This book mirrors my high school and young adult years more than any book I have ever read. It will always hold a special place in my memories of those years. Even though I was on the other side of the country, there are so many commonalities. I really lose myself in this book or maybe it is better to say I return to that youth I once was. ( )

Andrea Marr is sixteen and just beginning to figure out her place between high school norm and alternative music world at the start of this novel. Things begin moving when her friend C shaves her head for someone by the name of Todd Sparrow, joins a band, and starts moving up in the local music scene.

As Andrea gets pulled into this fascinating but intimidating world of rock and roll and sex, she loses some friends and makes new ones, has sex with a couple of boys…but her one consuming obsession is with the awe-inspiring Todd Sparrow, a successful but yet unsigned rockstar whose passionate sex sweeps Andrea away. Never mind that she knows she’s exhibiting groupie behavior; she’s fine with being one of Todd’s girlfriends, as long as she IS one of them.

However, life cannot be all about hearing her friend’s band play at local clubs and longing for a boy who’s away more often than he’s here. Andrea must learn to grow up and appreciate the meaning of “better to love than never love at all” if she wants to be ready for the exciting next world of college.

GIRL’s language can seem a bit run-on-y after a while, but Andrea speaks the angst of a unique high school girl very well. It seems, sometimes, that her world consists too much of music and sex and Todd Sparrow, and not enough of other things, but readers learn to accept Andrea for who she is: a flawed, confused young woman still finding her place and interests in this difficult world. ( )

By far Nelson's strongest book. ( )