I'm With The Band: a YA round-up

For the first time thus far, I haven't read the book for Reclusive Bibliophile's If You Like feature. This week, in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, the theme is If You Like Between Shades of Gray, a book about a Lithuanian girl sent to Siberia in 1941. It's supposed to be a great book!  (Ironically, it just came in for me at the library, so I'll be reading it soon.)


So today I'll do a completely different kind of round-up post: I'm With the Band

If I could magically give myself a talent, it would be musical ability. I used to watch Partridge Family re-runs growing up. If I were born into the Partridge family, they'd stick me way in the back, playing tambourine like Laurie. No one in their right mind would let me near a real instrument or a microphone.

So of course, I'm fascinated with books about bands. In college, I even did a very short band road trip with my best friend, her sort-of boyfriend and his band.

Here are some of my favorite YA books featuring bands:

I just finished The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour. 

I loved this book SO much!  First, a quick 125 word mini-review. Can I do it?

My summary: Colby has his post-graduation plans all mapped out. He's road-tripping it from San Francisco to Portland with the Disenchantments, a girl band, then heading to Europe with lead singer/best friend Bev, whom he secretly loves. As they pile into the VW van, Bev drops a bombshell. She's not going to Europe. She's going to college. She applied, got in, and never told him.

My take: This book was amazing. It made me laugh, it made me sad, it annoyed me, it broke my heart -- just like life! What else do I have to say to convince you? Okay, this book has the following: girl band, road trip, unrequited love, graffiti artist, beer compatibility quiz, and tattoo quest.  

Whew-- 120 words!

Here are some of my other favorite books about bands:

I also loved Paradise by Jill Alexander.  It's about a country rock band in Texas, and also about hope and love and heartbreak. (Maybe because so many songs are about heartbreak, books about bands need to have tons of heartbreak too!) Click on that highlighted text and scroll down to read my review.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn

This book is just sheer page-turning fun. I need to read it again!

Did anyone see the movie? I was afraid to, because I loved the book so much.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Loved this book, which is the follow up to If I Stay. While that book is about a shattering loss, Where She Went is more like a relationship autopsy. They're both so great, and so different.

I've read this book and also listened to the audiobook, which is fantastic!

Audrey Wait by Robin Benway

What happens when a girl 's ex-boyfriend writes a break-up song about her, then the song goes viral and he becomes famous? You'll have to read this book to find out.

And I recently bought this book:

It looks at all those great 90's girls bands, some of which inspired the fictional bandmates in The Disenchantments.

Help me with my list! Have you read any great YA about bands??

EDITED:

Arianne reminded me that I forgot the Shade/Shift/Shine Trilogy -- duh! Of course Logan's band, The Keeley Brothers, plays a huge role in that story! Jeri Smith-Ready even has a "Music of Shade" playlist you can check out.

Tee @ Dreaming Dreams No Mortal Ever Dared has suggested the following:

Rock On: A Story of Guitars, Girls, Gigs and A Brother (Not Necessarily in that order) by Denise Vega

Breathe and Because of Low by Abbi Glines

A comment from Heather @ Flyleaf Review made me smack myself upside the head.

How, how, how did I miss...

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Dexter and Remy might be one of my favorite YA couples. The Truth Squad is Dexter's band, and they have this song called The Potato Song, and they hate Spinnerbait and ....  just read this book!!!