Rock and a Hard Place

Gr 9 Up—These titles follow the lives of teen heartthrobs in a family rock band. In Rock and a Hard Place, Peter, the lead singer, falls for Libby, a girl he meets at a nature preserve. Their relationship evolves, but tragic circumstances put Libby in a group home and the couple must find a way to stay together. In Snapshot, Adam, the guitarist, meets Marti at photography camp. They must face the death of Marti's grandmother, a pregnancy scare, and a few near-death injuries. Both books are told in alternating points of view between the two main characters. There are many similarities in plot and female characterization between the two books: both girls are creative, artsy blondes who come from strikingly different backgrounds than the charmed rock stars. Both girls also deal with troubling home lives, complete with absent or unfit parents. The eldest Jamieson attempts to spoil each younger brother's relationship for the sake of the band, and each boy storms off, only to eventually get what he wants. Girls looking for romance and light realistic fiction will show the most interest in these titles.—Adrienne L. Strock, Chicago Public Library