music – Jill's Book Blog

Title: Punk Rock Karaoke
Author: Bianca Xunise
Genre: Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: April 23, 2024
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A debut young adult graphic novel from Ignatz Award-winning and nationally syndicated cartoonist, Bianca Xunise.

When life gives you guitars, smash them!
School is out for summer and Ariel Grace Jones is determined to make it one for the books! Together with their bestie bandmates, Michele and Gael, Ariel believes they’re destined to break into the music industry and out of Chicago’s Southside by singing lead in their garage punk band, Baby Hares.

But before Baby Hares can officially get into the groove, the realities of post grad life start to weigh on this crew of misfits. Ari begins to worry that it’s time to pull the plug on their dreams of making it big.
Just when all hope feels lost, a fellow punk and local icon takes an interest in their talent. It seems like he might be the only one Ariel can rely on as frustrations between bandmates reach at an all-time high.

Punk Rock Karaoke is a coming-of-age tale that draws upon the explosive joy of the underground scene, while raising questions about authenticity, the importance of community and what it means to succeed on your own terms.

Review:

Ariel Grace Jones has a band with her best friends Michelle and Gael. It’s finally summer and she wants to break into Chicago’s music industry with her band Baby Hares. When April meets her local music idol, Clyde McLaren, she falls in love with him and thinks he will help her with her music career. However, Ariel will only succeed if she can truly be herself and believe in her own worth.

This was a fun graphic novel! Most of the characters came from diverse backgrounds and gender identities. I liked that when each character was introduced there was a brief bio including their pronouns. This story showed how easy it is now, and has been throughout history, for cis white singers to steal the music or art of people of colour or queer people. Unfortunately many famous singers have stolen music in this way, but this graphic novel showed how Ariel was able to save her music.

Punk Rock Karaoke is a great graphic novel!

Thank you Penguin Teen Canada for providing a digital copy of this book!

Have you read Punk Rock Karaoke? What did you think of it?

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Chris joins the staff at her local record store, she’s surprised to find out that her co-workers share a secret: they’re all members of a secret fight club that take on the patriarchy and fight crime!

Starry-eyed Chris has just started the dream job every outcast kid in town wants: working at Vinyl Mayhem. It’s as rad as she imagined; her boss is BOSS, her co-workers spend their time arguing over music, pushing against the patriarchy, and endlessly trying to form a band. When Rosie Riot, the staff’s favorite singer, mysteriously vanishes the night before her band’s show, Chris discovers her co-workers are doing more than just sorting vinyl . . . Her local indie record store is also a front for a teen girl vigilante fight club!

Follow writer Carly Usdin (director of Suicide Kale) and artist Nina Vakueva (Lilith’s World) into the Hi-Fi Fight Club, where they deliver a rock and roll tale of intrigue and boundless friendship.

Review:

I loved this book!

The girls are hilarious. I was surprised at the introduction of their fight club. At first, it seemed like they were just working in a record shop, but then it turns out that they have a secret fight club where they fight against injustice. It’s a great twist on a traditional girl power story, since they have a secret identity where they fight crimes.

I enjoyed the mystery of Rosie Riot’s disappearance. It was strange that she suddenly disappeared without a trace. I didn’t like the subplot of the bands being brainwashed. The explanation for that wasn’t believable.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I can’t wait to see what happens next!