A review by berriesandbooks
Emily and the Strangers, Vol. 1: Battle of the Bands by Rob Reger, Mariah Huehner

3.0

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital copy! Off first impressions, I thought this story sounded really cute and something fun, light, and easy to read. The plot was one that intrigued me and I was excited. I was thoroughly enjoying seeing Emily give her best efforts to win a contest - the prize being a guitar previously owned by the late rock god, Professa Kraken. It was a shame that after I got about 1/4 through, everything went downhill from there. I found it hard to get into, felt confused at times, and was too easily distracted by outside sources. In my opinion, the whole thing was just a bit messy. On a positive note, the illustrations were great. I especially enjoyed the band members' looks but other than that, it just didn't do it for me. It definitely had potential but just couldn't quite make it there. Although with the overall message the story projects and cute aspects (ie: all the cats, band members' looks), I think this volume will be enjoyed by a much younger audience that isn't expecting much.