This was quite the compelling teen novel for me. It was very easy to identify with 16-year old Drea, who doesn’t always understand the social cues in front of her. She dresses weird, takes things literally, and has a difficult time making friends. She is passionate about music and sound design. When she and her mother move to Bellingham, WA for a fresh start, her neighbour Naomi, a carefree, fun-loving girl immediately befriends her. Not only that, but Justin, a new guy at the school, piques her interest. The storyline develops wonderfully where the Drea, Naomi, and Justin create a band and work on a project together, and you really get a great sense of who they are.
Sadly, as you get to know the characters, tragedy befalls them, and they must learn to cope. This book has a lot of emotion and was really hard to put down. It hits all the right points to make this a strong story about compassion, understanding, and how important certain people can be in your life.
Highly recommended: Ages 14 and up
Objectionable material: drug use, drug overdose, domestic violence, mention of sex
For more information about the author: http://thetaratracks.com/
Tags: Asperger's, boyfriends, drugs, friendships, girls, love, music, relationships, teens
