Release Date: June 14, 2016
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Page Count: 304
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Teddy Lee’s mother ran off when she was in second grade. And ever since, Teddy Lee, the often-overshadowed middle kid, has tried to keep her family together. But her older brother Winston usually keeps himself busy with smoking, drinking, and girls, and who knows what else. Her younger sister Billie is occupied with her shoplifting habit and boys . . . and who knows what else. So when Teddy Lee finally takes the songs she’s always written and forms a band, maybe it’ll bring everyone closer together, maybe it’ll be her time to shine. Unless Billie steals the spotlight—and the boy—just like she always does. Christina Meredith explores the complicated relationship of sisters—both the unconditional love and the unavoidable resentments—in a novel full of music, urgency, the first blushes of love, and the undeniable excitement of hitting the road.
Punk music, crazy parties, and lots and lots of cute boys....it's a recipe for perfection.
RED VELVET CRUSH was a great, light read that was right up my alley. Although I don't usually go for contemporaries, this one totally grabbed me with its premise alone. I LOVE punk music and going to concerts, and I'd never read a book that centered around a band. I was so excited to finally read a book that involved a few of my favorite things, and I wasn't disappointed.
The book was rather short, so I was able to fly through it within a single night. With that said, I do think the length is perfect for the story. It didn't feel too short or too long, but just right. However, there were parts where the story was particularly slow; it wasn't a fast paced read that kept me on my toes, although I really wish it had been. The plot wasn't as engaging as I had hoped it would be, and I'll admit that I did find myself skimming over large sections of the novel, just because I couldn't get through it. There were points in the novel where characters seemed to just not be doing anything exciting, which is fine, I guess, but it's definitely not the most enthralling thing to read. I wish that there was more action, and even more music. I feel like too much of the novel was spent discussing things outside of the band and the music world, and I would have liked just a little bit more.
The characters were fine, though I don't have much more to say about them. None of them were particularly memorable characters for me, and I had a bit of a hard time connecting to them, especially the narrator, Teddy. She came off as a bit winey at some parts, and it was a bit of a turn off for me. That doesn't mean she was a bad character- she was great for most of the novel! But her head was so generic, one I had been in thousands of times, and nothing about her really stood out as being particularly exciting or special for me.
But, with that said, I did enjoy this book. Its more memorable moments, its exciting moments of music and its inevitable magic and effect on an audience really resonated with me, and brought a smile to my face. If you love music, light-hearted sisterly love, and all things rock n' roll, you will definitely love this books
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