Amplified

September 5, 2011
When Jasmine tells her father that she wants a year off before attending Stanford, he gives her 15 minutes to pack her things and move out. So Jasmine drives down to Santa Cruz, guitar in hand, to pursue her dream of making music. When her car breaks down upon arrival, she meets sarcastic yet sexy Sean at a garage where (nonautomotive) sparks fly. As Jasmine looks for an apartment, Sean quickly shows up in her life again, this time as a member of the band C-Side, which is searching for a new guitarist/roommate. Jasmine scores the spot in the band, but she’s keeping a secret: she’s never performed live. This secret and a few others cause their share of problems in this highly entertaining story of romance, rock music, and a girl coming into her own. Jasmine will have readers in her corner from the first flip remark out of her mouth, and Kelly’s (Harmonic Feedback) background in music is evident in her electric descriptions of Jasmine’s evolution as a performer. Ages 14–up.

September 15, 2011

This chronicle of a shy guitarist's summer living with a rock band poses bigger questions than it answers but tells a likable story nonetheless.

Kicked out of the house by her strict father after she decides to defer her college admission, Jasmine is determined to prove that she can make it on her own. Looking for a room to rent in Santa Cruz, she finds an industrial band seeking a live-in bandmate and tries out. Kelly (Harmonic Feedback, 2010) relates each musical challenge—Jasmine's tryout, a bad gig, a final, triumphant performance—as a tense action sequence. The author gives enough imagery and context that even the musically uninitiated will appreciate her descriptions, though readers who understand licks, riffs, arpeggios, EBows and wah pedals will get a fuller effect. Veta, the moody-but-loyal lead singer, is the best realized of the colorful cast; other characters feel a bit more sketched in. A romance between Jasmine and one of the band members is satisfyingly paced, and the energy between them is as charged (without being graphic) as some of the scenes between Jasmine and her guitar. Some of the novel's big questions are left open: Jasmine's relationship with her father, for instance, or what it means to start a relationship with a roommate.

A treat for industrial-rock lovers; a pleasant summer read for others. (Fiction. 14 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

January 1, 2012

Gr 9 Up-When Jasmine's wealthy, demanding father tells her he will not support her decision to put off college for a year to pursue her musical dreams, she sets out to Santa Cruz, CA, to find a job, an apartment, and a band to prove that she can make it. Somewhat shy, she is rebelling against her father's control in the wake of her mother abandoning them. Jasmine is a talented guitarist and a hard worker, but her almost crippling stage fright and defensive attitude create barriers that could end her dream before it starts. She is realistically imperfect but likable, and, with time, she convinces her bandmates and herself that she is much more than a spoiled wannabe. Although the bad-girl and bad-boy musicians remain stock figures, most secondary characters are developed enough to make them more than just background filler, and they react in ways with which readers can identify. A romantic interest is included but does not distract from the story, which focuses mainly on Jasmine's finding confidence in herself and her decisions. This novel will be of particular interest to music fans.-Natasha Forrester, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2011
Grades 9-12 Jasmine wants to be a musiciana rock-band-on-tour kind of musician. When she defers her admission to Stanford to pursue her guitar-playing dream, Jasmine's father throws her out of the house and cuts her out of his life. She is left with her guitars, a great amp, and a broken-down car. Auditioning for an industrial band needing a guitarist and a roommate seems like the perfect solution, but Jasmine has to lie about her experience to get the gig. Typical music scenes aboundthe tryout, a disastrous gig where Jasmine's lying becomes evident, rehearsals, recording sessions, and a final redemptive performancemost of which ring true, even to those not inclined to use terms like e-bow and wah pedal. The other band members are not fully fleshed out, and the lack of resolution between Jasmine and her father may leave readers wanting more from this book. Still, this is an engaging story about a girl following her musical dreams, and readers will be drawn to Jasmine's wit.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)