Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Saunders
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Joy-filled novel about teens who bond through music.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
When SOUNDTRACK begins, Stuy, a Black teen in Brooklyn, goes to live with his uncle after clashes with his mother's boyfriend. Stuy's mother was a punk drummer in her younger days, and she taught Stuy to be an excellent drummer too. In Uncle Lucky's apartment building, Stuy meets Dunks, a guitar player, and they start jamming together. They connect with two more musicians, Keith and Alexis, and the group gathers a big following playing in the subway and at parks.
Is It Any Good?
This book celebrates the magic of music and the value of friendship. In Soundtrack by Jason Reynolds (Ain't Burned All the Bright), the author returns to several of his favorite themes: artists, urban life, and family. The characters are original and quirky, yet they feel like real people with relatable motivations. Despite some heavy topics, such as cancer, domestic violence, and a young man who has never known his father, the message is hopeful and joyful. The author does a superb job capturing music in words. Readers who haven't listed to the audiobook that this book is based on may want to after reading this excellent story about found family and the power of music.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the various ways self-control, or the lack of self-control, affects the characters in Soundtrack. What role has self-control played in your life—at school, in your relationships, or in your hobbies?
How do teamwork and communication complement each other in Soundtrack? What's been your most positive or successful experience working with a group? What's been your most challenging experience working with a group? What did you learn about teamwork from these experiences?
Soundtrack began as an audiobook, and the novel is formatted almost like a script, with dialogue interrupted by the main character's commentary. How did this affect your experience of the book? Families might choose to listen to the audiobook and talk about the differences.
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Contemporary Fiction
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship , Family Stories ( Siblings )
- Character Strengths : Communication , Self-control , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Crown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : April 14, 2026
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 18
- Number of pages : 336
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : June 8, 2026
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate