Heavy Metal and You

Heavy Metal and You
By Christopher Krovatin

192p
Push
ISBN-10: 0439743990
ISBN-13: 978-0439743990


Annotation:
A punk rocker falls for a girl not interested in sex or drugs and must make an effort to change.

Summary:

What happens when a guy with massive amounts of heavy metal music knowledge and a history of getting drunk and partying with his friends happens to fall head over heels for the quintessential “good girl”? That is exactly the premise in Krovatin’s novel Heavy Metal and You. How far would you go to impress the girl you "love"? Would you be willing to change your clothes and you attitude?

Sam is a good student, who knows a lot of about classical literature and is incredibly smart, he also loves heavy metal music and will often show up for class wearing a spiked collar. When he falls for the “straight-edge” girl Melissa who doesn’t drink, do drugs, or tends to like the people who do, it is up to Sam to “straighten” up.

Written by Krovatin in his late teens, this book is teeming with teenage angst. This book captures the essence of a guy’s book, perfect for the reluctant reader or the rock music fan. The characters are well developed and have a realness that is uncommon in many young adult novels. Readers will easily recognize aspects of themselves or people they know within the pages.

This novel does include sex, drugs and strong language, so readers beware.

Beige

Beige

By Cecil Castelucci

320 p

Candlewick

ISBN-10: 0763642320
ISBN-13: 978-0763642327

Annotation:

Katy, a quiet French Canadian teenager, reluctantly leaves Montréal to spend time with her estranged father, an aging Los Angeles punk rock legend. Dad's an aging L.A. punk rocker known as the Rat. Daughter's a buttoned-up neat freak who'd rather be anywhere else. Can this summer be saved? Now that she's exiled from Canada to sunny Los Angeles, Katy figures she'll bury her nose in a book and ignore the fact that she's spending two weeks with her father -- punk name: the Rat -- a recovered addict and drummer for the famously infamous band Suck.

Summary:

"Katy won't complain....Katy won't complain" Even though Katy doesn't want to be there, even though she feels abandoned by her mom, even though the Rat's place is a mess and he's not like anything she'd call a father,

Is she really the nice girl everyone thinks is she really "Beige" or is there a rough and rockin' punk persona underneath all that nice?

Teens will love this over the top novel about the punk scene in Los Angeles. Castelucci writes a funny and emotional novel about a girl who has to relocate and in the process may learn more about her almost always absent father and more importantly the woman she may become.

Guitar Girl

Guitar Girl
By: Sarra Manning

240p
Puffin

ISBN-10: 0142403180
ISBN-13: 978-0142403181

Annotation: Molly Montgomery discovers that life as a rock and roll star is not all it is cracked up to be, and now she wants out.


Summary:

Molly Montgomery opens the novel by saying “I’m nineteen years old and being sued”. She is the lead singer of the British punk band The Hormones, a band who has sky-rocketed to success. One problem, Molly wants out! She has seen the effect of success has had on her band mates and wants no part of it. She has attempted to balance all that life has thrown at her for too long and now all she has to do is figure out how to escape. This novel walks us through the alcohol-laden celebrity parties, makeovers, and dirty backhanded deals with Molly leading the way, humorous situations and snappy banter,will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next.

Well written and filled with magazine type articles all about Molly, this novel will create a world its own, perfect for the teen who always wanted to be a rock star. Teen reader who are looking for a step up from the Sure to entice and entertain Guitar Girl keep you rocking out and begging for an encore.

I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone

I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone
By:Stephanie Kuehnert

352p
MTV Publications

ISBN-10: 1416562699
ISBN-13: 978-1416562696


Annotation:
Growing up in a small Wisconsin town, Emily Black is a slutty, obstinate punk rocker and is expected to turn out just like her mother. A mother who abandoned her husband and small child (Emily) to pursue a life filled with punk rock.

Summary:

Emily loves to hear the stories of her mother’s antics and trying to emulate them as best as possible, secretly hoping that by creating a punk rock band she’ll be able to be closer to her, if only in spirit. When her punk band rises to stardom, she gets the fated meeting with her long lost mother only to realize some of the mistakes she made early in her mother made early in life are being repeated by Emily herself. This novel is gut wrenching at time as it is humorous. Emily is a strong willed character who is unwilling to accept the idea that her mother abandoned her.

This novel is tough, filled with bad language and even worse situations. Kuhnert creates a real punk feel in her first novel. Readers will love Emily’s attitude and sharp tongue. Perfect for the more advanced teen reader looking for something with a little substance and grit.

Songs Shoot Out of My Mouth

Songs Shoot Out of My Mouth: A Celebration of Music
By: Jaime Adoff

64p.
Dutton Juvenile

Annotation: A musician shares his love of the art with twenty four poems each on a different aspect or genre of music.

Summary:

In this short book of poetry, readers are exposed to the various types of music and the effect that they can have on the individual. Jazz, rap, rock, hip-hop, even Mozart are celebrated in the anthology. Even readers with no musical talents will recognize themselves in the readings such as playing the air guitar or listening to the radio.

In addition to the poetry, each entry also provides a biography about any musician that is mention plus a recommended booklist and a suggested listening-list; perfect for any reader or anyone looking for some new tracks to update their Ipod with. Any aspiring musician would love the creative ways in which music is described and appreciated.

So grab your Ipod and this book, and settle in for enjoyment with your eyes and your ears.