Reviews

Who Put This Song On? by Morgan Parker

paterklatter's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted 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

1.75

kaityj11's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? Yes

2.75

Obviously this book is meant for younger readers however the author seems so focused on getting to "the point" that she forgot to write the whole story. The book left me with questions about who the main character was. The authors note actually does a lot of heavy lifting for the book and I wish she had put those sentiments towards the story.

cebaute's review

I really didn’t understand this book. It was a novel, but it was a fictionalized version of the author’s life when she was in high school. The book was more of a collection of short stories. There was legitimately no plot (not being dramatic) and a lot of stories didn’t get tied up. The one thing I did like about this book was the focus on mental health. Mental health matters and is crucial to talk about.

jjjordyyy's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

sharkauby's review

5.0

soooo good

raleighsara_'s review against another edition

medium-paced

4.5

saraitz's review

4.0

a good and heartfelt read that i would have loved as a teen, and i appreciated every band that was name dropped

girlreading's review

4.0

Achingly honest, brilliantly funny and crushingly pertinent in its discussion of mental health, race, relationships and growing up feeling 'other'.

This was by no means an easy read and Morgan Parker doesn't shy away from exploring 'tough' topics head on without frills (so if you are sensitive to any of the topics I've listed in the trigger warnings I would be cautious going into it) but they way these topics are discussed are done so with care, honesty and executed brilliantly.

From the multiple relationship dynamics explored and the portrayal of mental illness, to the chapter structure and characters and everything in between, this was truly excellent.

TW: homophobic and racist slurs, homophobia, racism, depression, anxiety, discussion of suicide, acephobic comment, panic attacks, sexual assault.

biblioemily's review

5.0

4.5 stars. I loved the authentic portrayal of depression & anxiety, and especially how mental health & evangelical Christianity intersect. I found Morgan's parents frustrating, but authentic, though I wish there was a bit of a redemption/education moment for them on how their response to their daughter was incredibly unhelpful & hurtful. I see a lot of myself in Morgan-snarky, over-analyzing, funny, etc. I LOVE mental health lit for teens and I will recommend this one regularly.

samanthamurk's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

This was a book i picked up pretty randomly (i needed to spend a couple more dollars to get free shipping lol) so my expectations weren’t super high, but this book far surpassed all my expectations. I love this book so much. It is insight into someone else’s life which is very different from my own, but who I also have a lot in common with. Also the soundtrack *perfection* (link to author’s playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2zGSIElgJ71byygvmACjGg?si=mK2WgYyPSIaEpvWh1QhJ8w )

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, and Racism