I'm Glad I Did

October 20, 2014
Grammy-winning songwriter Weil makes an impressive YA debut with this period novel set against the rapidly changing music industry of the early 1960s. Sixteen-year-old JJ Green dreams of being a songwriter, and opportunity knocks when a music publisher in New York City’s Brill Building offers her a three-month gig as an assistant. Unfortunately, her successful parents want her to follow in their footsteps and study law. They allow JJ to accept the position on one condition: if one of her songs isn’t recorded within three months, she “has to give up this crazy songwriting thing and never mention it again.” JJ embraces the challenge but is sidetracked by charismatic figures she meets at her job: a mysterious, green-eyed boy; her estranged Uncle Bernie, whose shady music business dealings have made him the black sheep of the family; and a once-famous blues singer, whose violent death leads to startling discoveries. Showing both the bright and the dark sides of the music business, Weil crafts an enticing tale of a sheltered teenager’s induction into a world where ambitions and morals are repeatedly tested. Ages 14–up.

October 15, 2014
An aspiring songwriter accepts a summer job with a music publisher in 1963 New York City, where she learns about her family, her friends and herself.Expected to become a lawyer like her mother, father and brother, 16-year-old strong-willed Justice Green, known as JJ, wants to write songs that will "make people believe in possibilities and dreams." Hired by Good Music Publishing to perform office work in exchange for feedback on her songs, JJ finds herself in the heart of the music-publishing industry, where she encounters her estranged uncle Bernie, an infamous industry mogul who takes her under his wing. When JJ meets Luke Silver, son of Bernie's deceased former partner, they begin collaborating on a song. After befriending a burned-out African-American singer named Dulcie Brown, JJ's devastated when Dulcie dies under suspicious circumstances, prompting her to investigate Dulcie's past. JJ narrates her story, allowing readers to share her shock when the troubling truth about the twisted relationship that connects Bernie, Luke's father and Dulcie is finally revealed. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Weil, songwriter of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," provides period detail about the fledgling rock-'n'-roll industry that adds verisimilitude to JJ and Luke's surprising journey of discovery. Mystery, romance and insider music-industry detail distinguish this intriguing 1960s coming-of-age story. (Historical fiction. 12-16)

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December 1, 2014

Gr 7 Up-It's the summer of 1963 in New York City. JJ Green has a spot at Columbia in the fall, but all she can think about is getting a job at Good Music Publishing. Her parents want her to follow their footsteps and become a lawyer and go nowhere near the music industry, but JJ's always been the black sheep of the family, secretly writing songs and thinking about being a "spinner of dreams." When she lands the gig at Good Music, the teen has to make a deal with her parents before she signs her contract: get one of her songs recorded before the summer's over or give up songwriting. Although it's a big risk, JJ's willing to take it just to know if her songs really have a chance. Legendary songwriter and debut author Weil knows firsthand the electric excitement and activity the teen would have encountered at her job in the famous Brill Building. In her first novel, Weil is ambitious: attempting to capture the feeling of that historic summer and the flavor of the music industry. The topical references-from Medgar Evers to payola scandals to Bob Dylan-often feel forced into the already full narrative, which includes JJ's coming-of-age, a romance, and a murder mystery. Descriptions of the songwriting and producing process are more successful, if a little dry. The heartbeat of this story though is JJ Green, an emotionally vulnerable but determined protagonist with an authentic voice. Her desire to succeed and create something beautiful will connect with readers who also have a creative spark.-Joy Piedmont, LREI, New York City

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2014
Grades 7-12 Sixteen-year-old JJ Green is the black sheepa songwriter in a family of high-powered New York lawyers. She is determined to make her mark in a music industry that sports such lowlifes (at least according to JJ's mother) as her uncle Bernie. JJ has one summer to get a record released or she is doomed to join the family fate: litigation. Turns out she is not only going to learn the music business; she will become involved in one of the major music scandals of the summer. Well-known songwriter Cynthia Weil ( You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin, and Here You Come Again ) tries her hand at writing YA fiction hereand succeeds. Weil has painted a 1960s Mad Menesque portrait of the music industry, in which white men take advantage of talented black musicians, especially young, beautiful, and innocent black women, during that period of gathering racial unrest. Weil deals with a variety of '60s social issues, including black-white relationships, women's rights, and white male privilege. It's an authentic picture of the 1963 turmoil, with reader hooks of murder, young love, and the era's music scene.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)