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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
Enjoyed the art. Liked the concept and some of the talk about creativity but the execution/story fell short for me.
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Band dynamics!
Okay, so I read this without having read All Summer Long, whoops, so I am missing some context. That said—
I appreciate the story’s intended truth, as provided by Bina’s mom. Honor your own boundaries and wait to do a thing until you’re truly ready, and on your own terms, whether it’s debuting your music or going along with it when your bff wants to be your boyfriend. It’s an act of strength to be selective about the opportunities you pursue! It is your right to say no when you’re unsure, even to your bestie, even when it’ll upset them, even when they’re a boy! This story could not have existed in the dark ages (ha) when I was a tween (and needed it most), so I appreciate that and the cultural shifts that allow for it.
Unfortunately, the way songwriting/authorship issue shook out undermined the greater takeaway: playing a song whose melody and lyrics you didn’t write absolutely calls for informed consent from the songwriter, no matter how much arranging you did on the song, and here there was a clear violation as the songwriter wasn’t informed and couldn’t consent. This is made worse by the fact that the band intentionally parts ways with the songwriter before playing her material without permission.
A few tweaks to the dialogue and the book could’ve treated the issue with neutrality if it seemed too capitalistic to apply creative property issues to a story about a middle school band. Instead, the narrative attitude comes across as victim blaming. Chronologically, Bina is: portrayed as irrational—bestial!?!!—for being upset (hissing cat, striking snake, howling…dog? wolf?), told that the song wasn’t personal enough to protect it from being stolen (and no, the “I didn’t mean it’s your fault” moment of character dialogue doesn’t cover the narrative’s butt for including that dialogue or any of the following); described as “psycho” for shutting down the performance; blamed again for her own humiliation, which arguably wasn’t about the “scene,” but about being kicked out of a band that went on to steal her song; shown thinking she wrecked her whole life and outright calling herself a “crazy girl;” shown apologizing for defending her boundary and rewarding the band by handing them a gig AND creating their flyers; given a joke-check as thanks and shown treasuring it; called a “B” in the band’s new, original song (but they love her anyway? wow thanks?); and shown to say she guesses she IS a “B,” and not just because her name starts with B.
Compounded by Darcy’s earlier violations of Bina’s boundaries leading up to the band split, this is some BS even before you even consider that Bina and her mother and brother are the only characters of color in the book. Taking into account the racial dynamics, the more relentless message of this book is that to get out of a toxic friendship with a white girl, you have to let her and her “culturally oppressed” white boyfriend violate your boundaries, steal your creations, shoulder the blame, reward them for it, and be grateful—even as they continue to treat you like crap.
A woman of color would’ve written a different story for Bina. I’m gonna go look for her.
Let’s keep working on shifting this culture.
Okay, so I read this without having read All Summer Long, whoops, so I am missing some context. That said—
I appreciate the story’s intended truth, as provided by Bina’s mom. Honor your own boundaries and wait to do a thing until you’re truly ready, and on your own terms, whether it’s debuting your music or going along with it when your bff wants to be your boyfriend. It’s an act of strength to be selective about the opportunities you pursue! It is your right to say no when you’re unsure, even to your bestie, even when it’ll upset them, even when they’re a boy! This story could not have existed in the dark ages (ha) when I was a tween (and needed it most), so I appreciate that and the cultural shifts that allow for it.
Unfortunately, the way songwriting/authorship issue shook out undermined the greater takeaway: playing a song whose melody and lyrics you didn’t write absolutely calls for informed consent from the songwriter, no matter how much arranging you did on the song, and here there was a clear violation as the songwriter wasn’t informed and couldn’t consent. This is made worse by the fact that the band intentionally parts ways with the songwriter before playing her material without permission.
A few tweaks to the dialogue and the book could’ve treated the issue with neutrality if it seemed too capitalistic to apply creative property issues to a story about a middle school band. Instead, the narrative attitude comes across as victim blaming. Chronologically, Bina is: portrayed as irrational—bestial!?!!—for being upset (hissing cat, striking snake, howling…dog? wolf?), told that the song wasn’t personal enough to protect it from being stolen (and no, the “I didn’t mean it’s your fault” moment of character dialogue doesn’t cover the narrative’s butt for including that dialogue or any of the following); described as “psycho” for shutting down the performance; blamed again for her own humiliation, which arguably wasn’t about the “scene,” but about being kicked out of a band that went on to steal her song; shown thinking she wrecked her whole life and outright calling herself a “crazy girl;” shown apologizing for defending her boundary and rewarding the band by handing them a gig AND creating their flyers; given a joke-check as thanks and shown treasuring it; called a “B” in the band’s new, original song (but they love her anyway? wow thanks?); and shown to say she guesses she IS a “B,” and not just because her name starts with B.
Compounded by Darcy’s earlier violations of Bina’s boundaries leading up to the band split, this is some BS even before you even consider that Bina and her mother and brother are the only characters of color in the book. Taking into account the racial dynamics, the more relentless message of this book is that to get out of a toxic friendship with a white girl, you have to let her and her “culturally oppressed” white boyfriend violate your boundaries, steal your creations, shoulder the blame, reward them for it, and be grateful—even as they continue to treat you like crap.
A woman of color would’ve written a different story for Bina. I’m gonna go look for her.
Let’s keep working on shifting this culture.
medium-paced
This is a very confusing experience. I loved the first book in the series, the story might not have been too great, but it made me feel good and I loved it for that. In contrast to the first book, the second book makes leaps and jumps, that make you question what is happening and why you are here.
I would begin by adressing 3 incredible "what the fuck is even happening" moments that I witnessed in this book: (mild spoilers?)
1. When the bullying of Enzo began, I assumed that we might get a little bit of a lesson about how it is a racial stereotype to assume, that Asian people are "cold and robotic", instead, we got a Denmark cope-out. My credentials on this topic? I saw too much media with "cold and robotic" Asian characters and it was pointed out to me that that is an issue + I am currently living in Denmark and has now lived here for almost half of my life. Telling, that Enzo doesn't smile, because people in Denmark do not smile is the equivalent of watching a single video about LA and saying that everyone in LA is an actor. It is not true, it is a sterotype and it does absolutely nothing to help you with your characters or story.
2. Everyone in this book shares 2 collective braincells and they sometimes get to rub them together. There are 2 events that happen, separately, to different characters just so characters can relate to each other more. You do not have to live the exact same life as someone else to understand how they feel and it feels so empty seeing the same stuff happen to different characters for the same reasons.
3. Close to the end of the story Austin says: "If you really were nice, this wouldn't be happening." Which made me blink, look up at the ceiling, reconsider my stance on religion and go back to reading. The context is making it look as if Bina expressing her emotions and feelings is her being not nice. And that is said by her supposed best friend.
Extra stuff I disliked:
- Bina still owns the rights to the lyrics
- Bina forgives Darcy and Enzo just because
- Bina is a dick to people and they are dicks to her, vol. 2
In conclusion, it was still a kinda okay book, but this was such a dissapointment after the first book and I feel like so much stuff was handled in terrible ways.
I would begin by adressing 3 incredible "what the fuck is even happening" moments that I witnessed in this book: (mild spoilers?)
1. When the bullying of Enzo began, I assumed that we might get a little bit of a lesson about how it is a racial stereotype to assume, that Asian people are "cold and robotic", instead, we got a Denmark cope-out. My credentials on this topic? I saw too much media with "cold and robotic" Asian characters and it was pointed out to me that that is an issue + I am currently living in Denmark and has now lived here for almost half of my life. Telling, that Enzo doesn't smile, because people in Denmark do not smile is the equivalent of watching a single video about LA and saying that everyone in LA is an actor. It is not true, it is a sterotype and it does absolutely nothing to help you with your characters or story.
2. Everyone in this book shares 2 collective braincells and they sometimes get to rub them together. There are 2 events that happen, separately, to different characters just so characters can relate to each other more. You do not have to live the exact same life as someone else to understand how they feel and it feels so empty seeing the same stuff happen to different characters for the same reasons.
3. Close to the end of the story Austin says: "If you really were nice, this wouldn't be happening." Which made me blink, look up at the ceiling, reconsider my stance on religion and go back to reading. The context is making it look as if Bina expressing her emotions and feelings is her being not nice. And that is said by her supposed best friend.
Extra stuff I disliked:
- Bina still owns the rights to the lyrics
- Bina forgives Darcy and Enzo just because
- Bina is a dick to people and they are dicks to her, vol. 2
In conclusion, it was still a kinda okay book, but this was such a dissapointment after the first book and I feel like so much stuff was handled in terrible ways.
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sweet natured story of a girl and her band that she gets kicked out of. She learns how to sharpen her songwriting by becoming more personal in her work, all while navigating typical middle school feelings and the swirl of friendships and pain that come with it.
Cleanly yet expressively drawn with a lovely purple tinge, Larson creates a world any middle schooler who is artistic and just learning about creative confidence would feel at home at.
Cleanly yet expressively drawn with a lovely purple tinge, Larson creates a world any middle schooler who is artistic and just learning about creative confidence would feel at home at.
I thought this sequel to the first book would've been more interesting.
