Customer Reviews

Struts & Frets

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Struts & Frets is about Sammy- a teen boy who wants nothing more than to make music. This dream is unfortunately complicated by the members of his band, and his grandfather's descent into dementia. Sammy is so real and wonderfully drawn; I could feel his hesitation about singing publicly, and watching him avoid and avoid unpleasant things until he had to deal with them just rang so true. I love how, despite the very strong emotions and dark moments in this book, it's never angsty or wallowy- it's just really honest from beginning to end.

I loved so much seeing a male protagonist fall in love with a smart, competent girl that... he continues to love when she continues to be smart and competent. I thought the way their relationship unfolded was so real and such an oasis in the middle of so much turmoil. I loved that he figured out forgiveness- that some people could be, and other people couldn't be.

And every word works. Unlike dense, packed-page novels where the words are stacked nine-deep and you might figure out what they mean if you diagram (although the stacking itself is gloriously lush), the words in Struts & Frets work. It means something when the characters hurl insults. It means something when these characters make promises. It means something with the main character has revelations- small and great.

I love this book, and I look forward to sharing it again and again.

Struts and Frets tells the coming of age story of Sammy Bojar. He is a high school rock and roll garage band. Music is in his blood, and his grandfather was a jazz musician. So, maybe his band could be huge one of these days, if the fighting stops and does not self-destruct first. The upcoming Battle of the Bands would justify all the band;s compromises and it would also reassure Sammy that
his dream could become a reality. Practices are hard to schedule when Sammy's grandfather is sick and getting worse, his mother is too busy to help either of them, and his best friend may want to be his girlfriend. When everything in Sammy's life seems to be headed for major catastrophe, will his music be enough to keep him together?
Sammy was an interesting character and I really like him. Jen5 was also amazing, too. She was such a kick ass girl. Sammy and Jen5 were so cute with another, but I felt that their relationship was a bit rushed. The plot was interesting and entertaining. It was a really original book. I loved the fact that there were many layers to this book. Skovron was an amazing writer and I could tell that he loved music. I recommend that you check out this book, if you love music.

Great coming of age story that is entertaining for all ages. Would highly recommend this book - good character development which make a story believeable. You like the characters and find yourself easily relating to them. The main character deals with parents, grandparents, friends and not-so friends while starting the dream of most of us -to have a rock band. Good read!

I loved this book! Didn't want it to end. The characters are great.Thanks for a great read.

Jon Skovron's Struts & Frets is an excellent coming of age story. The best thing about it is the voice of Sammy, a music-loving teen who's trying to hold his band together and find his way in the world. Sammy's -- and clearly Skovron's -- passion for music shines through on every page, and makes the book a real joy to read. Excellent descriptions and a strong sense of place bring Columbus, Ohio and this quirky group of characters to life.

This was a fantastically written debut novel. Skovron's voice and style are perfect for this novel, which is filled with humor, introspection, first love, and figuring out what it takes to believe in yourself and going after your dreams. Sammy is a relatable character who has flaws and is multi-dimensional, as are the secondary characters, who are also fully fleshed out and seem real. One of my favorite characters to read about was Rick (you can find out why in the excerpt vlog posted a few days ago) because he was funny and sarcastic, but also had issues keeping him back from making himself happy in the romance department. My problem with him though is that I felt like there was much more to him and I didn't really get to know about it. I know the story is about Sammy, but at the same time, if you introduce a subplot involving another character, I want to be fully satisfied by the end of it and I feel like that wasn't the case; it was a very small, simple arc when there was clearly much more to it. Alright, I'll stop harping on this complaint and move on, lol.

I loved the romance between Sammy and Jen5. The realization of it, their conversations about it, and how they interacted during the beginning stages of their relationship all felt very real to me and it's great to see this honest portrayal of best friends becoming romantically involved and all the obstacles and questions that come along with it.

The music aspect was very interesting and I loved the inclusion of Sammy's lyrics throughout the book while he was working on them. It gave this new perspective to him that I think readers will enjoy. Also, a tiny little aside, every time Joe (the lead singer) was in a scene, I kept picturing Nathan Explosion from the band Dethklok on the show Metalocalypse on Cartoon Network. Did anyone else have that connection or am I just weird?

Anyway, this is a highly recommended book, so go get a copy as soon as you can!

I freaking loved this book. Any book that can make Jane's Addiction and Shakespeare come together to create a beautiful story has my full support. And it didn't hurt that the writing style has a rawness and openness about it that nearly broke my heart and kept me laughing all at once.

Sammy Bojar is going to be the next big thing--or will be after the current next big thing gets out of his way. All he has to do is figure out how to keep his indie/punk/metal band together, turn his best friend into his girlfriend and watch his grandfather slip into dementia. Luckily band front-man Joe seems to be keeping it together, Jen5 knows just how to deal with a new emo-rocker boyfriend and Gramps still has plenty of musical lessons to teach. Sammy's candle might just have a chance to burn long and bright before it is put out.

And that's just scratching the surface. This book proves that fame and music and life aren't always pretty nor as satisfying as Hollywood would have you believe. It's messy and complicated and heartbreaking, yet it's also full of tomorrows and potential.

Skovron doesn't belittle adolescent feelings of love and fear and compassion, nor does he skirt over issues like sex or make a big deal out of things like homosexuality and drinking. The story focuses on the music and stays true to character development. The teens in this novel are down to earth and struggle with the same issues of insecurity and hope that all real-life teens deal with every day.

While the story arc is a little rough and the adult characters are a little cliche, this is an amazing debut novel. I am honored to have it stand next to my other YA music books like Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, Heavy Metal And You and Notes From The Midnight Driver. I look forward to seeing what other stories Skovron has in store for us.

This was a sweet coming of age tale of a talented boy with big dreams and lets face it who as teenagers didn't have big dreams? I gotta say it was weird for me seeing the male perspective though. I apparently don't read many books from that perspective. When I started this book, I found myself thinking, yuck boys are gross a few times and then I would laugh at myself for thinking that.

This story has a lot of elements in play. Single parent household, a grandfather who is going senile, seeing his best friend who's a girl, in a new light, first love, crazy friends. Serious teenage angst going on within it's pages, and it was a great read! The characters were easy to like and I enjoyed reading Sammy's story. I felt his triumphs and his sorrows right alongside of him as they happened. A mark of a good storyteller.

Struts & Frets was a great debut novel for Jon and I look forward to reading the next one.

(I received this book from the publisher for review purposes)

Sammy Bojar is a musician. He plays guitar in a band that, unfortunately, is named Tragedy of Wisdom, since his lead singer, Joe, is the kind of terrifying dude that you just don't mess with when he tells you Tragedy of Reason sucks. His best friend Rick is the bassist and TJ the drummer is one of the most solid musicians you'll ever find. When a Battle of the Bands is announced, Sammy worries that it's too commercial for their band, but once again Joe convinces everyone they're going to play. Of course, this would require Joe to remember Sammy's lyrics and Rick to play the right baseline. But priorities go out the window when Sammy's grandfather starts acting strange. Further complicating matters is Sammy's other best friend, the super cute but (up until now) one of the guys Jen5, is revealed to be in love with him. This funny, sweet, exciting novel is a sure-fire hit with indie-rock wannabes and veterans, as well as anyone who's ever had to navigate the complex fields of first love.

Samuel "Sammy" Bojar's whole life revolves around listening to and making music with the high hopes on one day making it big in the underground scene. Despite what his therapist mother says. There's just one hitch in his plan: his band, Tragedy of Wisdom. Tragedy of Wisdom has the potential of being a really great band, but besides Sammy and his drummer/friend TJ, no one else seems to take the band seriously, or even care that much about it.

So when his band decides to enter a local Battle of the Bands he knows it's going to end in utter disaster. But Sammy's willing to give it a chance as long as his slacker friends are willing. And besides, this will give Sammy something to look forward to, something to distract him from the other problems in his life. Problems like an ailing grandfather who thinks that people are after him, and then there's the fact that he may be in love with his best friend, Jen5.

Struts & Frets written by Jon Skovron is a richly realistic and deeply honest look into the life of a teen musician. In a three hundred and four pages readers will experience the highs and the lows of being in a band, the emotions that go into making music, and all of the insecurities that go along with the territory of being the leader of a band.

Skovron's writing is exceptionally smart, witty, and full of laugh out loud moments. But the writing isn't the only thing readers will appreciate. They'll find many life lessons within the pages - lessons like shoot for the moon, no matter how far away it seems.

Struts & Frets is full of unforgettable characters that are full of unique personalities, that all compliment main character Sammy. Each of these characters bring a better understanding of who Sammy is as a character, while adding their own flair to this already great story.