Common Sense Note
Parents need to that Katy's parents are recovering drug addicts and her dad still gets tempted. There is also some swearing, underage drinking at a teen party, and some heavy kissing.
Families can talk about addiction and its place in the entertainment industry. Why do so many stars have drinking and drug problems? Do you think it would be hard to be in a glamorous scene without developing a problem? How much impact do you think wild celebs have on the teens that look up to them? Do they have a responsibility to be better role models?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Kate Pavao
Readers will appreciate the unusual backdrop here: An L.A. punk scene that includes dirty apartments and clubs, energetic music, a burlesque dancer -- and a recovering drug addict dad known as The Rat. Indeed Katy's new world seems very real, and readers will immediately understand why the good girl feels out of place there.
The author has also created wonderful, offbeat characters who are easy to like. And its easy to sympathize with Katy, who misses her mother -- and their Canadian life -- terribly. She may initially be a bit "beige" (she doesn't even connect with music), but she is also truly kind to everyone she meets, even a misfit boy who worships her dad's music.
The plot follows a pretty predictable path. No one will be surprised when Katy and her dad start to build a relationship (or when Katy and Lake -- the teen punk rock singer who's behind her Beige nickname -- finally bond). A final scene in which Katy sings backup for Lake seems a bit unbelievable, but it helps drive home the book's point: Everyone needs to find her own voice.
In the end, there is enough compelling material about the price of addiction -- and the importance of being yourself -- to make this a worthwhile read.
From The Book
"Lake, are you ever afraid?" I say, pulling the blanket tighter around me. She probably won't answer me. She probably can't focus on what I'm saying. But it feels good to ask her something from my heart right out loud.
"Afraid of what?" Lake mumbles after a minute, surprising me.
"That we'll become addicts," I'm whispering. "That we'll lose control."
"No," Lake says. "I'm not going down that road. No way."
"I'm afraid of it," I say.
I don't say anything after that.
Plot Summary:
Katy goes to Los Angeles to spend time with her father, a recovering drug addict and punk rock drummer whom she barely knows. Katy, a polite girl who masks her true feelings, meets a wild cast of characters there, from a teen punk singer to a mermaid-obsessed burlesque dancer. Through them she eventually learns to not only like punk music, but to start letting the world know how she really feels.
Related Books:
Other Girls Who Work It Out with Their Dads:
Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Lush by Natasha Friend
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Sexual ContentKaty kisses a boy at a party. Her father's girlfriend is a burlesque dancer who tells Katy sexy dancing "totally gets your dad hot." Katy's dad talks about how he wanted to have "wild sex" with her (then teen) mom when he met her. |
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LanguageCharacters use swear words, including "bitch" and "f--k." |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoTeens drink at a party, one until she throws up. Katy's parents are recovering addicts and Lake's mom died of an overdose. |
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