Loved the voice, loved the exploration of life as an artist, loved the cast of realistic characters with strengths and flaws.

Oh, this was fun! The authorial voice was completely authentic- so much so that I found myself saying stern motherly things to the protagonist. Out loud.

Sammy lives for music, but he's also a regular teenage kid with insecurities, blind spots, family issues and in short, a normal life. I love reading about kids with normal lives, kids who are not Representing A Disorder. Samuel is hilarious to read about from an adult perspective, too- this book works on more than one level, and hits on all cylinders.

This is a lovely coming-of-age book with a satisfyingly complex cast of characters, believable dialogue, and a solid plot.

My favorite part is the dialogue about sex between Sammy and his loving but occasionally clueless mom. I can't resist sharing a bit of it:

"But the stuff she said didn't exactly make me feel any more ready, especially conversations that went something like this:

MOM: You know, Sam, when you do decide to start having sex, which shouldn't be anytime soon because you're much too young--

ME: Oh, God, Mom. Can't we just watch the movie?

MOM: No, I just want to clarify that the scene you have just witnessed has very little to do with a realistic and healthy sexual union.

ME: I get it. It's just a movie. I don't plan on hunting down killer cyborgs, either. Now, can we--"

And it goes on, and just gets funnier, from there.


( )

I seem to have a theme going on now. Surprise, surprise it has to do with music! :)
This book was great. I usually do not read books written from a guys POV but now I think I might add it into the mix much more often. It was not frilly, in the way that a female main character would describe things, but it still had depth and soul. The chapters are song titles and the author lists them at the end in Playlist/setlist form. I found the romance aspect to be just the right amount. The main character, Sammy/Samuel and his best friend turned girlfriend, Jen5/Jennifer/Fiver, are sweet and show a good coming of age aspect. Struts & Frets keeps the reader engaged through out and is very realtable to the reader whether you ARE a teen or WERE a teen 5, 10, 15, 20.... etc years ago. It has the teenage angst and triumphs and has a great soundtrack of a mixture of pop/punk/rock/metalcore/ and jazz. Crazy, I know, but thats the teen years for you! ( )

After reading non-stop paranormal, this book was a huge shift for me. I was afraid I’d get antsy, but luckily that was not the case. Struts & Frets was humorous and extremely entertaining.

My brother plays guitar. Every boyfriend I’ve ever had has played guitar. And my dad wishes he could play guitar. So needless to say, even though the only guitar I can play is for a videogame, this book felt really familiar to me. I’m definitely not saying that you have to have those kinds of connections to enjoy it. Sammy’s struggles to deal with girls, his erratic grandfather and the asshole lead singer of his band makes for a simple but raw read that will hook anybody.

I’m not really used to reading books in the mindset of guys. Mostly because some of the ones that I have read were written by females and didn’t really differ all that much from a girl’s POV. But Jon got it right. (Which is a relief because he’s a guy, so ..) Sammy, and the other zany members of Tragedy Of Wisdom had me cracking up.

Overall, if you didn’t get past my endless rambling, I loved Struts & Frets. If you’re stuck on ghosts, vampires, werewolves, angels & faeries- stop and read something real. The music, the humor and the authenticity of Sammy’s journey to find a place for himself in the music world is one that you shouldn’t pass up. ( )

Sammy Bojar is a musician. He plays guitar in a band that, unfortunately, is named Tragedy of Wisdom, since his lead singer, Joe, is the kind of terrifying dude that you just don’t mess with when he tells you Tragedy of Reason sucks. His best friend Rick is the bassist and TJ the drummer is one of the most solid musicians you’ll ever find. When a Battle of the Bands is announced, Sammy worries that it’s too commercial for their band, but once again Joe convinces everyone they’re going to play. Of course, this would require Joe to remember Sammy’s lyrics and Rick to play the right baseline. But priorities go out the window when Sammy’s grandfather starts acting strange. Further complicating matters is Sammy’s other best friend, the super cute but (up until now) one of the guys Jen5, is revealed to be in love with him. This funny, sweet, exciting novel is a sure-fire hit with indie-rock wannabes and veterans, as well as anyone who’s ever had to navigate the complex fields of first love. ( )