One Direction is in North America for the Where We Are Tour! I don’t know how it
is in
your house, but in mine, 1D rules. From music to posters to magazines to YouTube
and
music videos, One Direction is a constant presence in my everyday existence.
I’ve been
told the future Mrs. Styles even lives with me. She just has to meet him first.
Whether you’re a Directioner or not, you’ve probably had that moment where you let
yourself fall a little bit in love with a rock star. There’s no denying the
appeal of
rock stars. They’re talented, edgy, hot, and make singing about emotions look cool.
You’ve also probably imagined what it would be like to be the one person a rock
star
could fall in forever-love with. You could be the person to see past the carefully
crafted persona of the rock star. It’s a seductive and tempting dream, but could
it ever
be more?
That dream of more is why this week my top three young adult picks are all about
rock
stars, musicians, and the people who love with them.
"Teen rocker Ritchie Sudden is pretty sure his life
has
just jumped the shark. Except he hates being called a teen, his band doesn't
play rock,
and "jumping the shark" is yet another dumb cliché. Part of Ritchie wants to drop
everything and walk away. Especially the part that's serving ninety days in a
juvenile
detention center.
Telling the story of the year leading up to his arrest, Ritchie grabs readers by
the
throat before (politely) inviting them along for the (max-speed) ride. A battle
of the
bands looms. Dad split about five minutes before Mom's girlfriend moved in.
There's the
matter of trying to score with the dangerously hot Ravenna Woods while avoiding the
dangerously huge Spence Proffer--not to mention just trying to forget what his
sister,
Beth, said the week before she died."
WISE YOUNG FOOL blends edgy
humor with the gritty life of garage band punk. Ritchie is the perfect bad-boy
rocker to
answer the question of if there is more to rock stars than the party and fame? I
can't
wait to read WISE YOUNG
FOOL and
dive into the world of music, fame, and ambition.
"Catherine is tired of struggling musicians
befriending her
just so they can get a gig at her Dad's famous Manhattan club, The Underground.
Then she
meets mysterious Hence, an unbelievably passionate and talented musician on the
brink of
success. As their relationship grows, both are swept away in a fiery romance.
But when
their love is tested by a cruel whim of fate, will pride keep them apart?
Chelsea has always believed that her mom died of a sudden illness, until she
finds a
letter her dad has kept from her for years -- a letter from her mom, Catherine, who
didn't die: She disappeared. Driven by unanswered questions, Chelsea sets out to
look
for her -- starting with the return address on the letter: The Underground.
Told in two voices, twenty years apart, CATHERINE delivers a fresh retelling of the Emily Brontë classic
Wuthering Heights, interweaving timeless romance with a captivating modern
mystery."
The dark tale of lost love and obsession made Wuthering Heights one of my
favorite novels growing up, and CATHERINE promises to live up to the brooding atmosphere and
mystery of
the classic Gothic romance with psychological twists. I'm a huge fan of
retellings and
can't wait to get my hands on CATHERINE.
"Lucy Beck-Moreau once had a promising future as a
concert
pianist. The right people knew her name, her performances were booked months in
advance,
and her future seemed certain.
That was all before she turned fourteen.
Now, at sixteen, it's over. A death, and a betrayal, led her to walk away. That
leaves
her talented ten-year-old brother, Gus, to shoulder the full weight of the
Beck-Moreau
family expectations. Then Gus gets a new piano teacher who is young, kind, and
interested in helping Lucy rekindle her love of piano -- on her own terms. But when
you're used to performing for sold-out audiences and world-famous critics, can
you ever
learn to play just for yourself?"
THE LUCY VARIATIONS
showcases
the classical side of musical ambition, which is no less demanding than being in
the
spotlight as a rock star. I'm curious to see how Lucy handles the love-hate
relationship
she has with her talent and how Lucy's relationship with Will, Gus's piano teacher,
develops. The complexity between a mentor and a young prodigy promises to add
depth and
complexity to Lucy's already strained sense of self.
Tell me, dear readers, what rock star do you dream of?