Really great idea to have a deaf girl managing a rock band and to see all the different problems that can arise in doing so... but it just didn't go the distance.
I was really intrigued to read a book with the main character being deaf. And that part of it was pretty cool. The conflict that Piper and Finn had within their household was really what kept me interested. All the stuff with the band just didn't flow right. Why would Piper vote for Kallie to join the band? It made no sense. It tried too hard to push the lesson of 'everyone deserves a chance to be noticed'. I get it, I dont need it spelled out quite that clearly.
I didn't get them crying over Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain. Who cries over dead rockstars from 40 and 20 yrs ago? It's like they were so sheltered and this was their first time ever hearing about hurt in the world. I found the dying of the hair to be awful poserish... and wasn't everything just neatly tied up in a bow at the end? Blah! This book could've went so many better places. ( )

Well.
I wouldn't say it was ground-breaking. But it does not make this book any less wonderful.
I wouldn't say it's spectacular. But it does have its own charm.
A fast enjoyable read. ( )

teen fiction (teen rock band; main character is moderately deaf) ( )

Okay wow so in all honesty this is my first book by a male author (classics aside of course) I always thought a man would have a hard time writing from a woman's viewpoint and having it sound authentic. I have never been so happy to be wrong!

This book was so great because John did a great job showing the duality of everything. Do some of the things that 'happen' to Piper suck? Yeah but that doesn't mean her parents or siblings are terrible, there's two sides to everything and I feel like so much in YA today everyone is just broadly painted as 'bad', it was so refreshing to see Piper grow up and realize ... it's not all about her. Sometimes bad decisions/ or decisions we don't agree with are made, but it doesn't mean they're made to spite us. Sometimes it's just the best choice at the moment.

I really loved watching all the characters grow throughout the book and I feel like John did a great job letting you experience how difficult family can be. ( )