Publishers Weekly
★ 08/09/2021
Edited by Smith (Don’t Read the Comments) and Gibaldi (This Tiny Perfect World), this entertaining collection of 16 interconnected contemporary tales centers a battle of the bands at a New Jersey high school. In “The Ride” by Jenn Marie Thorne, a girl dumps her narcissistic musician boyfriend, prompting her to step up and claim the spotlight instead, while in Shaun David Hutchinson’s “Love Is a Battlefield,” a bisexual competition judge juggles relationships with the lead singers of two different bands. Preeti Chhibber’s “Merch to Do About Nothing” features two Indian American teens running different merch tables who bond as the evening progresses, and in Lauren Gibaldi’s “Set the World on Fire,” a put-upon stage manager reacts to the events and chaos sparked by the bands. Other contributors include Brittany Cavallaro, Jay Coles, Motion City Soundtrack lead vocalist Justin Courtney Pierre, Sarvenaz Taghavian, and Jenny Torres Sanchez. Chronicling the breakups, make-ups, make-outs, and breakout performances of myriad intersectionally diverse teens, this anthology’s deliberate pacing allows each entry to stand on its own while harmonizing pleasantly with the larger melody of the night’s overlapping characters and events. Ages 14–up. Agent: Dawn Frederick, Red Sofa Literary. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
This impressive collection manages to sustain its jubilant energy, and each author’s distinct voice shines through without the whole feeling at all inconsistent. The stories are original enough to keep readers turning pages, while the overall conceit—drama both on and off stage—ties it all together. . . . An impressive feat impeccably pulled off.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
[An] entertaining collection. . . Chronicling the breakups, make-ups, make-outs, and breakout performances of myriad intersectionally diverse teens, this anthology’s deliberate pacing allows each entry to stand on its own while harmonizing pleasantly with the larger melody of the night’s overlapping characters and events.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
The energy of this collection will draw young people into the drama of being in a band, falling in love, the ups and downs of competition, and the unknown after high school all through heartfelt and often hilarious moments that build up to an epic finish. . . . A must-have for all YA collections, especially where anthologies are popular.
—School Library Journal
Musical teens can unite around this collection both for its unapologetic excitement for music and the representation it promotes. Teens will see themselves in the everyday elements and the desires of the characters, whether they want to live out their dreams to rock on, strike back against heartbreak, or be authentically themselves.
—School Library Connection
Featuring musicians, stage managers, ticket takers, a daughter of rock ‘n’ roll royalty, and more, these short stories rock (and roll).
—Buzzfeed
The book, which threads together sixteen stories from top young adult writers (as well as Motion City Soundtrack frontman Justin Courtney Pierre), captures the ups and downs of band life in exhilarating/excruciating detail that any musician will recognize as being authentic and anyone not in a band will want to experience for themselves. From rehearsal squabbles to pre-show bonding to stage fright (and stage joy), each author gets the little details right in service of their stories.
—Performer Magazine
What a delightful backstage pass to the angst, passion, and glory of high school music-making. In Battle of the Bands, you get to know the whole Raritan River scene as characters reappear in various stories. Be prepared to laugh, root for your favorites, and find yourself all but singing along, front row.
—Emery Lord, award-winning author of When We Collided
I have battled in more than a few bands, and this book takes me back: the months of preparation, the pre-show nerves, the lights and sounds and competition. Battle of the Bands is an anthemic ode to the here and now and that frenzied notion that a person’s entire future hinges on one fateful night. It’s a credit to editors Gibaldi and Smith that the characters from each story interconnect in subtle and fascinating ways, and a credit to the authors that each story maintains its own unique identity. In this way, the book itself operates like a band, effortlessly folding multiple voices into a mighty (and mighty catchy) chorus. Check, check, one, two. This book will rock you.
—David Arnold, New York Times best-selling author of Mosquitoland and The Electric Kingdom
Empowering, hilarious, romantic, and wildly fun, Battle of the Bands perfectly captures both the magic of music and the drama of competition. It’s hands down my new favorite playlist.
—Dahlia Adler, author of Cool for the Summer and editor of His Hideous Heart
School Library Journal
08/01/2021
Gr 9 Up—In this collection of interconnected short stories, 15 young adult authors place readers in the middle of an epic battle of the bands at one New Jersey high school. The contributors work in secret crushes, love triangles, music-hating judges, fangirls, band drama, merch kids, frustrated stage managers, feminist sound girls, and even acid trips, giving teens an exciting romp through a night of eclectic performances and experiences. Gibaldi and Smith artfully curated these first- and third-person entries, and readers will feel invested in the lives and experiences of each protagonist. The tales feature characters from different races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, class backgrounds. The energy of this collection will draw young people into the drama of being in a band, falling in love, the ups and downs of competition, and the unknown after high school all through heartfelt and often hilarious moments that build up to an epic finish. VERDICT A must-have for all YA collections, especially where anthologies are popular.—Rebekah Buchanan, Western Illinois Univ., Macomb, IL
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2021-07-13
One night, 16 bands, even more stories.
It’s Battle of the Bands night at Raritan River High School in the New Jersey suburbs. Over the course of one hectic evening, emo, punk, solo keyboard, and other acts compete for a shot at recording in a real studio, a big deal for kids with dreams of going pro. Each chapter focuses on a different student as their stories of music, friendship, family, and heartache tightly interlock. A glance at the table of contents might make this seem like a collection of short stories; each titled chapter is penned by a different young adult author, together forming a diverse cast of contributors (and protagonists). However, each story takes place around the same event, in the same place, with the same characters and bands flitting through as the various individuals share their stories. This impressive collection manages to sustain its jubilant energy, and each author’s distinct voice shines through without the whole feeling at all inconsistent. The stories are original enough to keep readers turning pages, while the overall conceit—drama both on and off stage—ties it all together. Without being able to hear the music, the original song lyrics in italics throughout are less interesting, however.
An impressive feat impeccably pulled off. (contributor list) (Fiction. 12-18)
