Author: Denise Vega
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Acquired: Received free for an honest review
Age Group: Young Adult
Grade: 82% or B-
Buy It: Amazon
Ori Taylor is the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the Band To Be Named Later, a garage band he started with his friends. After years of being known only as the kid brother of sports star Del, Ori is looking forward to stepping out of his older brother's shadow, learning to perform in public, and rocking the Battle of the Bands contest. Oh, and maybe finally working up the nerve to talk to a girl in person instead of just over e-mail. But when Del suddenly returns from college, he expects Ori to step back into his role of little brother, just when Ori is starting to come into his own.
With his confidence wavering, will Ori be able to overcome his stage fright and lead the band to rock glory? Will the Band To Be Named Later ever get a real name? Will their best performances remain in the garage?
Lately I've been more interested in contemporary YA, especially those involving music and the like. This is weird because I used to never give these types of books a second glance. But after reading a few I've found some common themes that I like to read about. So I'm glad I finally got around to checking out these kinds of books.
I love the names in this book! They weren't so out there that it was annoying or unrealistic, but they were out there enough to add extra appeal and make the characters more interesting. Orion (Ori) and Del. How cute and creative! The relationship between the brothers was pretty typical with the tension level turned up higher. But I really liked how you were able to see how great things used to be with the flashbacks, or rewinds, to when they were younger.
One of the common themes I've noticed that is often included in books about music, is the whole following your dream thing. This type of thing takes a back seat nowadays, and even though I don't dream about becoming a musician, it's still cool to see someone's passion and dreams come to life. The down to earth characters and passionate reading were able to hold my attention. You gotta respect a book that doesn't have to go to great lengths to keep you interested.
Overall I think that Rock On will feel cozy at home with its genre. It was a fun read with some great character names!
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