This book was way better than I expected! Sure, it looks like a simple story about a band, but it really has a lot to say about life in high school. I found myself highlighting chunks of it in places because of what it said; things that mattered.

Like this, for example: "At some point, my sanity and well-being had to come before pride." This book has many moments like this one, where bursts of truth shine through the average high school routine. A chunk of the last chapter in the main character, Ashley, wrestling with the idea of forgiving the girl who mercilessly bullied her for most of the book: “He was trying to convince me to sympathize with Jessica, when I didn’t want to do anything but hate her. He might have had a point, but it was hard to agree with. As long as I held onto my anger, I couldn’t move past it. That was true. As long as I held onto my anger, I would be jaded and hostile and just as bad as Jessica. But moving past it didn’t mean forgiving her.”

One thing I loved about this book was how flawed the characters were. Unlike many YA books I've read, Ashley's flaws are readily available: she's stubborn, holds a grudge, and doesn't like being told what to do. She's not perfect, and that's obvious.

Also, this quote is great: “If the world chews me up, I hope I give it indigestion.”

I'd recommend this for ages 14+