Road Rash - Hardcover

Parsons, Mark Huntley

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 038575342X ISBN 13: 9780385753425

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2014

Synopsis

A teenage drummer finds out what life is really like on tour with a rock band in this funny and bittersweet YA novel. For anyone who loved Almost Famous or This Is Spinal Tap.
 
After being dropped from one band, sixteen-year-old drummer Zach gets a chance to go on tour with a much better band. It feels like sweet redemption, but this is one rocky road trip—filled with jealousy, rivalries, and on-stage meltdowns.
 
Mark Parsons has written a fast-paced, feel-good novel about a boy finding his place in the world, in a band, and in the music. Zach is a character teens will stand up and cheer for as he lands the perfect gig, and the perfect girl.
 
“A must-read for young garage-band types.” —Booklist
 
“Readers and especially musicians should enjoy debut novelist Parsons’s look at a band on the run.” —Publishers Weekly
 
“A road-trip adventure in romance and friendship that is ultimately all about the music.” —Kirkus Reviews

About this title

About the Author

MARK PARSONS has been a drummer since 7th grade when he saved $100 from his paper route to buy a used drumset, and he's been pounding away ever since. He's a long-standing contributor for Modern Drummer magazine, and has written non-fiction books on audio and music-related topics.

Mark lives on the Central Coast of California with his wife and two sons (the four of whom comprise the ever-eclectic dance-rock band, Risky Whippet). Road Rash is his debut novel.

Reviews

Gr 9 Up—Zach Ryan is in disbelief when the Sock Monkeys replace him with a new drummer whose father has both connections and a recording studio. Zach now has no idea what he'll do with this summer. The teen's luck turns around when he's invited to go on tour with a bigger, more popular band. Zach skills blossom as he plays with the more talented group, his confidence grows, and he begins to play around with some original songs written by his bandmate Glenn. He voices interest in adding the original songs to the set list. Unfortunately, another musician feels threatened by Zach's dabbling; tension within the group results, leaving readers to wonder if Zach will be kicked out of this band, too. While the book is a bit too long, the plot and characters will keep readers entertained throughout. The drumming lingo might confuse some readers, but it doesn't negatively affect enjoyment of the story.—Sarah Allen, Judson High School, Converse, TX

“I freakin’ love drumming. . . . There’s something about playing the drums that’s different from any other instrument. Maybe it’s the physical part. I mean, you’re generating sounds by hitting things.” Exuberant 17-year-old Zach has landed the summer job of a lifetime: drumming for an up-and-coming local rock band, whose members invite him on their first multicity gig. Between long, lonely nights on the open road, the crew stops at gritty rock clubs, swanky townie bars, and—after Zach nearly jeopardizes his musical future by taking a hugely ambitious risk—one fully packed arena. A valiant first-novel attempt by Parsons, this travelogue has spots of clunky pacing and underdeveloped dialogue, and drummer jokes interjected randomly throughout chapters further interrupt the slow, sometimes unrefined story line. Where Road Rash crescendos is in its treatment of tumultuous friendships among bandmates, confounding but transfixing first romances, exhilarating tastes of teenage travel freedom, and the passion for pursuing the dream of a future in music. A must-read for young garage-band types. Grades 9-12. --Lexi Walters Wright

Edition details

• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 038575342X
• ISBN 13: 9780385753425
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 352