The Brightsiders by Jen Wilde

Summary from Goodreads:

A teen rockstar has to navigate family, love, coming out, and life in the spotlight after being labeled the latest celebrity trainwreck in Jen Wilde's quirky and utterly relatable novel.

As a rock star drummer in the hit band The Brightsiders, Emmy King’s life should be perfect. But there’s nothing the paparazzi love more than watching a celebrity crash and burn. When a night of partying lands Emmy in hospital and her girlfriend in jail, she’s branded the latest tabloid train wreck.

Luckily, Emmy has her friends and bandmates, including the super-swoonworthy Alfie, to help her pick up the pieces of her life. She knows hooking up with a band member is exactly the kind of trouble she should be avoiding, and yet Emmy and Alfie Just. Keep. Kissing.

Will the inevitable fallout turn her into a clickbait scandal (again)? Or will she find the strength to stand on her own?

Review:

The story/plot is nothing special, but....this is the most gender diverse book I’ve ever read. The main character is bi. Her bff is non binary. Her bandmate/character I shipped her with is genderqueer. Another character is gay. What a perfect book to read for pride month! I’m so excited this book exists!

I’m not going to lie; I had to Google some things to understand the pronouns used for all the characters. But, as I’m sure is true to life, I got used to it. And by the end of the book, had such big respect for the author for maintaining this and never messing up on what each character deserved and would expect. I’m also happy to learn more about what I don’t know, so this book was just awesome overall for representation, for education, and for it’s ability to make all people relatable.

In regards to diversity, this book gets an A+. I also really enjoyed getting to know the characters. They were believable teen rock stars. I found the scenes both with the paparazzi and the fans to be completely believable. It’s really a shame that they are fictional. How cool would such a diverse band be? They’re kind of the band my generation desperately needs. Best case scenario: the book will inspire groups like this to start?

Also, the romance was sizzling. All the secret moments on the boat were so good, I had to stop reading it when people entered the lunchroom I was sitting in. I love that Ryan was having his own romance too.

I read a ton of YA, and while I’m used to the “awful parents” trope, I was not prepared for my strong hatred of Emmy’s parents. They took the trope to a whole new level. And the author took this book to an even deeper level when dealing with Emmy’s relationship with them and her ex. The book did a good job juxtaposing a healthy relationship with an emotionally abusive one. And Emmy’s character just seemed so much more real for her need to please everyone.

All in all, the rock star story is nothing new. However, almost everything else about this book was totally new (at least for me). I loved the representation of different communities. I loved the characters. I loved the emotional dramas and the romance. I loved the songs written in between the plot. I really loved this. I give it a 9/10. I can’t wait to read more by this author.