In "The Lucy Variations" by Sara Zarr, Lucy is a talented young pianist who has decided to step away from the competitive music scene to discover her true self. After a lifetime of dedication to the piano, her decision shocks those around her, including her grandfather, who sees her as a potential prodigy. As Lucy navigates the complexities of family dynamics, friendship, and her own identity, she grapples with the pressures of expectations and the pursuit of passion. Through her journey, Lucy learns to redefine success on her own terms and the importance of embracing who she really is. [Generated by language model - please report any problems].

This book is aimed at children at US 8th grade-12th grade.

This book has been graded for interest at 13-17 years.

This book is aimed at Young Adult readers. The term Young Adult (YA) is used for books which have the following characteristics: (1) aimed at ages 12-18 years, US grades 7-12, UK school years 8-15, (2) around 50-75k words long, (3) main character is aged 12-18 years, (4) topics include self-reflection, internal conflict vs external, analyzing life and its meaning, (5) point of view is often in the first person, and (6) swearing, violence, romance and sexuality are allowed. This book was published in 2013 by Hachette Book Group .

Sara Zarr was raised in San Francisco, went to high school in Pacifica, California, and now lives with her husband in Salt Lake City, Utah.