Main Character: Alex
Love Interest: ??
Series: None that I know of.
Author: Website|Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads
Rock ’n’ roll isn’t just about sex and drugs. It’s about self-expression, lasting friendships, and self-empowerment. That’s what Alex learns after she starts playing bass for a rock band in this almost true story. Joyce Raskin, author and musician, culls from her memories to create this funny, touching, and honest look at what it’s like to be a teenager, a girl, and a rock star all at the same time.
Also included are a note from the author, instructions on how to play basic guitar chords, advice on songwriting, and more!
This story is about a fourteen year old girl named Alex who band hops until she finds the right fit and then lives her life as a teenage rock star. Right from the beginning of this book, Alex screamed early teen. The stuff she thought about, the things she did and the things that were important to her totally took me back to when I was fourteen and those same things mattered so much to me.
Looking good, being popular, having a boyfriend. All of those things were much more important than the things that should have counted, like having parents that actually cared about what you did and having a brother who didn’t treat you like a little crap. Alex had a crush on her brother’s friend, she wanted to be everyone under the sun beside herself and once things start falling into place for her, things fall apart on her and it takes her a while to get things under control again.
Throughout most of this book, Alex is complaining about everything under the sun. If it wasn’t her fourteen year old face covered in zits (understandable) then it was how her parents were out to ruin her life (not even true) and how she wanted a sister (rolls eyes). Everything that was going through Alex’s head were things that I’ve heard my daughter Brenna complain about a lot and every time Brenna complains to me about these small, silly things, my response is always the same.
“Who cares?”
That always shuts Brenna up and then I have to go on my whole, Brenna next year or when you’re older, you’re not going to give two craps about any of this. Next week, when the next scandal at school happens, you’ll forget about how stupid this thing is right now.
That’s what I wanted to say to Alex more than once while reading this book. Her insecurities are plenty in this book but by the end of the book (which was really short), things fall into place for her and the book ended not the way that I thought it would end but it did end well. The ending was realistic and it was good. While it sounds like I wasn’t a fan of Alex, that’s not true. I liked her and had she been a little older and learned a few more things, I probably would have liked her more.
This book follows her as she goes from her first band to her second band and experiences boys, new girlfriends and everything else that middle schoolers, early high schoolers experience. I enjoyed the book though I thought it could have been a little longer because toward the end, the book started having that rushed feel to it but it wasn’t too bad. Overall, I think kids in the age group of 11 and up would enjoy this book. More than this 30 year old, mother of a pre-teen did. =)
..and that’s your scoop!
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com
