I finished this book in one day, and it would have been one sitting if life didn't interfere. I connected automatically with Tess. I guess I have a depression that I can't really shake and some of her words really struck a cord with me. I feel like I've lost some of the people I'm closest with, whether from death, moving away, or just drifting apart.
...I felt like I drifted through the day without ever actually connecting with anyone, like I was a ghost of myself?
There was also another quote where she said a drummer who was always laughing made her uncomfortable because she worried he was laughing at her.... I totally get that. I feel slightly on the outside with most people and worry that other people really don't like me or are talking about me. Also the way that even when included, she felt still outside of what was going on.
Reading that really made me feel more validated... like I'm not the only one, even if its a character in a book.
Micah is hot, brooding and mysterious, so in the beginning I liked him pretty much right away, but there is a darker side of him that I didn't really know what to make of. And his relationship with Daisy--his albatross--I wasn't quite sure what to make of, just like Tess. He is candid which sometimes is charming and unique, but other times leaves him looking like an ass. (I'll stop talking about anything further since I got this impression within first few chapters, but I don't want to spoil anything.)
The story of Tess' father slowly unravels through the story too, and I feel sorry for her having to deal with that. Never knowing what you're going to get from a person, jerk, good guy or just get ignored keeps you on your toes, and its exhausting to live that way.
I really like how Laura tries to be her friend, and Toby is the kind of guy that I want in real life--he reminds me of my husband--chill, protective and friendly.
This is a pretty edgy and dark story overall, and I found myself swept up in Tess' story, and able to truly see both "voices" of her mind--the little one that we ignore way too much, and the one that is overpowered by emotion. But it has a powerful ending, and I love how much Tess grew into herself, and how she was even able to help someone that she disliked for a long time in the process.

Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com

Tess was trying to make it work in her new town of Grand River, Michigan. She never wanted to move from Chicago, where her old life, boyfriend, and best friend remained. However, it was best for her mom after the divorce from her father.

Part of making it work, which in turn makes her mother happy, meant doing things that Tess would normally do if she was back in Chicago, like participating in the solo and ensemble competitions. Not the best French horn player, all Tess needed was someone to accompany her, to enter the competition with her. The name Micah was given to her by her director.

Micah, the seemingly weird guy who always stayed to himself, who Tess found rather intriguing. For some reason, Tess was drawn to him, even if she did find out about his weird relationship to Daisy, the girl with the gorgeous voice but a not-so-beautiful reputation. Tess gains the courage to talk to Micah, and soon enough she develops a little crush.

The crush would turn into affection, which would then turn into wanting his attention, which would unfortunately lead to abuse. Even if people warn Tess about Micah - people like Toby, the really cute, extremely nice drummer from band - or even when Tess' own mind warns her, for some reason she just doesn't want to listen. She allows it to continue, apologizing when she shouldn't, taking on the harsh words being thrown at her when she should stand up for herself.

As the story continues, the reintroduction to her past life that involves her father connects Tess to her current situation, and how it feels unusually "normal."

ALBATROSS is a powerful, insightful novel that centers on a problem in relationships that has unfortunately become all too common. Readers will feel like the people who witness those being emotionally abused in a relationship, and want to try so hard to tell that person to get away from the abuser, but are unable to fully control the situation. Josie Bloss constructs a realistic portrayal of such frightening yet truthful experiences of abuse that will exert a passion in readers to take action when they witness or are themselves in an abusive relationship. ( )

The albatross in question is a clingy, needy thing. Which is exactly how Micah describes Tess...to her face. He, the first real connection she made since moving to Grand River from Chicago (relocation due to divorce), simultaneously puts her down and pulls her up. One moment touching her hair so lightly she could cry, the next looking right through her as though she didn't exist.

Young girls are impressionable, self-conscious, and scared of messing up. And there are men that know that, and use their insecurities to boost their own self-worth. Those men are abusers in the worst way. There are no physical scars that fade over time. Only emotional and mental ones that only heal when the abuser no longer has control.

Albatross is a fantastic book for women aged 16 and up to read. There is a faint line between a crush and an obsession, honesty and verbal abuse, and Bloss's characters tread that line to carefully at first, but quickly the reader sees the obsessions as harmful and permanent. The book was actually scary for me to read, because I could relate so well to Tess. Having moved a million times as a child (as a child of the USMC) I understand her desire to find something or someone that feels like home. To just feel normal again...

Read this book in a discussion group or literary circle. You will likely find a small piece of yourself in these very pages, and hopefully it will cause you to start listening to the OTHER voice in your head. ( )