Scan barcode
lizslibrary's review
4.0
I really enjoyed the book and the story. It reminded me about when I was in high school going to local show around Sydney and how I should start going to them again.
I loved that when Mandy and Tim met, it wasn't instant love but the attraction and the possibility for a relationship is there. Throughout the book their relationship isn't over bearing and kind of takes a backseat to the music and friendship that the pair share. The relationship fizzles out and the connection between Tim and Mandy gets lost.
I enjoyed the short chapters because sometimes long chapters can seem to drag on forever. The short chapters allowed for little glimpses of what the characters were doing without having to lay out everything that they are doing but sometimes it did feel that the chapters were a little too short.
The end of the book was really cute and wrapped up the story nicely.
I loved that when Mandy and Tim met, it wasn't instant love but the attraction and the possibility for a relationship is there. Throughout the book their relationship isn't over bearing and kind of takes a backseat to the music and friendship that the pair share. The relationship fizzles out and the connection between Tim and Mandy gets lost.
I enjoyed the short chapters because sometimes long chapters can seem to drag on forever. The short chapters allowed for little glimpses of what the characters were doing without having to lay out everything that they are doing but sometimes it did feel that the chapters were a little too short.
The end of the book was really cute and wrapped up the story nicely.
kathrynd's review
2.0
Not particularly memorable, and exhausting to read. I haven't read this books for years now but what I do remember about reading it is feeling so depressed each chapter because the characters do absolutely nothing, both of their lives seem so desolate and detached from reality. It's not all that thrilling, not amazingly written and I can hardly remember the plot other than he's in a band and she's... doing nothing with her life, but in a quirky way. There are no deeper meanings to this book, no nuance. Hipsters falling in love and bonding over mutual interest in bands, gigs and just how unique and how little they care about everyone else is just really not that interesting; and it's a shame really, because the title grabbed my attention instantly and I really do want to support work from Australian authors. The Australian landscape is one captured so infrequently in YA fiction, and it can provide a really interesting, unique perspective on the often American-ised point of view in fiction that can get repetitive to read about, especially in the YA/ romance category. I did like how this book taps into the unique music scene of Australia, how we are a nation that tends to support the underground, unheard of music and I think a story backing off this had a lot of promise. But the short chapters, combined with how dull the characters were, made it difficult to form an emotional connection with the characters or the narrative.
izzrose's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
kaysbookshelf's review
2.0
Such a boring book, nothing happened! I liked the beginning when I was learning about the characters but then the story line went no where. I had 40 pages left and couldn’t be bothered.
emilyjmead's review
3.0
I liked this one for the most part, but the VERY short chapters bugged me, because it was hard to really invest in a particular moment when they were all cut off early. Also, books about music are difficult because everyone has different tastes - while I loved all the music in Perks, for example, I didn't so much in this one (or at least, I didn't know of it).
Still, I liked how both main characters took different routes to the main one of high school>university>job - that's nice to see :)
____________________
Okay so I was excited for this book because it sounded like it would be similar to Perks, except Australian.
Spoiler alert: I love Perks. The book AND the movie. Though it took me a while to warm up to the narrator, it’s such an incredible and moving book that I always end up rereading.
Unfortunately, I didn’t find the same kind of connection with You’re the Kind of Girl I Write Songs About.
Here are a few reasons why.
1. The music.
Music is difficult in books. It worked really well for me in Perks – that was the kind of music I liked. But in this book…well, not so much.
And that’s definitely not the author’s fault – music is such a subjective thing, probably more so than reading in a lot of ways. For everyone that loves Taylor Swift you’ve got a million people who hate her. And there was a bit of musical elitism creeping in, as well. You know the whole hating on pop music because it’s not as authentic or as good as the less mainstream music? Yeah, that kind of annoys me, because I actually love pop music.
So that was one thing I couldn’t connect with.
2. The crazily short chapters.
And by short I do mean REALLY VERY SHORT. As in, sometimes a bit over a page, flicking between the two main characters back and forth. It made it really hard to connect to a particular moment – or even the characters themselves.
Which brings me to…
3. Wasn’t feeling their love.
I wasn’t feeling it at all. Both Tim and Mandy fell flat as characters to me. And sure, they are very different people to me, but I don’t think that should make a difference – it’s still possible to connect with people who are different to you.
But here’s me going all gloomy without even mentioning the positives! Because there WERE positives.
One thing I loved about this book, for example, was the fact that Mandy and Tim didn’t go the traditional route of school, university, then getting a job. They were different.
And I think that’s a really important thing in YA – not everyone DOES go to university or do well at school and whatever, so diverse portrayals of teenagers are really important. Tim is repeating year twelve and Mandy is trying to find something to do with her life.
So that was excellent.
On the whole, it wasn’t for me.
I’m sure this is one of those books that will just really resonate with people – it’s that kind of book. It’s a Perks kind of book. But for me, this wasn’t it.
But if you’re looking for a read about Australia, music, failure, hope and moving on, this is the book for you.
Still, I liked how both main characters took different routes to the main one of high school>university>job - that's nice to see :)
____________________
Okay so I was excited for this book because it sounded like it would be similar to Perks, except Australian.
Spoiler alert: I love Perks. The book AND the movie. Though it took me a while to warm up to the narrator, it’s such an incredible and moving book that I always end up rereading.
Unfortunately, I didn’t find the same kind of connection with You’re the Kind of Girl I Write Songs About.
Here are a few reasons why.
1. The music.
Music is difficult in books. It worked really well for me in Perks – that was the kind of music I liked. But in this book…well, not so much.
And that’s definitely not the author’s fault – music is such a subjective thing, probably more so than reading in a lot of ways. For everyone that loves Taylor Swift you’ve got a million people who hate her. And there was a bit of musical elitism creeping in, as well. You know the whole hating on pop music because it’s not as authentic or as good as the less mainstream music? Yeah, that kind of annoys me, because I actually love pop music.
So that was one thing I couldn’t connect with.
2. The crazily short chapters.
And by short I do mean REALLY VERY SHORT. As in, sometimes a bit over a page, flicking between the two main characters back and forth. It made it really hard to connect to a particular moment – or even the characters themselves.
Which brings me to…
3. Wasn’t feeling their love.
I wasn’t feeling it at all. Both Tim and Mandy fell flat as characters to me. And sure, they are very different people to me, but I don’t think that should make a difference – it’s still possible to connect with people who are different to you.
But here’s me going all gloomy without even mentioning the positives! Because there WERE positives.
One thing I loved about this book, for example, was the fact that Mandy and Tim didn’t go the traditional route of school, university, then getting a job. They were different.
And I think that’s a really important thing in YA – not everyone DOES go to university or do well at school and whatever, so diverse portrayals of teenagers are really important. Tim is repeating year twelve and Mandy is trying to find something to do with her life.
So that was excellent.
On the whole, it wasn’t for me.
I’m sure this is one of those books that will just really resonate with people – it’s that kind of book. It’s a Perks kind of book. But for me, this wasn’t it.
But if you’re looking for a read about Australia, music, failure, hope and moving on, this is the book for you.
emmwalker's review
3.0
What was this book about?
This book is about characters Tim and Mandy meeting and bonding over their shared love of Rock music. The blurb of this book informs us that Tim is repeating year 12 but focusing mostly on his music and Mandy is taking a gap year of sorts, slightly adrift with no real plans.
What I liked
The characters felt real to me, I could understand how Mandy was able to fall into the easy routine of day time TV and a crappy fast food job, that lost feeling you get when your high school friends have moved on and you have been left behind. As someone who is constantly trying, buying and sampling different flavours of TV, I really appreciated Mandy giving her speil on the different teas she owned (it reminded me of season one of friends when Rachel is a waitress and rattles off all the different Tea’s Central Perk have, albeit to the wrong customer).
I liked that this book was set in Sydney and I could picture parts of it and places I know as I read, the backdrop of the city made the characters feel like they were actual people and it connected to my own personal experience.
I don’t know if this is because of my own experiences, but the character I related to the most was Tim’s geography teacher. She was very much inappropriate in the way she spoke to Tim in front of the class, but having students not complete work or assignments in your class after giving them a myriad of support? I feel that!
What I didn’t
One of the things I struggled with in this book was that the plot didn’t have very high stakes, much like Mandy drifting through her gap year, the book just kind of flowed. There was no real climax or impending event that gripped me and had me invested in knowing the ending.
While I appreciated how real Tim and Mandy were, with their specific and niche taste in music, I found the way Alice, Mandy’s best friends, mental health was approached. Without giving to much away plot wise, I found it a tad problematic that Alice was given a prescription of antidepressants, then was essentially ok again.
I found that while Tim and Mandy were fleshed out, the supporting characters were not. Mandy’s sister Heather is angry and also lost, but she gets no resolution. Tim has a troubled history with his parents, but once again, there is little resolution.
How I rate it
Overall, I would recommend this book if you are particularly interested in rock music. I think a lot of the subtly and references were lost on me, because my taste in music is pretty mainstream. I happened to be reading this book in the days before and after New Years 2019, with its casual storyline it was the perfect book to read in between going to parties and on a lazy New Year’s day. I would give it a ⅗.
This book is about characters Tim and Mandy meeting and bonding over their shared love of Rock music. The blurb of this book informs us that Tim is repeating year 12 but focusing mostly on his music and Mandy is taking a gap year of sorts, slightly adrift with no real plans.
What I liked
The characters felt real to me, I could understand how Mandy was able to fall into the easy routine of day time TV and a crappy fast food job, that lost feeling you get when your high school friends have moved on and you have been left behind. As someone who is constantly trying, buying and sampling different flavours of TV, I really appreciated Mandy giving her speil on the different teas she owned (it reminded me of season one of friends when Rachel is a waitress and rattles off all the different Tea’s Central Perk have, albeit to the wrong customer).
I liked that this book was set in Sydney and I could picture parts of it and places I know as I read, the backdrop of the city made the characters feel like they were actual people and it connected to my own personal experience.
I don’t know if this is because of my own experiences, but the character I related to the most was Tim’s geography teacher. She was very much inappropriate in the way she spoke to Tim in front of the class, but having students not complete work or assignments in your class after giving them a myriad of support? I feel that!
What I didn’t
One of the things I struggled with in this book was that the plot didn’t have very high stakes, much like Mandy drifting through her gap year, the book just kind of flowed. There was no real climax or impending event that gripped me and had me invested in knowing the ending.
While I appreciated how real Tim and Mandy were, with their specific and niche taste in music, I found the way Alice, Mandy’s best friends, mental health was approached. Without giving to much away plot wise, I found it a tad problematic that Alice was given a prescription of antidepressants, then was essentially ok again.
I found that while Tim and Mandy were fleshed out, the supporting characters were not. Mandy’s sister Heather is angry and also lost, but she gets no resolution. Tim has a troubled history with his parents, but once again, there is little resolution.
How I rate it
Overall, I would recommend this book if you are particularly interested in rock music. I think a lot of the subtly and references were lost on me, because my taste in music is pretty mainstream. I happened to be reading this book in the days before and after New Years 2019, with its casual storyline it was the perfect book to read in between going to parties and on a lazy New Year’s day. I would give it a ⅗.
earlgreybooks's review
You’re the Kind of Girl I Write Songs About was one of my most anticipated releases this year — so what went wrong?
I know the few people that have rated this on Goodreads have given it pretty high rating which is the only reason I made it to page 107 at all. I’m mentioning this book, like with every book, everyone is going to have a different opinion — this is mine.
Music books are difficult to read in my opinion. Everyone listens to different bands, different albums, different genres and sometimes the music just don’t click for you. This was the case for me with this book. I hadn’t heard of a lot of the music, except for The Smiths (which felt a little too Perks for me) and the few lyrics that were in what I read weren’t my kind of thing at all. I’m not saying the music isn’t good, but I just found it hard to read about what I wasn’t into.
On that note about Perks, I felt like this was trying a little too hard to be like that. Not only with the music, but the writing and just the general feel of it too. It was trying very hard to be that sort of weird, depressing but beautiful thing that, if you ask me, only the Perks movie manages to pull off. I know the reviews I saw really liked the writing, but it just annoyed me.
So yes, unfortunately this wasn’t my kind of thing.
I know the few people that have rated this on Goodreads have given it pretty high rating which is the only reason I made it to page 107 at all. I’m mentioning this book, like with every book, everyone is going to have a different opinion — this is mine.
Music books are difficult to read in my opinion. Everyone listens to different bands, different albums, different genres and sometimes the music just don’t click for you. This was the case for me with this book. I hadn’t heard of a lot of the music, except for The Smiths (which felt a little too Perks for me) and the few lyrics that were in what I read weren’t my kind of thing at all. I’m not saying the music isn’t good, but I just found it hard to read about what I wasn’t into.
On that note about Perks, I felt like this was trying a little too hard to be like that. Not only with the music, but the writing and just the general feel of it too. It was trying very hard to be that sort of weird, depressing but beautiful thing that, if you ask me, only the Perks movie manages to pull off. I know the reviews I saw really liked the writing, but it just annoyed me.
So yes, unfortunately this wasn’t my kind of thing.
emma_hickey2199's review
4.0
it was interesting, fun and modern. But I wont be re-reading it or suggesting it to anyone
missusb21's review
5.0
Quirky, funny, smart and sexy. (Not for the Year 7s that's fer sure).
Told in short, snappy back-&-forth chapters, alternating Mandy then Tim, it's a homage to old rock, punk rock, new style rock and the people who embrace it.
Mandy is having a gap year, which turns out to be a year of watching daytime television, working at a sandwich bar, and going to local band venues to check out the scene. Mandy knows her stuff. She's committed to her musical tastes, and when she meets Tim, singer songwriter, soulful and able to look into her soul, there is an immediate connection.
Of course the attraction is mutual. Tim is a character with hidden depths, a sad backstory, and an tenacious attitude to his craft. He is also a very nice boy. I loved his portrayal. He never comes across as too cheesy or clichéd. He's laid back, has great comebacks, and sets his sights on Mandy in a true gentlemanly fashion.
I loved every bit of this.
Might be classified New Adult.There is a lot of drinking, smoking and reference to sex,although it is all off-page
Told in short, snappy back-&-forth chapters, alternating Mandy then Tim, it's a homage to old rock, punk rock, new style rock and the people who embrace it.
Mandy is having a gap year, which turns out to be a year of watching daytime television, working at a sandwich bar, and going to local band venues to check out the scene. Mandy knows her stuff. She's committed to her musical tastes, and when she meets Tim, singer songwriter, soulful and able to look into her soul, there is an immediate connection.
Of course the attraction is mutual. Tim is a character with hidden depths, a sad backstory, and an tenacious attitude to his craft. He is also a very nice boy. I loved his portrayal. He never comes across as too cheesy or clichéd. He's laid back, has great comebacks, and sets his sights on Mandy in a true gentlemanly fashion.
I loved every bit of this.
Might be classified New Adult.