Books Jack Reads

Note: This book is recommended for readers aged 16 and over.

Reasons: Violence, offensive language, sexual references, and drug references

 

Robert Muchamore has made a name for himself in teenage fiction with his mature and realistic CHERUB series (see the previous post for my review of the first book in this series, The Recruit). Now, Robert has a rocking new series out, which I think is also going to be a hit with your kids.

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Rock War tells three interconnected stories of three teenagers: Jay, Summer, and Dylan, who all have a different connection to music. Jay is the guitarist in a band he started with his two brothers, Summer has an amazing singing voice, and Dylan is pretty good on technical instruments like the keyboard.

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None of them have ever gone pro though, as they all have their own seperate personal issues that hold them back. Jay's younger brother Tristan is terrible on the drums, Summer has to look after her nan all the time, as well as having terrible stage fright, and Dylan is too lazy to stick at anything apart from smoking.

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But all of that is about to change when a nation-wide music competition is announced. With a radio interview and $100 on the line, which band will win Rock the Lock?

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If your kids have already read Robert's CHERUB series, or just like music, then they'll enjoy this story. There are four books in this series, and this one is the first.

 

For kids that are into music, there are heaps of famous bands and songs mentioned in the story, such as The Rolling Stones, Talking Heads, and even though they aren't actually a rock band, One Direction also gets a mention.

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If your kids are into CHERUB and aren't interested in music, don't worry, because Robert's thought of that as well. There are a few action sequences, as well as a couple of references to CHERUB (I won't reveal what they are here, but keep your eyes open and you might spot them)!

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Overall, this is another funny and engaging story by Robert, with various plot twists to keep it interesting, believable and well-established characters, and best of all, lots and lots of rock!