Heavy Metal And You

METAL HEAD, NOT GOTH and Sam likes his life LOUD until a very different straightedge girl starts whispering to him. Melissa tempts Sammy away from drugs, alcohol, and tobacco but can she turn down the VOLUME?

The form of this book, with its pause, rewind, forward, fast-forward, and stop button icons screams loudly right along with the metal music language. The book explores the timeless dilemma of the balance between love, sex, and friendships in an entirely unique way. Especially important is the way this book grants permission to boys, even head-bangin’, mosh pittin’, metal-pierced boys, to feel good about sharing feelings with each other. Teens familiar with Slayer and other metal bands will enjoy feeling like guides. Heavy Metal show more and You should be required reading material for school personnel that have teen fans of this sort of music. Fortunately the book is written well enough to be purchased for sheer pleasure by any school that enjoys carefully crafted books and fine writing. This book is one of my top ten (of the more than 150 books read to date). show less

Sam falls head over heels for a preppy girl - and she really seems to like him too, which his friends consider strange given that he's a dedicated metalhead. Melissa is interested in him - even interested in getting to know the music he loves. But as Sam spends more and more time with her, he realises that he is making more and more compromises. This is a story of romance running off the rails, where love just might not conquer all, and , well dang, I wish I could think of a clever musical allusion here, but I can't. But that's OK, the book is full of them.
It is the constant references to bands, songs, and lyrics that will make this book charming to fans. In the copy I borrowed from the library, someone has sweetly marked all of the show more band names with yellow highlighter.
This book wasn't outstanding, but it is worth reading for the Venn diagram description of Goths and Metalheads.
I'd give this to someone interested in light romance, a fan of heavy metal, or maybe even the occasional Goth. show less

This book was just as amazing as I expected. It's the story of a boy who listens to heavy metal but still has all the hopes, fears, and dream of any other teenage boy. This kid has heart and uses it to express his love for Slayer, Children of Bodom, Satyricon and any other black metal act you can think of.
This book is great for fan of these bands because you can really relate to the character and what he thinks about his music and his life. It's great to read a book that looks at the normalcy of this type of person's life, where so many books give "metalheads" a negative feel.

A high-interest, low-reading level book, good for reluctant readers who have an interest in music.

Sam loves music - emphasis on heavy metal - and Melissa, his new girlfriend. But when she starts criticizing his 'extracurricular' activities, his friends, and his music, he begins to wonder how much of himself he's willing to change for love.

Heavy Metal and You explores typical YA dynamics (boy & girl like each other but hate each other's friends, boy & girl are totally different and try to make it work anyway) but never feels like the same teen book you've read a million times. Sam is a likeable character (though not as sympathetic as Troy from K.L Going's Fat Kid Rules the World)and the music references will delight anyone for whom the title is a draw. SLJ says this book is a "good pick for reluctant readers," which I agree with to an extent, because the story is fascinating, but the chronolgy jumps back & forth, so anyone who can't stand that when they read will have to pay close attention. Overall, a great read!

Summary: Sam has one thing in his life that he loves, and that is music specifically, heavy metal music. Then he meets and works up the balls to ask out this gorgeous girl named Melissa. Now he has two things in the world he loves. As the relationship progresses, Sam is in denial about any problems they have until Melissa meets his friends and she hates them. Sam hates Melissa’s friends, and Melissa hates going to metal shows. The two of them fight and have to decide what to do next.
Evaluation: This book is exciting because it shows what can happen when a relationship starts to define two people; who and what are compromised, and all the while these ideas are coming from an intelligent, masculine, teen perspective!

Sam meets this girl he really likes, but she is determined to change him - making him give up things he likes. Going straightedge is okay - but giving up his friends and the heavy metal music he loves is more than he is willing to lose.