Musical Youth

Award winning title-2nd place in the 2014 Burt Award for Caribbean Literature.

#12 in Amazon Hot New Releases – Teen and Young Adult Performing Arts Fiction – in its first month of release

Featured in Essence Magazine February 2016

Music, Discovery, Love. Can one summer make the difference of a lifetime?

Zahara is a loner. She's brilliant on the guitar but in everyday life she doesn't really fit in. Then she meets Shaka, himself a musical genius and the first boy who really gets her. They discover that they share a special bond, their passion for music, and Zahara finds herself a part, not just of Shaka's life, but also that of his boys, the Lion Crew. When they all get roles in a summer musical, Zahara, Shaka, and the rest of the Lion Crew use the opportunity to work on a secret project. But the Crew gets much more than they bargained for when they uncover a dark secret linking Shaka and Zahara's families and they're forced to confront some uncomfortable truths about class, colour, and relationships on the Caribbean island of Antigua.

There are no missteps in this tender coming-of-age romance, only an enthusiasm for love and life that reverberates triumphantly, as both Shaka and Zahara battle their demons with hope’s persistent chorus.-CaribbeanBeat Magazine.



“Musical Youth is a beautifully crafted novel with the leitmotiv of music running throughout it. This is a powerful and credible story of young love between two likeable heroes.-Burt Award for Caribbean literature.



Musical Youth is a compelling read because Hillhouse has managed to make readers really care about the characters and their struggles.-Trinidad Guardian.