I’m admittedly very cynical when it comes to New Adult. I haven’t read very much of it that I’ve liked with the notable exception of anything by Kylie Scott. I found Just a Girl by Ellie Cahill to be exactly what I was looking for: a romance about people in their young twenties who live and behave like they are in their young twenties, without a ton of navel-gazing. The book is told first person POV, but the narrator’s perspective is so immersive, I actually had to go back and check when I wrote this review because the storytelling was so seamless.
Presley Mason was a bona fide rock star, leading the band Luminous 6. Then her bandmates, including her boyfriend, kicked her out, claiming that she upstaged them. Completely broken hearted, Presley moves back home to lick her wounds. Home is her parents’ music store in Waukesha, WI (Woo-Hoo! Go WI!) where Presley goes back to stocking sheet music and cleaning up. Her heartbreak extends to her music; she doesn’t even want to sing.
At the store Presley meets Paul, a hot, tattooed guitar player and local musician. At first Paul is a fun flirtation and then an even more fun lover, but slowly Presley finds herself pulled more and more into his world which means back into the music scene. Paul plays for a band called Jukebox Bleu, and being back around a band and the venues that they play brings everything about Presley’s epic break up crashing back around her.
I never got the impression that Presley was very famous; she goes back to WI and people recognize her but they don’t mob her. I liked that. There’s a lot of rock star romance in NA, so it was refreshing to see one that featured only a moderately famous person, not a rock god. I also liked that the woman, not that man, was the star.
At twenty-one, Presley is uncertain and living with her mom and dad. When she stays at Paul’s place, it’s crowded and his sister is one of his roommates. His room is tiny. Her mom makes her text to ensure she’s safe. It reminded me very much of myself at that age. I enjoyed how Presley was still very much involved with her mom and dad, while starting to pull away. I also liked the accurate depiction of being poor in your early twenties and having a small apartment you share with a bunch of people.
One thing I really loved about this book was Paul. He’s got an anxiety disorder and I felt that it was depicted very accurately. He has panic attacks (he almost has one when his tattoo is getting touched up) and he has debilitating stage fright. Sometimes he manages it in a healthy way, and sometimes he self medicates. Even though Paul’s friends and family are aware of his anxiety and help him through it (especially his sister, Kenzie), he’s ashamed to have this thing that’s wrong with him. He refers to himself as a head case or crazy. Presley frequently has to call Paul to the carpet for being cruel to himself. I liked that things like therapy, Xanax, breathing exercises, and anxiety medications were mentioned. I think anyone who has experienced a panic attack (raises hand) or a generalized anxiety disorder, will appreciate this book.
The author also either did her research about WI or has lived there. Jukebox Bleu gets invited to play at Summerfest which is a HUGE thing here, and an enormous opportunity for the band. No cheese was discussed, but hey, you can’t have everything.
Also, between chapters are Presley’s recommended playlists. Example:
Playlist for Waffling About the Guy You Hooked Up with and He Seems to Like You but You Can’t Really Tell Yet and Even Though He Said He Did, He Maybe Doesn’t Want You to See His Band’s Show
- 19th Nervous Breakdown–The Rolling Stones
- Should I Stay or Should I Go?– The Clash
- Basket Case–Green Day
- Undecided–Ella Fitzgerald
- Under Pressure–Queen and David Bowie
- Hot N Cold–Katy Perry
So why didn’t I give Just a Girl an A? The final conflict was a little wishy-washy.
Overall I really liked this book though, especially the representation of Paul’s anxiety disorder and all the playlists. Buy at your own risk, though: it’s going to lead to an expensive iTunes bill.
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Thanks!
I’ve never read New Adult, but you throw in Waukesha,where there is, in fact, an Old Waukesha, where there used to be a music shop (now it’s mostly art and coffee shops) and I. Am. There.
ALSO LES PAUL! LES PAUL IS FROM WAUKESHA!
I currently live near Waukesha! I usually avoid NA, but the author appears to be local, so I should read it and support her.
Even if they didn’t discuss cheese, were grasshoppers consumed?
Prople from Wisconsin love their grasshoppers.
@Kelly and brandy old fashions
@Kelly as long as you’re talking about the drink and it is made with ice cream, not cream, you are right. I love me my grasshoppers.
I’m sad about the lack of cheese, but I trust they mentioned beer? Don’t let me down here. You can’t go to summerfest & be 21+ and not be encouraged to have a beer. I mean, you’re in Milwaukee!