There is much naive charm to be found in this story of a young girl who finds both a new friend and the hope for a new life through her growing interest in jazz... this is a loving, quietly charming... portrayal of jazz as a music which salves the soul of a misfit, brings her friendship and a sense of camaraderie and connects the future with the past.
Glasgow Sunday Herald
<i>Wonderful Feels Like This</i> is a gifted and moving novel, elegantly translated from the Swedish... Lovestam can make difficult narrative feats look easy (the way she can sketch character so economically, using only a few telling brushstrokes, is especially engaging) and the sharply observed central relationship draws you into its poignancy and quiet heroism.
Sydney Morning Herald
Sensitive and deeply moving: outstanding.
Kirkus Reviews
Empathy, identity, and the transformative power of music bind this tale of an atypical friendship between a teenage outcast and a jazz musician.
Publishers Weekly
Lövestam is a musical writer, with such an eye on language and storytelling that she can do almost anything she wants... She writes with the perfect pitch.
- Malin Persson Giolito, Amelia
A well written, warm and cosy story about how unexpectedly you can find a friend when you most need one.
- Stefan Holm, Värmland Folkblad
I know of no writer who can make me so genuinely happy as Sara Lövestam does... And if I'm ever asked what is the best book I've ever read, I will definitely answer: <i>Wonderful Feels Like This</i>.
Annika Koldenius