Customer Reviews

Debbie Harry Sings in French

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a beautiful, one of a kind book-- it is funny and tender and it also rocks! Johnny's voice is so warm, so believable across all his hardships and inner struggles, and Maria is heartbreakingly genuine. The story is fresh, life-affirming, without turning away from sorrow.

The book really captures what it feels like to be in love: not just young love, but deep connection at any age. I read this book on a plane and was both laughing (out loud) and at other times literally wiping tears from my eyes.

The story also celebrates the healing power of music and the way our heroes, however unlikely, can help our true, best self emerge. The writing itself is sensational: easy-going and true.

This is not just another young adult book. It is a wholly moving, terrifically entertaining story about first love, emerging sexuality, and of course Blondie. A+.

An engaging, touching, endearing, funny, and beautiful story about the struggle to know oneself. An easy, enjoyable read that makes you laugh out loud and touches you at the same time. I'm terrible at writing reviews, but I just finished this book and felt the need to tell others. Buy it, read it, you won't be disappointed.

There's something in everyone that makes us feel distanced from our peers at one time or another. During the teenage years, that distance can be felt most keenly, and mocked fiercely. This novel deals with the feelings of some of those children who pass through the gauntlet of being "different".
Some kids achieve a comfort zone with their individuality; some, unfortunately do not, and end up drugged out, or compromise their principles to fit in, or, in extreme cases, choose to end it all.
This story explores the lives of two such teens, and how they deal with their respective pains and attempt to find a place for themselves in the world is the premise of this sure-handed first novel.
Geared for the teen audience, the book does not dumb down the language, nor preach homilies; instead, it speaks clearly to all teens who question those things that make them who they are, especially if those things fall outside the "norm" of what society tolerates.
A very promising start from an author I hope we hear much more from.

Johnny has had a bit of a tough life so far and he has always been somewhat of a freak. When he was younger, his father died and his mother completely fell apart. Johnny had to learn how to pay the bills and practically take care of the both of them. When Johnny ended up falling into the Goth scene, his mother somehow came out of her funk and became all concerned for Johnny. All Johnny wants to do is party with his friends and drink. But, one night at a club, this girl gives him some sort of drug when all he wanted was an aspirin - and he ends up in the hospital from a drug overdose.

Of course, after the overdose, his mother sends him to rehab, and while there Johnny discovers Debbie Harry of Blondie singing in French. He is immediately taken aback. Debbie's voice blows him away, and it doesn't hurt that she's a complete bombshell.

After Johnny gets back from rehab, things are a bit weird between him and his mother. His mom can't handle it, so she sends him away to live with his Uncle Sam and his daughter, Bug, in South Carolina. Johnny is flaming angry at first, but once there realizes that his Uncle is pretty great and Bug is an awesome little kid. And of course, there's Maria Costello (as in Elvis). She's an interesting girl who Johnny takes a liking to pretty quickly. When Maria discovers Johnny's love of Debbie, and that secretly Johnny wants to be like her, she buys this dress that looks like one of Debbie's and tells Johnny about a drag contest in New York. At first Johnny doesn't know whether she's serious or if she's making fun of him.

With trying to practice for the contest, helping Bug with projects for school, getting bullied nonstop by some guys who used to be Maria's friends, and dealing with the fact that his mother can't handle him, Johnny has a lot on his plate.

DEBBIE HARRY SINGS IN FRENCH was a great debut novel by Meagan Brothers. It puts you inside the head of a pretty confused young man. Things are tough enough for teenagers in the first place, but when you throw in the loss of a parent things can be even harder. The title had me intrigued when I first picked up this book and it didn't let me down. Johnny was a really great in-depth character and so was Maria.

If you're in the mood for reading about a slightly troubled boy who turns to Debbie Harry and his girlfriend Maria to keep him from starting to drink again, then this is a great book for you.

Reviewed by: Breanna F.

'Debbie Harry Sings in French' is a unique YA novel, in that it doesn't involve a gay teen, but rather a completely heterosexual young man exploring his glamorous side. He's into music, his girlfriend, and sometimes enjoys dressing like his idol, Blondie singer Debbie Harry. This fast paced, somewhat romaticized novel would be a good read for teens whose lifestyles don't fit in with the norm. It's a quick read.

Johnny turns to drinking after his dad dies in a car accident. His mother is overcome by grief and isn't much of a mother at all. Johnny takes over the responsibilities of the grocery shopping, paying the bills and caring for his mother the way she should be caring for him. Drinking seems to be the only thing that can relieve the stress. His drinking habits also influence his choice of friends and his appearance. He's used to being called names in his black clothes, black hair, black nails and eyeliner. When Johnny wakes in the hospital from a possible drug overdose, his mom sends him to live with his father's brother, Uncle Sam, in South Carolina.

The one thing, well the one person that keeps Johnny on the straight and narrow is Debbie Harry the singer from Blondie. Once Johnny heard her singing in his stay in rehab, he has a slight obsession. He wishes he could be more like her, strong, tough, cool and beautiful. At his new school Johnny meets Maria who also shares in his love of music. He knows he is falling in love with Maria, so why does he want to be Debbie Harry and wear her clothes?

Have you heard of Debbie Harry Sings in French? Well, I hadn't and I wasn't sure what to expect. But this novel ended up leaving a strong impression. Johnny's story is very interesting to say the least. This books main theme is a teen trying to find his identity, he doesn't think he is gay, but he likes to feel beautiful and he even wears a dress in one part of the story. Brother's also incorporates a very real and compelling look into homosexuality and transvetism. I couldn't help but feel empathetic. He ends up learning more about his father toward the end of the story and Johnny's musical and artistic style makes more sense. Debbie Harry Sings in French is Meagan Brother's debut novel. I would recommend it to readers who like music and are looking for something fresh and enlightening.

This was a hilarious book. It was new at my school libraery, and I die hard debby Harry fan, I could not resiI read it in one day, a short read, but I will always remember

Johnny's life hasn't been easy. After his dad died, his mom lost it and turned into a zombie, leaving Johnny to take care of the house, the bills, the family, and himself. He starts drinking to help him get through the days and sleep at night. Johnny's only sort of friend, his older babysitter, Tessa, has stopped coming around since he's older and his mom can't pay her, anyway. But what Tessa left with him was a love for cool music like Depeche Mode and the Cure. At school he makes friends with some goth kids, and he starts treating himself "like an art project," dying his hair black and wearing make-up. Together they party and go to clubs, and everything is going fine - as fine as it can, for Johnny - until his mother suddenly wakes up one day and finds religion and starts getting on Johnny's case about his new look and his new friends. To make matters worse, he has an accident at one of the clubs and ends up in rehab where he is introduced to his new obsession: Debbie Harry, the lead singer of Blondie. Debbie is tough and beautiful and even though he's a straight guy, he thinks, Johnny sort of wants to BE her. When his mother sends Johnny off to start over in a new town with his uncle, Johnny finds himself for the first time in his life in a position to get to know himself, and with the help of his uncle, Blondie, and his new girlfriend, he begins to discover a new kind of happiness. Meagan Brothers does a great job of capturing an angsty teen without being melodramatic, striking a note somehow new to teen fiction. Debbie Harry Sings in French is a fast read, a story of recovery and of self-discovery wrapped in a convenient, but enjoyable, musical package.

"I know a girl from a lonely street, cold as ice cream but still as sweet, dry your eyes Sunday girl, Hey, I saw your guy with a different girl, looks like he's in another world, run and hide Sunday girl [...]" Lyrics from "Sunday Girl" by Blondie

To say Johnny has had a tough life is an understatement. Immediately following his 13th birthday his father dies, and mother mentally checks out leaving Johnny responsible for everything. But it proves to be too much, and like his mother, Johnny too wants to check out. Taking on a new goth lifestyle is more than just a wardrobe change - it's a lifestyle change.
And for a very young Johnny a big part of that change is drowning himself in alcohol. But now he's sixteen - he's a full-fledged alcoholic and suddenly finds himself in hospital due to an accidental overdose. The biggest change Johnny faces is how to survive life rehab. But with the help of Debbie Harry and new girlfriend Maria, Johnny's channels his inner Debbie but where does his new-found beauty and courage lead him?

Getting off to a slower start that most YA novels, Debbie Harry Sings in French is Meagan Brothers' first novel - and it's a roller coaster of ups and downs that the reader's experience right alongside Johnny. The book is well written and offers readers an array of in-depth characters. Each character featured within the pages lend a better understanding as to who Johnny is while telling their own unique stories.

It's rare to stumble upon a book like this. Debbie Harry Sings in French isn't just Johnny's story of grown and transformation. It's a story that any person can relate to. And at its core it's a book centered around the human condition and relationships - between friends, family, lovers, and even music.