Songs About a Girl

Gr 9 Up—Aspiring photographer Charlie Bloom is surprised to receive a Facebook message from Olly Samson, formerly a student at her school and currently part of the biggest boy band in Britain, asking her to take some backstage photos of his band, Fire&Lights. Her first impulse is to say no, but with some prodding from her best friend, Melissa, a huge Fire&Lights fan, the shy teen accepts the offer and both enjoys and excels at it. Musician and debut YA author Russell manages to make all of this plausible, a testament to his well-written book, which is elevated beyond simple wish-fulfillment fiction. He also weaves in an intriguing mystery surrounding the band's lyrics, penned by aloof front man Gabriel, which bear striking similarity to the poems in Charlie's deceased mother's diary. Fans of novels about bands and music will appreciate the look at life on the road with Fire&Lights, a group with parallels to One Direction, and understand Charlie's dilemma in choosing between Olly and Gabriel when both like her. Russell does well in capturing the point of view of a 16-year-old girl, also exploring Charlie's strained relationship with her father and the harassment she receives from the band's jealous fans. The ending will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next title in this planned trilogy.