Secret Rules to Being a Rockstar

De: Jessamyn Violet

Narrado por: Amanda Dolan

Acclaimed musician Jessamyn Violet's debut LGBTQA+ novel sizzles with a coming-of-age story set in an industry of ambition, secrets, lies, and utter joy.

Eighteen-year-old Kyla Bell dreams of one day being a professional musician . . . but gets little to no support from her parents. Still, she practices every day and performs locally, harboring her own secret hopes. One night, her dreams are answered in the form of sultry rocker Ruby Sky, the magnetic frontwoman of her favorite band, Glitter Tears. Ruby hears Kyla perform and asks her to join the band on keys for their upcoming tour.

In order to accept, Kyla must drop out of her Western Massachusetts high school and move to Los Angeles immediately to live with a renowned yet highly volatile producer who has agreed to put her through "rock star boot camp" in a matter of weeks. Blindsided by her emerging feelings for Ruby Sky, Kyla tumbles through the lights and shadows of the nineties music scene in Los Angeles.

©2023 Jessamyn Violet (P)2023 Tantor

Cute 90s YA rock n roll

Secret Rules to Being a Rockstar is a coming of age novel about teenage Kyla Bell who travels across country to LA in hopes of becoming a rock star. The novel places special emphasis on the themes of parent daughter and rock band relationships. Typical teenage / parent tensions rise as Kyla decides to pursue her music dreams, requiring her to drop out of high school and relinquish her full ride college scholarship. Kyla considers this an opportunity of a lifetime, while her parents want her to be “more practical” and believe she will fail.
When Kyla enters the star studded world of Hollywood, she begins to wonder if they might not have been correct. Old rich men confidently flirt with young women. Music idols reveal their dark sides of drinking and depression. The band is constantly fighting, and Kyla is afraid she may never, they may never, make it to their planned tour.
When band lead Ruby Star has an unplanned pregnancy, the importance of friendship versus career motivations are put to the test. The band grows closer as they come together to help Ruby. With her friends help, Ruby decides not to cancel the tour.
This book was decent. I did not particularly care for Kyla’s homophobic mother, but understand that she suffered from mental health issues and may not have been fully to blame for her prejudice. The plot was fun, but I did not feel any high stake tension. It was a cute YA read.