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tcweeks24 's review for:
A Little Bit Country
by Brian D. Kennedy
Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC.
A Little Bit Country is the story of Emmett, an aspiring country singer, and Luke, a boy haunted by country music. They meet because they are both working at Wanda World for the summer, an amusement park run by the fictional country singer Wanda Jean Stubbs (a thinly-veiled substitute for Dollywood and Dolly Parton). The plot is intriguing and one of the strongest aspects of this book. There are a few points that seem to stray and seem unnecessary, but overall it is enjoyable. Some of the characters seem a bit flat, especially Emmett, although he does grow throughout the novel.
My biggest gripe with this novel, as a Southerner, is the somewhat stereotypical way "Southerness" is represented. I think this is especially true because I believe this is meant to be taking place in East Tennessee (if the Dollywood tie-in is accurate). East Tennessee is squarely Appalachian, not country-western. This may seem a minute detail, but it matters because it homogenizes a region that often faces marginalization. I don't think this is intentional, but I wish the author would have thought a little more about this, especially in the character of Luke.
A Little Bit Country is the story of Emmett, an aspiring country singer, and Luke, a boy haunted by country music. They meet because they are both working at Wanda World for the summer, an amusement park run by the fictional country singer Wanda Jean Stubbs (a thinly-veiled substitute for Dollywood and Dolly Parton). The plot is intriguing and one of the strongest aspects of this book. There are a few points that seem to stray and seem unnecessary, but overall it is enjoyable. Some of the characters seem a bit flat, especially Emmett, although he does grow throughout the novel.
My biggest gripe with this novel, as a Southerner, is the somewhat stereotypical way "Southerness" is represented. I think this is especially true because I believe this is meant to be taking place in East Tennessee (if the Dollywood tie-in is accurate). East Tennessee is squarely Appalachian, not country-western. This may seem a minute detail, but it matters because it homogenizes a region that often faces marginalization. I don't think this is intentional, but I wish the author would have thought a little more about this, especially in the character of Luke.