Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

Ms. Guiney's Review:
Title: Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
Author:Jordan Sonnenblick
Grade: C+
Ideal readers: Boys and girls age 11 and up

Summary:
Written from the point of view of main character Steven, this novel tells the story of a typical sarcastic thirteen year old boy. He is annoyed by his parents, jealous of his adorable little brother that he alternates between loving and hating, infatuated with the "hottest" girl in school, and forced to write all about it in his English journal. The story takes a sad twist early in the book when Steven's adorable little brother is diagnosed with Leukemia. He and his family struggle with this diagnosis in very different ways, and Steven gets a little lost in the chaos. He finds strength in his friends, his drumming, and his love for his brother. Personally, Steven was a bit too self-obsessed for my taste and he takes a little too long to realize he might lose his brother. He took a lot for granted and was somewhat un-likable during parts of this book. It is a quick read, but not a great read. However, if you are a musician and especially a drummer, you should check this one out as there are many scenes where Steven uses the drums to forget about his troubles. I think musicians are likely to relate to those scenes.




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The sequel to Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie