The Disenchantments

Starred review from December 19, 2011
After Colby graduates from high school, his well-laid plans to spend a
year traveling through Europe go up in smoke when his travel partner and best friend, Bev, reveals she’s going to art school instead. Colby is angry and hurt, but he doesn’t have time to do much brooding. He’s committed himself to playing chauffeur for Bev’s all-girl rock band, the Disenchantments, on their first (and probably last) summer tour. Chronicling the band’s road trip up the West Coast, this insightful coming-of-age story expresses how a teen in limbo learns some profound lessons about disappointment, love, and the pursuit of dreams in some unexpected places. Between gigs, Colby meets unlikely kindred spirits—a tattoo artist, a semifamous graffiti artist, and a female farmer—whose outlooks influence his decisions about the future. LaCour (Hold Still) skillfully draws connections between art and life as she delves into the heart of her characters, revealing their fears and celebrating the creative forces that inspire them to reach for the stars. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Harvey Klinger Inc.

Newly graduated, Colby is excited about his future, beginning with a summer tour with his best friend Bev's girl band, The Disenchantments. After that, he and Bev will wander around Europe together. Robbie Daymond's low-key narration reflects Colby's difficulty containing his romantic feelings for Bev. His muted tone changes, however, when brooding Bev announces she won't be traveling for a year in Europe with Colby after all but instead will be going to college. Colby's feelings of betrayal and anger threaten to erupt. Daymond captures Colby's emotional flare-ups--expressed first as ugly muttered sarcasm and finally as full-blown accusations. By the end, the richness of the summer road trip and the people they meet turns Colby's disenchantment into understanding, letting go, and a stronger sense of self. S.W. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine