One Direction is heading to North America for the Where We Are Tour! I don’t know how it is in your house, but in mine, 1D rules. From music to posters to magazines to YouTube and music videos, One Direction is a constant presence in my everyday existence. I’ve been told the future Mrs. Styles even lives with me. She just has to meet him first.
Whether you’re a Directioner or not, you’ve probably had that moment where you let yourself fall a little bit in love with a rock star. There’s no denying the appeal of rock stars. They’re talented, edgy, hot, and make singing about emotions look cool. You’ve also probably imagined what it would be like to be the one person a rock star could fall in forever-love with. You could be the person to see past the carefully crafted persona of the rock star. It’s a seductive and tempting dream, but could it ever be more?
That dream of more is why this week my top three young adult picks are all about rock stars, musicians, and the people who love with them.
WISE YOUNG FOOL by Sean Beaudoin
| “Teen rocker Ritchie Sudden is pretty sure his life has just jumped the shark. Except he hates being called a teen, his band doesn’t play rock, and “jumping the shark” is yet another dumb cliché. Part of Ritchie wants to drop everything and walk away. Especially the part that’s serving ninety days in a juvenile detention center.
Telling the story of the year leading up to his arrest, Ritchie grabs readers by the throat before (politely) inviting them along for the (max-speed) ride. A battle of the bands looms. Dad split about five minutes before Mom’s girlfriend moved in. There’s the matter of trying to score with the dangerously hot Ravenna Woods while avoiding the dangerously huge Spence Proffer–not to mention just trying to forget what his sister, Beth, said the week before she died.” WISE YOUNG FOOL blends edgy humor with the gritty life of garage band punk. Ritchie is the perfect bad-boy rocker to answer the question of if there is more to rock stars than the party and fame? I can’t wait to read WISE YOUNG FOOL and dive into the world of music, fame, and ambition. |
CATHERINE by April Lindner
| “Catherine is tired of struggling musicians befriending her just so they can get a gig at her Dad’s famous Manhattan club, The Underground. Then she meets mysterious Hence, an unbelievably passionate and talented musician on the brink of success. As their relationship grows, both are swept away in a fiery romance. But when their love is tested by a cruel whim of fate, will pride keep them apart?
Chelsea has always believed that her mom died of a sudden illness, until she finds a letter her dad has kept from her for years — a letter from her mom, Catherine, who didn’t die: She disappeared. Driven by unanswered questions, Chelsea sets out to look for her — starting with the return address on the letter: The Underground. Told in two voices, twenty years apart, CATHERINE delivers a fresh retelling of the Emily Brontë classic Wuthering Heights, interweaving timeless romance with a captivating modern mystery.” The dark tale of lost love and obsession made Wuthering Heights one of my favorite novels growing up, and CATHERINE promises to live up to the brooding atmosphere and mystery of the classic Gothic romance with psychological twists. I’m a huge fan of retellings and can’t wait to get my hands on CATHERINE. |
THE LUCY VARIATIONS by Sara Zarr
| “Lucy Beck-Moreau once had a promising future as a concert pianist. The right people knew her name, her performances were booked months in advance, and her future seemed certain.
That was all before she turned fourteen. Now, at sixteen, it’s over. A death, and a betrayal, led her to walk away. That leaves her talented ten-year-old brother, Gus, to shoulder the full weight of the Beck-Moreau family expectations. Then Gus gets a new piano teacher who is young, kind, and interested in helping Lucy rekindle her love of piano — on her own terms. But when you’re used to performing for sold-out audiences and world-famous critics, can you ever learn to play just for yourself?” THE LUCY VARIATIONS showcases the classical side of musical ambition, which is no less demanding than being in the spotlight as a rock star. I’m curious to see how Lucy handles the love-hate relationship she has with her talent and how Lucy’s relationship with Will, Gus’s piano teacher, develops. The complexity between a mentor and a young prodigy promises to add depth and complexity to Lucy’s already strained sense of self. |
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