Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Quote, p187: I would have cried too, but then I pictured Jimi bringing his guitar to life, his whole body transported by the pure power of music. And he didn’t look sad or regretful – he brimmed with energy, savoring every stolen moment of untainted joy. Live in the moment, he seemed to be saying. And for once, I heard the words perfectly. Live in the moment. I could do that. We could all do that.
So, this book wasn’t about Jimi Hendrix. It was based in Seattle and so Jimi and Nirvana both got a few mentions but I just had to add that quote because I love it. And I also love this book. I always enjoy books that have anything to do with music and this one didn’t disappoint. You find out at the beginning that Piper is deaf, and also that she has landed herself in the role of Band Manager for DUMB, the local high school band who are coming off a win at the Battle of the Bands. The first half of the book, I found it to be more about Piper and her relationship with her mother, father, younger brother and baby sister. The band members are hovering around the story and don’t get me wrong, it is a good story and Piper is a great character but I wasn’t really connecting with her.
And then somewhere in the middle it was like BANG, I was emotionally invested in her and her father and her mother and her brother and..the band. Now the band – Will didn’t really feature for me until the end but his role was so very important. I found Tash to be a proud, tough girl but it was all part of her exterior. Josh was….well there had to be a Josh and I held out hope for the entire story that he would be the kind of lead singer that I wanted him to be….Kallie was a bit like Will for me, although she was definitely a part of the story she didn’t really feature until the end and then there was Ed. A sweet, kind, coffee making drummer. I can’t leave out Finn, Piper’s younger brother who was like the invisible cord that bound the story together for me. And Piper, she had a few issues she was dealing with but I loved watching her discover music and how it can make you feel. So, this was a great book. A book about music, a book about relationships, about friendships and a book about a band (and i guess because I secretly wish I was in a band, this book really did it for me!).
Quote, pg 332: With a final deep breath I leaped in the air and began throwing my body back and forth, my right hand yanking the strings of my silent guitar like I needed my fingers to bleed. And when I closed my eyes, it wasn’t out of fear. It was because what I was feeling right there on that stage consumed me. I felt every part of that animal music, felt it eat me up and spit me out, and what emerged was a me a thousand times more powerful that Piper Vaughan. I was Piper Vaughan, guitar hero – spiritual descendant of Jimi Hendrix and proponent of pure anarchy. And I ROCKED.
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