Short and sweet, sad and optimistic. A teen issue novel, but with sweet, complicated characters that make it worthwhile. Really liked it. ( )

subject matter was interesting but the writing was pretty elementary and simplistic. lots of random plot lines introduced and never followed through on, and writing somehow felt lazy and like it was trying too hard at the same time. again, story was interesting but it was a kinda laborsome to finish. ( )

Big fan of Blondie here, which made me pick up the book in the first place. Entertaining in points but felt a bit naive. The male protagonist's voice just didn't ring entirely true to me. ( )

The story follows Johnny from the tragedy of losing his father, through drug additiction and loneliness, to a new start living with his uncle and making friends with Maria, a rebel. Johnny learns that there are those who love him, even if he does like to dress up like Debbie Harry. ( )

Reviewed by Breanna F. for TeensReadToo.com

Johnny has had a bit of a tough life so far and he has always been somewhat of a freak. When he was younger, his father died and his mother completely fell apart. Johnny had to learn how to pay the bills and practically take care of the both of them. When Johnny ended up falling into the Goth scene, his mother somehow came out of her funk and became all concerned for Johnny. All Johnny wants to do is party with his friends and drink. But, one night at a club, this girl gives him some sort of drug when all he wanted was an aspirin - and he ends up in the hospital from a drug overdose.

Of course, after the overdose, his mother sends him to rehab, and while there Johnny discovers Debbie Harry of Blondie singing in French. He is immediately taken aback. Debbie's voice blows him away, and it doesn't hurt that she's a complete bombshell.

After Johnny gets back from rehab, things are a bit weird between him and his mother. His mom can't handle it, so she sends him away to live with his Uncle Sam and his daughter, Bug, in South Carolina. Johnny is flaming angry at first, but once there realizes that his Uncle is pretty great and Bug is an awesome little kid. And of course, there's Maria Costello (as in Elvis). She's an interesting girl who Johnny takes a liking to pretty quickly. When Maria discovers Johnny's love of Debbie, and that secretly Johnny wants to be like her, she buys this dress that looks like one of Debbie's and tells Johnny about a drag contest in New York. At first Johnny doesn't know whether she's serious or if she's making fun of him.

With trying to practice for the contest, helping Bug with projects for school, getting bullied nonstop by some guys who used to be Maria's friends, and dealing with the fact that his mother can't handle him, Johnny has a lot on his plate.

DEBBIE HARRY SINGS IN FRENCH was a great debut novel by Meagan Brothers. It puts you inside the head of a pretty confused young man. Things are tough enough for teenagers in the first place, but when you throw in the loss of a parent things can be even harder. The title had me intrigued when I first picked up this book and it didn't let me down. Johnny was a really great in-depth character and so was Maria.

If you're in the mood for reading about a slightly troubled boy who turns to Debbie Harry and his girlfriend Maria to keep him from starting to drink again, then this is a great book for you. ( )