minty's review against another edition
3.0
I had never thought about marching band before. This book was cute, the character seemed appropriately teenaged, and it made me wish I'd read it before thanksgiving so I would have made the effort to watch the parade this year.
mehsi's review against another edition
3.0
It was a nice book, I didn't think I would like it. And I did.. mostly. Though I disliked Elsie for a big part of the book. I can imagine she is stressed, has lots of pressure and more, but still she acted like a bitch a lot. She was mean to people who meant nice, who tried to be her friends.
I think she should have stopped and thought about things. Should she really do all that or just drop one or two things, sure her parents might have not liked it, but hey, she is still young and has all the time of her life.
I think she should have stopped and thought about things. Should she really do all that or just drop one or two things, sure her parents might have not liked it, but hey, she is still young and has all the time of her life.
ashareads's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
kellyjcm's review against another edition
3.0
Funny and endearing. Instant connection due to my band geek years. Another solid read from Erin Dionne. However, did not like the protagonist, which interfered with my enjoyment at times.
saffie95's review against another edition
4.0
First of all: can I just say, that as a former drumcorps kid, how incredibly HAPPY I am to finally read a (marching) band book??
This was such a fun read. It would be just as fun reading this from a non-band perspective, since the MC doesn't know anything about band, but as a former band member, I just found myself sitting here like; "accurate (.....) Jup, that's band alright" I was laughing and smiling through the whole book, while I definitely relived some memories of my own time with the band. It was great.
I just thought that halfway through the book, the MC was literally the worst. But that was all part of character building and stuff, so I forgave her.
I think my favorite quote of the book was (slightly spoiler-ish, so don't read if you don't want to know ANYTHING about the book):
“I've kind of always wanted a blue-haired, facially decorated sibling.” He patted my head. “At your service, petit poulet.”
This was such a fun read. It would be just as fun reading this from a non-band perspective, since the MC doesn't know anything about band, but as a former band member, I just found myself sitting here like; "accurate (.....) Jup, that's band alright" I was laughing and smiling through the whole book, while I definitely relived some memories of my own time with the band. It was great.
I just thought that halfway through the book, the MC was literally the worst. But that was all part of character building and stuff, so I forgave her.
I think my favorite quote of the book was (slightly spoiler-ish, so don't read if you don't want to know ANYTHING about the book):
“I've kind of always wanted a blue-haired, facially decorated sibling.” He patted my head. “At your service, petit poulet.”
choosejoytoday's review against another edition
4.0
So middle school, so cute. Technically the main character is a freshman, but I think this book will appeal more to the 6-8 grade set, due to the melodrama. Being a band geek myself, I found myself reminiscing about marching band practices, running around the school in block formation for "warm ups," changing into our uniforms on school buses, trips, the drama. Sigh. Good for band geeks, Gleeks, and girls interested in realistic stories with a touch of light romance.
socr8sjohnson's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a fun, quick read. It's funny. Quite a few times I giggled. The author does a great job of capturing the awkwardness of dating life for the first times.
It's a character-driven piece and the real plot of the story centers on the growth of the protagonist from a single-minded, somewhat selfish and insensitive girl to someone who actually has friends and is starting to understand how relationships--friends, family and romantic work.
I liked it.
It's a character-driven piece and the real plot of the story centers on the growth of the protagonist from a single-minded, somewhat selfish and insensitive girl to someone who actually has friends and is starting to understand how relationships--friends, family and romantic work.
I liked it.
book_nut's review against another edition
3.0
The main character was annoying, but I really liked the marching band stuff.
misdawnty's review against another edition
3.0
I was perusing the Lone Star Reading List of Middle grade and YA books at the library and this one jumped out at me. It was fun...ish. The main character was completely unlikeable. I realized it was her journey and she had some things to learn but I couldn't find much to like about her. Even at the end. The dialogue wasn't that great, either.
However.... it's a marching band book. And I loved marching band. I was the drum major, even. So, it brought back a lot of fun memories and that made it worth reading.
However.... it's a marching band book. And I loved marching band. I was the drum major, even. So, it brought back a lot of fun memories and that made it worth reading.
taliac36's review against another edition
well dis book is abt a freshman named Elsie Wyat.... her mom worries about Elsie’s every breath; her classical musician-superstar dad doesn’t notice her successes; she’s a year younger than everyone else in her class; and thanks to her extreme schedule and over-confident attitude, she has no friends. bt she’s good at The French horn. She’s so good that she’s sure she can get into the summer music program of her dreams…but first she has to survive a season of marching band.
And that’s not going to be easy: French horns aren’t marching instruments, individual stardom doesn’t count, and everyone looks bad in a polyester uniform. As Elsie stumbles through the season from disaster to disaster, she not only learns what a “chicken” is (and why you should never drop one), how to march in a parade block, and what it takes to escape from a bus bathroom, but how to make friends, deal with overprotective parents, and maybe even launch a romance.
Just as Elsie starts to reconcile her elitist orchestral misconceptions with band geek reality and change her attitude, her world gets rocked again. When marching in a nationally televised parade, Elsie’s disasters collide with those of three other characters, culminating in an epic holiday calamity that could ruin everything she’s worked so hard for.
And that’s not going to be easy: French horns aren’t marching instruments, individual stardom doesn’t count, and everyone looks bad in a polyester uniform. As Elsie stumbles through the season from disaster to disaster, she not only learns what a “chicken” is (and why you should never drop one), how to march in a parade block, and what it takes to escape from a bus bathroom, but how to make friends, deal with overprotective parents, and maybe even launch a romance.
Just as Elsie starts to reconcile her elitist orchestral misconceptions with band geek reality and change her attitude, her world gets rocked again. When marching in a nationally televised parade, Elsie’s disasters collide with those of three other characters, culminating in an epic holiday calamity that could ruin everything she’s worked so hard for.