We Built This City

February 1, 2024
A 12-year-old girl learns about friendship and romance during her lip-sync performance group's 1985 summer tour. Stephanie "Stevie" Finnegan, an eighth grader from Cheyenne, Wyoming, who's cued white, is thrilled to be old enough to go on a monthlong tour of 22 cities with Synchronicity for the first time. The group's premise is that all children deserve to participate in the arts, even if they're not exceptionally talented. The kids are clearly filled with confidence and enthusiasm, describing their efforts on stage as "rad" and "awesome." Between performances, Stevie has a plan for the summer: to get famous radio host Casey Kasem to dedicate "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler to her crush, Joey. Joey is charming, cute, and kind--except when his friends are around. On top of that, Stevie is worried about Brandon, her older brother, whose epilepsy may be getting worse. Even as Stevie faces these personal difficulties, the tone of the book remains gentle and upbeat. Though she takes a few steps down the dark path of wondering whether it's her own shortcomings and lack of confidence that make Joey show his unpleasant side, she eventually sees that he's not the person she thought he was and that she can't improve him by changing her own behavior. She looks for real friendship instead, finding it among her fellow cast members. Eighties music, slang, and fashion are woven throughout, placing the novel strongly in its time. A sweet, exuberant story. (Historical fiction. 10-13)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 1, 2024
It's 1985, and twelve-year-old Stevie has spent years performing with Synchronicity -- a group whose shows are part lip synch, part dance, and some ASL. This summer, they're on a (chaperoned) cross-country tour. Offstage, Stevie is shy and anxious. Even though she's determined to ask out her crush via Long-Distance Dedication on American Top 40 Countdown, she can't stop tripping over her words when she talks to him in person. She's also worried about her brother, who has epilepsy and keeps brushing her off. But somewhere along the road from Omaha to New York City and back to Cheyenne, Stevie believes she'll learn how to be a star. In a road-trip novel that's chaotic but deeply joyful, Patrick captures the thrills and anxieties of performing onstage -- and all the complicated relationships that go on behind the scenes. The prose is at times darkly funny and at others affecting. The protagonist's reverence for 1980s pop culture also shines through and is convincing even if readers have little familiarity with the era. Though Stevie's attempts at first romance take center stage, it's most rewarding to watch her confidence grow as she slowly builds connections with her castmates and realizes that strong friendships can be as vital as first love. Bodie Shanis

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 19, 2024
Grades 5-8 Cat Patrick delivers a heartfelt coming-of-age story starring preteen Stevie as she embarks on a summer tour with her youth performance group around the U.S. Set in the 1980s, this novel follows Stevie's perception of the folks around her, her worries and fears, and even her big crush. Stevie learns that she isn't the first person in the world to have crushes and suffer public embarrassment (she certainly won't be the last) nor will the pain last forever.The story focuses on how good friendships are supposed to look and the difference having a good friend can make, all the while serving up '80s era slang and tech. Portable cassette players, a Winnebago, and similarly aged technology offer a refreshing look at past lifestyle staples. This is a fun read, especially for kids familiar with old school movies and music--though it certainly could be a springboard for initiates. Hand this to fans of Raina Telgemeier's Drama or books by Terri Libenson.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2024
It's 1985, and twelve-year-old Stevie has spent years performing with Synchronicity -- a group whose shows are part lip synch, part dance, and some ASL. This summer, they're on a (chaperoned) cross-country tour. Offstage, Stevie is shy and anxious. Even though she's determined to ask out her crush via Long-Distance Dedication on American Top 40 Countdown, she can't stop tripping over her words when she talks to him in person. She's also worried about her brother, who has epilepsy and keeps brushing her off. But somewhere along the road from Omaha to New York City and back to Cheyenne, Stevie believes she'll learn how to be a star. In a road-trip novel that's chaotic but deeply joyful, Patrick captures the thrills and anxieties of performing onstage -- and all the complicated relationships that go on behind the scenes. The prose is at times darkly funny and at others affecting. The protagonist's reverence for 1980s pop culture also shines through and is convincing even if readers have little familiarity with the era. Though Stevie's attempts at first romance take center stage, it's most rewarding to watch her confidence grow as she slowly builds connections with her castmates and realizes that strong friendships can be as vital as first love.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)