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glitteringskies's review
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lindick's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was so cute!! It’s a really sweet, relatable story about music, friendship, family, and going out of your comfort zone. The romance is so soft and sweet, and the music stuff is great (especially the bit about Rebel Girl! I also really wish I could hear their songs). The summer camp setting was so well drawn that I feel like I went on a woodsy summer vacation. And it wasn’t afraid to be raw and sad! I def cried.
mabel_needs_rebinding's review
4.0
Full of adventure and hardships, overcoming, and finding yourself.
justenjoy's review
5.0
"Why couldn't I be more like my drums? Drums are strong. You can play them with all your might, yet they're almost impossible to break. They absorb each blow, but they don't take it quietly. The harder you hit them, the louder they yell."
bibliowrecka's review
4.0
Very sweet summer camp story, about growing up, growing apart from friends, developing crushes, dealing with hard truths, and learning who you are and what you stand for. I love Melly and all of her big emotions that she feels like she can only express while playing the drums.
graceoc's review against another edition
4.0
A lovely story following Melly as she spends her time at a musical summer camp after her parents tell her they’re splitting up. Melly’s life is changed forever by this and on top of it she’s falling for Adeline at the camp.
Melly was such a delight. She was a very realistic thirteen year old that I really related to. We get to follow her as she learns to find her voice and go after what she really wants.
The setting of a summer camp had me wishing I was in the middle of a forest instead of isolation. But alas, I shall live vicariously through book characters until this is over. I highly enjoyed reading about a musical summer camp and seeing Melly learn to be a part of a band.
This book heavily focuses on the relationships Melly has with people. It was lovely seeing her feelings for Adeline blossom, they were so sweet together. But I personally found Melly’s friendship with Olivia, her best friend, the most interesting. I think the book really tackled how important it is to discover yourself outside of your friendships with other people otherwise we can never speak up for what we want.
A part of the book I didn’t find as interesting was Melly’s parents. I didn’t really know their personalities so I never felt like I cared that much about them splitting up. It was interesting to see how it affected Melly. I guess because I can’t personally relate to it that I wasn’t interested, but I still appreciate that it was included.
All in all, a sweet summery middle grade that deals with self discovery and relationships.
Melly was such a delight. She was a very realistic thirteen year old that I really related to. We get to follow her as she learns to find her voice and go after what she really wants.
The setting of a summer camp had me wishing I was in the middle of a forest instead of isolation. But alas, I shall live vicariously through book characters until this is over. I highly enjoyed reading about a musical summer camp and seeing Melly learn to be a part of a band.
This book heavily focuses on the relationships Melly has with people. It was lovely seeing her feelings for Adeline blossom, they were so sweet together. But I personally found Melly’s friendship with Olivia, her best friend, the most interesting. I think the book really tackled how important it is to discover yourself outside of your friendships with other people otherwise we can never speak up for what we want.
A part of the book I didn’t find as interesting was Melly’s parents. I didn’t really know their personalities so I never felt like I cared that much about them splitting up. It was interesting to see how it affected Melly. I guess because I can’t personally relate to it that I wasn’t interested, but I still appreciate that it was included.
All in all, a sweet summery middle grade that deals with self discovery and relationships.
libraryalissa's review
5.0
Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for a review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.
Drum Roll Please is such a cute gem of a story! My main reaction, from the very first chapter, was that it just felt so true. The language, characters, relationships, writing- all felt natural and effortless, which made the reading of it as comfortable and relaxed as the summer camp setting.
Second: I loved the way the story addressed Melly’s sexuality, in that it kind of didn’t. Melly is simply coming to terms with her first big crush, and having that crush be on a girl. Everyone in Melly’s life gave her room for it to be just about that for now, which felt very appropriate for a middle grade book and character.
While far from an expert, I can’t help but think how important books like this must be for kids who are having and reading about those first big crushes, but don’t quite see their experiences, or those of their peers, reflected in the stories they read. Bigelow did a *great* job of making such a story accessible and delightful to all audiences. We need more books like this for middle grade readers!
Drum Roll Please is such a cute gem of a story! My main reaction, from the very first chapter, was that it just felt so true. The language, characters, relationships, writing- all felt natural and effortless, which made the reading of it as comfortable and relaxed as the summer camp setting.
Second: I loved the way the story addressed Melly’s sexuality, in that it kind of didn’t. Melly is simply coming to terms with her first big crush, and having that crush be on a girl. Everyone in Melly’s life gave her room for it to be just about that for now, which felt very appropriate for a middle grade book and character.
While far from an expert, I can’t help but think how important books like this must be for kids who are having and reading about those first big crushes, but don’t quite see their experiences, or those of their peers, reflected in the stories they read. Bigelow did a *great* job of making such a story accessible and delightful to all audiences. We need more books like this for middle grade readers!
pomerasin's review
4.0
reading middle grade books bc all i want is some happy content but most of the ya wlw books r fantasy and i can’t stand fantasy
enne's review
4.0
4 stars
TW: parents' divorce
Rep: sapphic MC & LI
The Writing
The writing felt very quintessentially middle grade. It was simplistic and the voice definitely read as very juvenile, but that was something that I was expecting going into this book because I knew that it was a middle-grade book. Overall, though, I really enjoyed the main character's voice and I found her very endearing.
The Plot/Pacing
This is a book about a girl discovering her feelings for another girl, but it's also about her dealing with the fact that her parents are getting divorced and it's also about her trying to navigate her friendships and it was just the most precious thing ever??? I really loved following Melly through all of that.
The Characters
Melly is such an endearing character and I feel like part of that is because it feels like she wears her heart on her sleeve, which might just be because this book is middle grade so everything is much more clearly stated but... I love it nonetheless. I really loved reading about her trials and tribulations. I also really enjoyed the way her friendship with Olivia was handled. And,,, I mean, her relationship with Autumn was just really adorable and made me miss summer camp and made me wish I wasn't literally scared half to death about my feelings for other girls when I was younger, but we can't always get what we want.
Overall
I feel like I'm a broken record when it comes to this but reading middle-grade f/f fiction just feels like a warm hug and I love it so much and I never want it to stop, which is probably why I will literally never stop reading it. Exciting!
TW: parents' divorce
Rep: sapphic MC & LI
The Writing
The writing felt very quintessentially middle grade. It was simplistic and the voice definitely read as very juvenile, but that was something that I was expecting going into this book because I knew that it was a middle-grade book. Overall, though, I really enjoyed the main character's voice and I found her very endearing.
The Plot/Pacing
This is a book about a girl discovering her feelings for another girl, but it's also about her dealing with the fact that her parents are getting divorced and it's also about her trying to navigate her friendships and it was just the most precious thing ever??? I really loved following Melly through all of that.
The Characters
Melly is such an endearing character and I feel like part of that is because it feels like she wears her heart on her sleeve, which might just be because this book is middle grade so everything is much more clearly stated but... I love it nonetheless. I really loved reading about her trials and tribulations. I also really enjoyed the way her friendship with Olivia was handled. And,,, I mean, her relationship with Autumn was just really adorable and made me miss summer camp and made me wish I wasn't literally scared half to death about my feelings for other girls when I was younger, but we can't always get what we want.
Overall
I feel like I'm a broken record when it comes to this but reading middle-grade f/f fiction just feels like a warm hug and I love it so much and I never want it to stop, which is probably why I will literally never stop reading it. Exciting!
ghost_rider's review
5.0
This is it. This is the book I needed so badly when I was younger. But I’m glad it exists now, because I know somewhere out there, a young queer girl is going to read this and feel a little more okay with herself.