How I got it: I received The Way it Hurts via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Why I picked it: A couple of years ago I reviewed Blount's previous novel Some Boys for School Library Journal. Some Boys struck a chord and I was hopeful that The Way it Hurts would do the same. Plot: Kristen wants to spend her summer in an elite music program but finds herself rejected despite her obvious talent for broadway style vocals. Eli strives to make it big with his heavy metal band Ride Out and use the fame and fortune to provide safe at home care for his autistic younger sister. The two have never met in person but rival one another in an online forum similar to twitter designed to help musicians offer one another feedback. When Kristen and Eli meet at a performance of Cats they quickly realize that working together can help them both get what they want. By joining forces Kristen is able to stand out to potential conservatory scouts and Eli is able to help Ride Out appeal to a wider audience. Feedback: Although the bands ascension is front and center in this book there is a subplot that cannot be overlooked. Eli and his bandmates use sexism to appeal to their target audience at the expense of Kristen's safety. Though romantic lead Eli often voices that he doesn't approve of what the fans say he refrains from taking a stand on the subject. At no point in the book does Eli's character evolve. At no point in the book does Kristen's character acknowledge that her love interest is actively putting her in danger for the sake of the band. Given the strong stance Blount took against sexual assault and harassment in Some Boys I anticipated a similar approach in The Way it Hurts. I figured it was slow coming to prove a point about the fact that people don't take sexual harassment seriously enough or that online harassment can be dangerous outside of the internet as well but the final chapter came and went without ever delivering the message. Verdict: This was a disappointing read. There was a lot of material here that could have been used to show teens yet another permutation of dangerous online behavior. Maybe the subject is getting old but the danger is still out there. No, predators aren't picking young girls and boys up on Myspace anymore but that doesn't mean that there aren't people out there using tools like Twitter and Facebook to stalk and harass people. I would have liked to see Kristen and Eli recognize that danger and make an effort to stop it. Instead readers got a nearly packaged romantic ending where everyone's dreams come true. This Librarian says...back to the drawing board Blount! Some Boys was too too good to be followed up by this fluff :(
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AuthorWith my Masters in Library Science I review for School Library Journal, Indie Authors and local publications. Archives
August 2017
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