Manning, Sarra. Guitar girl - Young Adult Review - Book Review

Kliatt, March, 2004 by Claire Rosser

Penguin, Dutton. 217p. c2003. 0-525-47234-7. $15.99. S

What are the odds that I would be reviewing two books about teenage girls who become fabulously famous rock stars--in the same issue? (See Pop Princess, above.) Guitar Girl is set in England and Manning is a writer with a lot of experience, as an entertainment editor for J17 magazine. She seems comfortable telling a story about a successful rock band and the gossipy details--their love lives, their professional jealousy, their weaknesses for alcohol and drugs. Mollie, the lead singer and songwriter, is an interesting character, brilliant in her way, confused and immature most of the time. Miraculously, Mollie and two of her friends start playing around one day with a song Mollie puts together and voile--soon they are a successful band, with a manager and plenty of work. Two male musicians, slightly older, join them, providing better musical arrangements and more energy and skill. Mollie is still the driving force and creative talent, but one of the new guys, Dean, is jealous. There is a lot of tension between Mollie and Dean, and eventually they become lovers--secret lovers, having a lot of sex--pretending that they hate each other when they are with the rest of the band. One really amusing subplot is based around Mollie's parents--aging hippies who adore Bob Dylan and hate the music Mollie and the band are making together. The parents are extremely protective of their daughter, of course with little effect. They wish she would quit all of the glitz and settle down by going to college. The cover features a believable Mollie. with bright red hair, just like in the story. American readers will have to struggle a bit with the British expressions and culture. For instance, Mollie has to spend three months on A-Level revision--do you know what that is? Mollie's friend Jane has a serious drinking problem and also gets into trouble with drugs. Her other friend in the band, Tara, kisses her one night and confesses that she loves her. All this is told in a gossipy, exaggerated fashion. I like this line of Mollie's, assuming the reader knows Jane Eyre, "Except I wasn't wearing a bonnet and didn't have to eke out an existence as a governess to a brooding man with a mad wife locked away in his attic. My life was far worse than that." This all is a bit risque for the youngest YAs, but everyone is going to enjoy listening to Mollie's woes. Claire Rosser, KLIATT