From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up—When 16-year-old Audrey decides to dump her band-singer boyfriend, she has no idea that he will go on to write a chart-topping song about their breakup. Music lovers will appreciate Audrey's passion for her favorite bands and the song lyrics and music references that fill this novel. Other readers—particularly teen girls—will enjoy her reaction to sudden notoriety, as Audrey fends off paparazzi, unexpectedly finds herself in gossip magazines, and attempts to have a normal life despite it all. Her touching romance with an ice-cream-shop coworker hits some snags because of the situation, but Audrey perseveres. There are some good observations here about our society's obsession with famous people, but mostly this is a light read about a high school junior in an unusual situation. While Audrey sometimes comes off as overly passive as she tries to ignore the events around her, and the ending is predictable, the story will keep teens reading. Audrey's parents, her best friend, and her new love interest are all strong characters. An enjoyable first novel that's sure to be a hit.—
Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Within a few weeks after their breakup, Audrey’s boyfriend, Evan, writes and performs a rock song about their split that catches the attention of a music executive and catapults Evan and his band to stardom. Because she is the song’s subject, Audrey suddenly becomes a celebrity, too, and over the course of a school year, she finds herself dodging paparazzi, rock stars in search of a muse, and star-crazed classmates. Set in Southern California, Benway’s memorable debut is a highly entertaining fantasy of teen fame, narrated in Audrey’s sardonic voice and perfect timed comedic lines that channel contemporary YA culture: “It makes my parents crazy how I can do all of this at once, talk on the phone and email and IM. I’m just like, how can you not?” Readers will be captivated by the well-drawn supporting characters, particularly Audrey’s loving, bantering parents and vibrant best friend, and fans of David Levithan and Rachel Cohn’s Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2006) will find a similarly raw, honest celebration of music, friendship, romance, and teen resilience. Grades 8-11. --Gillian Engberg
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
