December 2, 2013
When 17-year-old Zach Ryan gets picked as the new drummer in a popular local band going on a long summer tour, he quickly learns about the challenges that come with life on the road. Playing in small venues, Bad Habit deals with a bar brawl and a manager who won’t pay them, but the biggest problems come from within the band. Zach wants to start playing originals, like a great song written by Bad Habit’s talented guitarist, but the lead singer has too much ego to listen. Zach is a sympathetic “nice guy” narrator who is trying to be a responsible band member, despite being its newest and youngest addition. He’s also good at expressing the thrill of creating music (describing drumming, he says, “You’re the guy with his foot on the gas driving the whole thing. You’re the one making people get up off their asses and dance”). This road trip runs a bit long, including a romantic storyline that distracts from the main plot, but readers and especially musicians should enjoy debut novelist Parsons’s look at a band on the run. Ages 12–up.
December 1, 2013
Dumped by his band, Zach faces the prospect of the summer before senior year's being the dullest of his life, forced by his parents to work a "real" job. Things turn around when Bad Habit picks him up as their new drummer right before their first tour. Zach quickly learns that being in a touring band is itself a job, schooling him in compromise, management and professionalism. However, the moments on stage make up for the drama and boredom between gigs. Driving from town to town, Zach wonders what is going on between him and girl-back-home Kimber, as their emails seem to be taking their friendship into new territory. He also discovers that his band mates have hidden talents that could elevate them to the next level, but he manages to set off one ego-bomb after another as he tries to challenge them creatively. The predictable yet believable mix of personalities--self-absorbed lead singer, goofy bass player, token girl on keyboard and the talented-but-serious guitar player--works well despite some awkward language and cliched scenes. When the band takes the stage, the music references and technical details are presented with such enthusiasm that readers will find their heads nodding and toes tapping as though they were in the crowd. A road-trip adventure in romance and friendship that is ultimately all about the music. (Fiction. 14-17)
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March 1, 2014
Gr 9 Up-Zach Ryan is in disbelief when the Sock Monkeys replace him with a new drummer whose father has both connections and a recording studio. Zach now has no idea what he'll do with this summer. The teen's luck turns around when he's invited to go on tour with a bigger, more popular band. Zach skills blossom as he plays with the more talented group, his confidence grows, and he begins to play around with some original songs written by his bandmate Glenn. He voices interest in adding the original songs to the set list. Unfortunately, another musician feels threatened by Zach's dabbling; tension within the group results, leaving readers to wonder if Zach will be kicked out of this band, too. While the book is a bit too long, the plot and characters will keep readers entertained throughout. The drumming lingo might confuse some readers, but it doesn't negatively affect enjoyment of the story.-Sarah Allen, Judson High School, Converse, TX
Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2014
Grades 9-12 I freakin' love drumming. . . . There's something about playing the drums that's different from any other instrument. Maybe it's the physical part. I mean, you're generating sounds by hitting things. Exuberant 17-year-old Zach has landed the summer job of a lifetime: drumming for an up-and-coming local rock band, whose members invite him on their first multicity gig. Between long, lonely nights on the open road, the crew stops at gritty rock clubs, swanky townie bars, andafter Zach nearly jeopardizes his musical future by taking a hugely ambitious riskone fully packed arena. A valiant first-novel attempt by Parsons, this travelogue has spots of clunky pacing and underdeveloped dialogue, and drummer jokes interjected randomly throughout chapters further interrupt the slow, sometimes unrefined story line. Where Road Rash crescendos is in its treatment of tumultuous friendships among bandmates, confounding but transfixing first romances, exhilarating tastes of teenage travel freedom, and the passion for pursuing the dream of a future in music. A must-read for young garage-band types.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2014
Zach is thrilled to be spending the summer on tour as the drummer for a rockin' band. But he didn't expect ego clashes, romantic troubles, and gigs at some unsavory locales. Some general readers may be put off by the frequent music-industry jargon, but Zach's sincerity and passion for music come through loud and clear.
(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)