4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sneak peek inside the lives of a rock band, June 4, 2004
This review is from: Backstage Pass (Hardcover)
Sixteen-year old Desert McGraw is the new girl at Palm Grove High. And that's just fine with her. She has a secret she won't be able to keep for long. She's the daughter of Richard McGraw -- aka Flesh -- lead singer for the notorious rock band, Crossfire.
Desert thinks her name is stupid, but she loves her parents, Matti and Richard. She hates the spotlight and life on the road with the band, touring and recording. All her life she's longed for a normal life -- home and school and real friends who don't like her just because she can get them a backstage pass for her dad's concerts. When the band moves to Miami, she finally gets that home and a regular school to attend. But the friend part is more than she bargained for.
Because she grew up as an only child in the shadow of a rock band, with tutors and a swarm of adult friends, she never learned how to think of others, much less make friends. In her new life, Liam and Becca seem like pretty good prospects, but Becca's depressed all the time and way too into Crossfire. And Liam's a hunk but his step-mom's a reporter for a local tabloid that wants a story on the band, so he could be the enemy.
In Desert's character, Triana has created a wonderful balance between exasperating and endearing. Desert is self-absorbed, sarcastic and trusts no one. But she's also funny, a talented writer, and has a very unusual life. When things start to fall apart at home and with her friends, readers really want her to get over herself. Will she be strong enough to avoid meddling in her parents' lives? Will she ever become a compassionate friend?
"Backstage Pass" gives readers a sneak peek inside the personal lives of a rock band without feeling like they're invading anyone's privacy. It has all the zany comedy of the Osbournes minus the mumbling, incoherent Ozzy.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good Book, June 14, 2005
A Kid's Review
Although I loved this book I would have to give it three stars. The writing style was great however the characters where real however not well described and didn't quite give you the mental picture that most books give. The plot of the story was great: most girls dream compared to someone who has the life and takes it for granted. The message you get from this book is phenomenal but the writing style technique can get dull, this book could have better if the author took more time to visually imagine the story. I read this book within one day so it definatley keeps the reader intrigued and pulls the reader in. However many times the book got boring followed by a small suspense.
I think this book is worth your time maybe it is just me, i dont know maybe i need alot of descriptions, but this book was great overall. Nothing is perfect including this book.
Overview:
This book is about a 16 year old girl named Desert, just by her name you can tell her family was different for naming her after a landform. It is true her family is different. Her dad is the rockstar named Flesh in one of the biggest rock bands. Desert's mom is the manager of the group leaving Desert's whole life on the road with the band, experiencing a different early childhood then most children. Now, in Miami Desert is placed in yet another new school where she will fooled by the fake smiles and friendliness of the students begging for back stage passes, or is this school different?
Read to find out what happens next, with twists and turns it sure to keep you reading.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Will Keep You Reading, January 30, 2005
This review is from: Backstage Pass (Hardcover)
Living the life of a rock star is a dream that almost every adolescent goes through, except for those who are lucky enough to be living that dream. At least those of us on the outside would deem it living a dream. To those on the inside, it's not the dream ride you'd think. For Desert McGraw, it's a living hell.
Moving around all over the country, never being able to actually put down any roots. Desert's dad, Flesh, is considered a "god" among the music fans, and her mother is the band's manager. Desert has been backstage at every concert, has been exposed to all sorts of people, and has grown up in a very fast-paced world. Now she wants to settle down a little and enjoy what life might have to offer her.
The band wants to come up with some new music, so they settle into a cozy mansion in Miami, and Desert enrols in yet another school. Still bitter from having to leave behind her friends, and a boyfriend, Desert isn't looking forward to the experience. The only thing on her mind is how long it will be before everyone around her finds out who she is, and then everyone will be turning a fake friendship towards her in order to get close to the band. She's been through it a million times already.
There's some tension in the band, and it's building up between her parents. Desert doesn't know what's wrong, but she can smell the end of the band nearing, and thinks that it is exactly what she wants. If they break up, then she can have a normal life, and she'll be just like everyone else. However, is it really what she wants?
Then Becca, the one girl whom Desert thought she could have a normal friendship with scribbles, Flesh is God, on her notebook. Desert just about blows her cool, but instead tries to ignore it. Paranoid, and perhaps rightfully so, she starts seeing everyone looking at her differently. Then there's Liam, a totally hot classmate that Bec introduces her to. Desert can only see machinations of the invisible variety, why wouldn't Becca want this guy? Well, why would she just hand him off like that? He's too perfect not too keep.
Then it hits the fan. Turns out a photographer took some photographs of Desert and her dad without permission while they were outside in their yard. The resulting pictures make the school bulletin board. Desert is devastated when she learns that Liam's step-mom is the journalist who's taking pot shots at her family. Trying to prove that Desert's mother did a horrible job and that the young woman is unstable because of her upbringing.
Suddenly the infamy of the band doesn't seem so bad. Desert realizes, thanks to her new friends, that she didn't have it so bad. No matter what else, she had parents who loved her, and kept her on the road so they could be a family. However, is it too late? Have events conspired to rip apart Desert's happy family as well as the band?
This one will keep you reading until the very end!
Review Originally Posted at LinearReflections.com
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