We all want to fit in, be part of the group, and be accepted for who we are. Sid is no exception to this: as an extraordinarily talented drummer, she lives her life doing what she loves. However, Sid yearns for the opportunity to be the drummer for a local band and when she is asked to change one small thing about herself to make that opportunity happen, she drops her reservations and tries.
In some books, when the plain girl gets a makeover, the whole world changes: boys suddenly notice that she is beautiful and want to be with her, the mean girls at school suddenly realize they were wrong to bully her and the job that rejected her suddenly cannot do enough to bring her into the fold. For Sid, when she makes herself over to better fit the image of what the hottest band in high school, The Fourth Down (TFD), wants, things do indeed change for her: a dear friend is lost, unwanted sexual attention is gained and disappointment is earned from one of her mentors.
I love YA fiction (and read it almost exclusively) because it leaps into difficult subjects without hesitation and challenges with the topic without a lot of flowery fuss. Sid deals with being thought of as being gay to being the object of sexual harassment and an assault and does so in a very realistic manner. Sid is an incredibly likable character, as are all the characters in this book. They have faults, they have feelings, they have misunderstandings and tragedies and throughout the entire book, I like them all from her workaholic father to her goofy love interest Brad as well as her friends and school guidance counsellor.
Ultimately, Sid learns a lesson or two and Karen Bass makes sure it happens without being preachy. It is evident that Bass knows and understands young people and I look forward to reading more of her books!
On order at the Stettler Public Library. Place a hold on it today!
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