and grow together or fall victim to their shortcomings and grow apart.

The novel also follows Trae and his many childhood friends. Initially there is Trae, Syerra, Richard and Irving - a friend group that formed in elementary school and possesses bonds that any child dreams of. I enjoyed how within the novel you not only see the individual relationships between each character and Trae but also the relationship between the side characters amongst one another. As the book progresses, new characters to the friend group are introduced, such as Lyric and Vera. Lyrics is a delight to read, as she is a great source of comedic relief. Vera, Nya's younger sister, initially comes off combative and stubborn but prove's herself to be a lot more knowledgeable than what originally meets the eye.

I appreciated that within The Poet & The Muse you get the opportunity to indulge in many other thrilling romances and visuals of platonic and familial love as well. I also enjoyed that all the characters have depth to them where even if you don't resonate with Trae, you will with at least one other character. Phenomenal work and I can't wait to see what else this new author has in store.

Favorite Quote(s):

"Just because someone is far doesn't mean they're out of reach."

"Time goes by fast when you're constantly adoring someone."

"...she loves building her walls up to the point where no one could get over them, however you were always the only one capable of making it to the other side."