Reviews (& original hardcover art by Eric Velasquez © 1995)

Publishers Weekly Starred Review

Surpassing LeMieux's first novel, The T.V. Guidance Counselor, in its power and sensitivity, this new drama focuses on relationships among a trio of teenagers-Boog, an accomplished guitarist; Carey, a talented but disturbed girl struggling with her father's alcoholism; and self-assured, charismatic Theo. Boog and Theo have been best friends since childhood, even before they discovered blues music and formed a band of their own. Their strong bond begins to unravel when, during their senior year at Yardley High, Carey Harrigan enters the scene, dressed like a "walking tag sale," and sweeps Theo off his feet. Theo's attempts to help Carey put together the pieces of her shattered self-image lead to a series of ugly confrontations and a chilling climax readers will not soon forget. This absorbing exploration of adolescent hopes, dreams and vulnerability contains undertones as resonant and melancholy as a blues melody. 

Ages 11-up.                                                                                                                    © 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. 

Kirkus Reviews

An absorbing novel about friendship, love, competing loyalties, and loss. From the opening line, Boog's first-person narrative sweeps readers into his story; an undercurrent of foreboding makes it almost impossible to put it down until the last page is turned. Boog and Theo are best friends and members of a high school blues band. But their relationship changes when Theo falls in love with Carey Harrigan, a strange new girl at school. Carey is a writer; she is sensitive, intelligent, and somehow vulnerable, too. Boog likes her, but can't quite figure her out, and he resents the hold she has on Theo. As she first proved in The T.V. Guidance Counselor (1993), LeMieux is a very good writer. Her multifaceted characters major and minor contradict themselves, get confused, and say things they don't really mean, just like real people. They care for each other, and readers care for them, and about what happens to them. LeMieux demonstrates a belief in the basic goodness of human nature; her arguments are persuasive, and the book is first rate. 

(Fiction. 12+).                                                                                                                                             July 1, 1995

The Horn Book Magazine

The relationship between Boog and Theo — best friends since childhood and co-founders of a blues band — undergoes changes during their senior year of high school when Theo falls in love. Boog tells the story of these changes in a quiet and moving novel. Theo is a charismatic teenager, successful with music, school, and friendships, so it is a surprise to Boog when Theo falls in love with the enigmatic, withdrawn Carey. As the year progresses she becomes increasingly important to Theo, and he consistently chooses her over Boog and the band. The year ends in tragedy when Theo is accidentally killed as he crosses a highway. Boog is now forced to forgive Theo for cherishing Carey at the expense of other parts of his life and to forgive Carey for being the agent of change. Boog tells the story in the sometimes casual, sometimes intense, voice of a teenager. He and Theo are sympathetic, richly drawn characters with human complexities and frailties. LeMieux treats her theme with care in an emotional but never maudlin story of tragedy and growth. 12/1995