Review: The Disenchantments

Author: Nina LaCour
Release Date: February 16, 2012
Publisher: Dutton Children's Books
Pages: 307
Format: ARC
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Summary:  Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev's band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she's abandoning their plans - and Colby - to start college in the fall.

But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie- Colby struggles to deal with Bev's already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what's next?

Morris Award–finalist Nina LaCour draws together the beauty and influences of music and art to brilliantly capture a group of friends on the brink of the rest of their lives.

My Favorite Line(s):  This is SOO hard.  There were so many awesome ones.  I think I'll choose these:

"I don't know if any of this would have happened if we had been at home... Would we have crammed ourselves into the bathroom of a San Francisco restaurant to play her song?  I doubt it.  There's something about distance, being removed from what's familiar, that let's things happen."

"They say that's what happens when you fall in love.  You want to tell people things.  You especially want to tell them sad things.  Hidden sad things from the past.  Something like: I was abandoned at a sweetshop in an unspecified European country." (Taken from Melancholy Play by Sarah Ruhl)

Why I Loved It:  Ok I'm worrying that I'm going to ramble.  Or gush.  Most likely gush.  Disenchantments and I have an interesting history.  Believe it or not, I gave it up at ALA.  My friend was steaming because she wanted it.  Luckily, they put out some more copies toward the end of the day, so we both got one.  I'm not sure what it was, but something kept drawing me to the book so it slowly crept up my TBR pile.  Now that I've read it, I wish it could have just kept going on and on in this incredible road trip of growing up and self-discovery.

I have to say this.  The cover is amazing.  I don't really want to change the picture under my currently reading section.  Just the cover makes my blog look better.  But there is so much more to this book than the cover.  The book is what every teenager dreams of doing: going on a road trip with their close friends.  The cover makes you think more girly.  I was really surprised to discover that the book is told from a boy's point of view.  He's actually the "roadie"on the trip with these girls making up a girl band that is the very essence of the stereotypical "girl band".  That's the point though.  The earnestness of belonging to a group and being something to each other.

The book just has so much truth to it.  I've read the typical "coming-of-age" novel but this is going to top my list of favorites.  The author portrays these emotions everyone feels at that age in such a raw, real way.

In the end, the book is more than the seven days of touring.  It's a series of moments when a group of friends make memories, learn how to say good-bye, and ultimately learn to take those little moments and the big ones too and shape your life into something that matters.  And to make sure that life is right for you.

Who Should Read It:  Contemporary YA lovers, this book is for you.  Anyone that loves a good road trip, enjoy the ride.  *hehe pun intended*