Monday Memories - "Songs About A Girl" Book Series Review 📚

Hello there Internet!

I hope you are doing well wherever you are in the world today 🌏

I'm back again for another week, and I hope that everyone has been doing some fun/interesting things with their lives since the last time I posted. I really wanted to get some more stuff out this week because I'm no longer on Planet Stress with university, but that just didn't end up happening.

Let's just blame it on my laziness and move on, shall we? Thanks for understanding 😁

For real though, this week I do want to get 3 posts up - scout's honour! ✋✋✋

But enough chit chat, onto today's post! I do have to apologize for its late hour of upload real quick. Today in Australia it was my brother's birthday so the necessary celebrations had to be participated in. Sorry, not sorry 👍

Today's post is a unique book review that I originally wrote a while ago. I will say "Songs About A Girl" and its sequel are some of my favourite teen novels ever!

I really hope y'all will go and check them out if my review speaks to you on that kind of level 😄

So, here's the review:

I first came across “Songs About A Girl” last year. I was scanning the shelves for something new and exciting to read. I saw the title on the spine – it intrigued me. I picked it up off the shelf, read the blurb and instantly knew I was going to love this book. After all, it combined music, romance and a relatable female protagonist – three of my favourite things.

I read it in 3 days.

So, I was delighted to discover about a month ago that the second book in the series – “Songs About Us” – had been published. I bought it and read it in just 2 days.

The rapid rate at which I read the first two books in what rock-and-roll singer turned author Chris Russell is advertising as a trilogy is a credit to the complex, addictive narrative world he has created with his simple yet dynamic writing style.

I didn’t want to put it down because I was so engrossed, but I also found myself needing time to process the rollercoaster of emotions I was going through. It was a lot, but that didn’t mean I didn’t like it.

I LOVED it. Every word.

One of the many swoon-worthy and potentially cheesy lines from the series' main love story 

The main premise of these two books is a staple of young adult romance novels: a teenage love triangle. Our humble photographer protagonist Charlie Bloom is caught between Olly Samson and Gabriel West, two members of Fire&Lights – the biggest boyband in the world.

*Dramatic gasps* Which one will she choose?

It’s safe to say that things get very complicated very quickly on this front, and I’m kind of over it. Charlie shares touching moments with both the boys, and also some awkward moments that make the other guy realise they’re not the only one in the picture. Long story short, I don’t care who she ends up with. As long as she’s happy, right?

But boy bands are all the rage these days since the explosive success of One Direction, and Russell credits his love of this British boyband as the inspiration for his fictitious creation Fire&Lights. Each of the 4 guys has a distinct personality with quirks that could appeal to every kind of female reader. My favourite band member was unassuming Irishman Aiden because he seemed quite down to earth and the most grounded in amongst the commotion.

He goes on his own mini journey of self-discovery too, and anytime he popped up was a refreshing relief from the intense love drama of Charlie, Olly and Gabriel. I also loved his friendship with fellow bandmate Yuki – lots of fun bromance moments to chuckle at!

One of many powerful quotes from Russell's second installment - "Songs About Us".

From reading the blurbs alone, you would be correct in thinking that this series is just another quintessential tween love story built around the 21^st Century entertainment scene. But I would argue that there is more to Russell’s concoctions than this.

Lessons about social media, gossip and the Internet are seamlessly thrown into the narrative to show how seemingly fickle the world of music fandom can be. There’s intense love and admiration for these mega popular, superstar acts who sell out arenas and tour the world; but there is an ever-present dark side too. People can be cruel when this admiration turns into faceless, malicious trolling on the net.

It’s hard not to have your heart splinter for Charlie when this sort of behaviour is targeted towards her; often as the result of misunderstandings. I believe these books serve as a reminder of the things we say online having very real, offline consequences.

Despite how cliché the narrative of boy-band love triangle drama could sound, the concurrent parent backstory that Russell weaves in amongst the romance is perhaps the most compelling thing about this series. Charlie has had this hole in her heart for 13 years not knowing much about how her mother died, but now she’s discovering the truth for herself.

And it’s MASSIVE. Riding the revelations alongside Charlie, the pieces of the puzzle are laid out for readers across the two novels in a combination of slow release and rapid fire; and I am HOOKED. It fits so perfectly, yet I’m utterly flawed by every development. I think Russell is still keeping the juiciest pieces of Katherine Bloom’s death close to his chest, but he has this annoyingly brilliant habit of dropping a complete bombshell with the last words of each book. It’s safe to say I want book #3 RIGHT NOW because I am dying to know how this story ends!

Russell seamlessly integrates his fictional narrative into modern music culture; making it all the more immersive for readers.

Arguably, my absolute favourite character is Charlie. There’s something so simple and humbling about the way Russell has created her personality, and the first-person point of view allows readers to step right into her shoes and her mind. Although she is weaving herself a concerningly large web of lies to protect her boyband escapades and family investigations from her father, there is a lot of lovable things about her.

The strength and determination she carries when reopening wounds concerning her mother and the breakdown of her family is admirable, but she also doesn’t get too caught up in the glitz and glamour of Fire&Lights’ super stardom. She stays true to herself through all the twists and turns.

She often held herself with a maturity that made you forget she’s only 16 years old. But there were times when her sweetness was exposed in vulnerability, and her fragile innocence made you just want to give her a hug.

There’s a lot to like about this series because of its wide subject appeal. “Songs About A Girl” was a fantastic introduction, with plenty of moments that’ll make readers gasp, laugh and sigh. It’s follow-up “Songs About Us” was arguably a little darker, with deeper development and new challenges cropping up along the way.

They are both fantastic reads for people who dream of saying “I’m with the band”, but I think they’re also fantastic for anyone who loves a good romance and a compelling story because Russell knows how to hit all the right notes.

Happy reading!

★☆★☆★☆★

SONGS ABOUT A GIRL BLURB: “Charlie Bloom never wanted to be 'with the band'. She's happiest out of the spotlight, behind her camera, unseen and unnoticed. But when she's asked to take backstage photos for hot new boy band Fire&Lights, she can't pass up the chance.

Catapulted into a world of paparazzi and backstage bickering, Charlie soon becomes caught between gorgeous but damaged frontman, Gabriel West, and his boy-next-door bandmate Olly Samson. Then, as the boys' rivalry threatens to tear the band apart, Charlie stumbles upon a mind-blowing secret, hidden in the lyrics of their songs...”

SONGS ABOUT US BLURB: “Charlie Bloom is just an ordinary girl. Who happened to spend last winter hanging out with the hottest boy band in the world. No biggie.

But that’s all ancient history. And now Charlie doesn’t have time to even think about Fire&Lights. Or what when down with Gabe… Until she’s pulled into their world of glamour and paparazzi once again. As old feelings are rekindled, Charlie notices that the band seems different this time. But then again so is she…”

★☆★☆★☆★

I really hope you enjoyed that review. I love writing about books almost as much as I love reading them, so these are quickly becoming some of my favourite things to post 😃.

If you want to read more stuff like this, remember to follow me at @miss_memphis98 on either Instagram and/or Twitter to keep up with when I post and what topics I am talking about on the Internet 😀.

Thanks so much for reading,

Love and emotional musical narratives, Emily xx 😻