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melaniebopp's review
5.0
I love this book. I absolutely love it. The characters are believable and actually develop as characters, and the first person narrative pulls you in, even if you think the storyline is not so relate-able. As a music person myself, I have to admit I love the idea of music being what pulls you back from the edge, and being able to find peace in it, where before you had drinking or drugs.
claudiaswisher's review
4.0
Like nothing I've read before...Johnny goes through a lot in the opening pages...he loses his father, his mother goes through some major depression, he has to hold it together, then as she begins to recover, he gets into booze, and ends up in the hospital with a drug overdose. As Mom tries to regain control, Johnny fights back, and she finally sends him away to live with his father's brother.
His new school is awful...the popular kids bully him...boys call him gay, and he has no way of fighting those rumors. Enter Debby Harry and Maria. They both enrich and confuse his life.
I love the discovery scenes when Johnny goes through his father's old stuff. I love the references to classic rock, I love the drag queen contest....I told you this one was different!
His new school is awful...the popular kids bully him...boys call him gay, and he has no way of fighting those rumors. Enter Debby Harry and Maria. They both enrich and confuse his life.
I love the discovery scenes when Johnny goes through his father's old stuff. I love the references to classic rock, I love the drag queen contest....I told you this one was different!
overdueshrew's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. An interesting exploration of teenage self-identity, and the only book I have ever read with a transvestite protagonist.
booksandbosox's review against another edition
4.0
Johnny has had a bit of a rough life. One day, he's introduced to the music of Blondie and their lead singer, Debbie Harry. And, though he can't explain it, he kinda wants to be just like her. But he doesn't think he's gay. So what does this mean? And what should he tell his brand new girlfriend?
I'm an ally so I have a huge soft spot for YA literature dealing with sexuality. I think it's incredibly important to provide these kinds of books for teens. This one was particularly enjoyable. It was well-written and the plot was well-paced. I really liked all the characters; they were believable and interesting. And I really loved that this dealt with transvestism instead of just homosexuality - I think all topics should be covered. Quite enjoyable. I wish it hadn't ended.
I'm an ally so I have a huge soft spot for YA literature dealing with sexuality. I think it's incredibly important to provide these kinds of books for teens. This one was particularly enjoyable. It was well-written and the plot was well-paced. I really liked all the characters; they were believable and interesting. And I really loved that this dealt with transvestism instead of just homosexuality - I think all topics should be covered. Quite enjoyable. I wish it hadn't ended.
fallingstar924's review against another edition
4.0
Being a music lover, I was intrigued by this book when a friend of mine read it during a reading challenge. So, after tracking it down from the Monroe County Library system (thank goodness for MELCAT!), I picked it up and read it in a matter of hours.
Johnny is a very sweet character who had some hard emotional times. This book chronicles his journey of finding himself, while making new connections in his life. In some ways, it's a love story, but I found it to be more about Johnny finding himself, with the help of others.
Johnny is a very sweet character who had some hard emotional times. This book chronicles his journey of finding himself, while making new connections in his life. In some ways, it's a love story, but I found it to be more about Johnny finding himself, with the help of others.
tashrow's review
5.0
Johnny lives an edgy life filled with Goth outfits, lots of drinking, and plenty of music. When he discovers Debbie Harry, he finds someone who inspires him with her toughness and beauty. Someone he would love to be like. Johnny isn't gay, but he's not sure what he is exactly. As Johnny copes with other issues in his life, including an overdose, he finds himself grappling with labels, love and sobriety.
Brothers has created a book that embodies the quest of teens who are different than those around them. Johnny's search for himself is told not only in his sexuality but through his struggles with addiction and his troubles with his mother. The book has a deft coolness and an addictive readability. It will be devoured by teens who are outsiders in any way.
The characterizations are wonderfully done as well. Johnny is a believable teen grappling with many issues as is his girlfriend Maria. The adults in the story are also multidimensional and honestly portrayed. It is refreshing to find an adult character who can handle sexuality issues with such grace as Johnny's Uncle Sam.
Highly recommended for any outsider. This book takes on issues that I haven't seen handled in teen fiction before. It is groundbreaking yes, but written so naturally and easily that it doesn't read that way. Just as it should be.
Brothers has created a book that embodies the quest of teens who are different than those around them. Johnny's search for himself is told not only in his sexuality but through his struggles with addiction and his troubles with his mother. The book has a deft coolness and an addictive readability. It will be devoured by teens who are outsiders in any way.
The characterizations are wonderfully done as well. Johnny is a believable teen grappling with many issues as is his girlfriend Maria. The adults in the story are also multidimensional and honestly portrayed. It is refreshing to find an adult character who can handle sexuality issues with such grace as Johnny's Uncle Sam.
Highly recommended for any outsider. This book takes on issues that I haven't seen handled in teen fiction before. It is groundbreaking yes, but written so naturally and easily that it doesn't read that way. Just as it should be.
luckyspark's review
4.0
Read this one quite a while ago; but, loved it enough to keep it over several moves!
dylanisreviewing's review
2.0
This book just wasn't what I was looking for.
From the synopsis I was thinking this book would be about a trangender teen, but it really wasn't AT ALL.
This book also just dragged way too much and wasn't very interesting or realistic at all.
From the synopsis I was thinking this book would be about a trangender teen, but it really wasn't AT ALL.
This book also just dragged way too much and wasn't very interesting or realistic at all.
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