Denise Vega

Rock On by Denise Vega is a very natural story. It's one of those "moment in time" stories that I love because of the realism and character study. While I love watching how the characters grow, develop, and change (oh, and make mistakes...lots and lots of mistakes), Rock On is also a fun contemporary read even if you don't like contemplating character development.

The full title of Rock On is Rock On: A Story of Guitars, Gigs, Girls, and a Brother (Not Necessarily in that Order). That pretty show more much sums it up. It captures the easygoing nature of Ori and accounts for all the major stuff that goes on in the book. Basically, it's one teenage boy's life as he's on the cusp of creating a good band, getting a girlfriend, and working through a rocky patch with his brother.

I enjoyed reading Rock On because of the realism. Yes, there was a plot and it did move forward. If you take the band aspect (which is the most prominent, plot wise), Ori's newly formed band is trying to prepare for a Battle of the Bands. If they win, they'll get more exposure and possibly be put in touch with "the right people." While it's accurate to say not every teenager is talented enough to put together a successful band, it's also not out of the realm of possibility. This isn't some I'll-go-from-nothing-to-something-with-a-big-record-deal-that-will-launch-our-career-and-make-us-millions-of-dollars type of scheme. It's a realistic Battle of the Bands with realistic prizes. This keeps the book grounded and fits in all the other aspects (gigs, girls, & brother) in check.

While I'm a sucker for music, I'm having a hard time deciding whether my favorite storyline was the music aspect or the brother (SHOCK: It wasn't the Girls/romance!). Del and Ori's relationship is fairly typical, but they are definitely having a hard time with each other right now. Both Del and Ori are at different points in their lives and they both have a lot of changes occurring. That's hard to adjust to by yourself, let alone figuring out how everything fits in with other relationships. I really enjoyed reading about their relationship and how it shifted throughout the story. As a person with many siblings, this aspect felt particularly close to my heart.

Overall, Rock On is a cool, fun read for anyone who enjoys any of the things listed in the title (guitars, gigs, girls, and brother). It's definitely a boy friendly read and I'd say it'd probably be good for some reluctant readers too as long as they're interested in those topics.

Final thoughts: Borrow. It's worth the read. show less

I don't play a musical instrument, but can imagine anyone who has ever played a guitar or drums or bass guitar sees themselves in a band. Especially if you are in high school. That's the premise of this book. Orion is in a band, and their dream is to win the Battle of the Bands. They don't have a name, which is a nice twist to a plotline. They do have a website, which is part of the book, fans and band members leave comments. Orion's older brother, Del, had left for college, but came back show more after being on academic probation and losing his lacrosse scholarship. His mood is a downer, and they used to be best friends, but avoid each other at all costs. Of course, girls are involved. A good story and highly recommended. show less

B requested this because we've liked illustrator Ohora's other books (Wolfie the Bunny). This one is about a little girl who expertly demonstrates how to put a monster to bed - what not to do, and what to do. With a confident tone ("Don't ask your parents to help you. They know a lot about putting kids to bed, but nothing about putting monsters to bed"), lots of color, and the appropriate amount of grossness (sour milk, slug mush), the monster goes off to nightmare-land!

I really enjoyed this one. Kat's relationship with her midwife mother is based more on information speeches tan affection. When she's not being called a weirdo at school, she's invisible. So when she messes up at a delivery, and the popular kids start noticing her at school Kat has to re-evaluate her relationships. I liked the cast of highschool characters in this, the adults didn't make much of an impression.