All the Wrong Chords

Gr 8 Up—In this complex contemporary romance, Scarlett spends the summer with her grandpa in a small town in Georgia. Her older brother Liam died after overdosing on pain pills and Scarlett is seeking respite. She joins a band and promptly falls for Declan, the flashy lead singer. Meanwhile, Zach, the songwriter of the band, encourages her to develop and grow musically and emotionally. Hurley Deriso skillfully handles the delicate topic of drug addiction, humanizing this national epidemic while also creating a believable and breezy love story. Told from Scarlett's perspective, the narrative slowly reveals an authentic portrait of Liam's character. The heroine also learns that she was not alone in her feelings of loss, and that her best friend Varun was Liam's boyfriend. In a sensitive treatment, the author honestly depicts Zach and his family as they deal with his mother's degenerative disease. Additionally, the development of the relationship between grandpa and Scarlett based on mutual trust and a touch of shared mirth is endearing. The romantic plot is well-traveled territory, but the complexities of the relationships and interwoven themes ring true, elevating the overall reading experience. While Scarlett's love story does come to a satisfying conclusion, her real salvation is in the music she plays, her own evolution, and the friendships she develops through her growth that summer. Mature themes include drug abuse and smoking. Accompanying original band music is available online.