Published: May 1, 2015
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
My Thoughts
Tim’s a young singer-songwriter with a guitar case full of songs and dreams of finding an audience to embrace his tunes.
Mandy’s obsessed with music and a compulsive dreamer. She’s longing for something more fulfilling than daytime TV and cups of tea with best friend Alice, something like the excitement and passion of rock ’n’ roll.
When their eyes meet at a gig, sparks fly Tim’s a young singer-songwriter with a guitar case full of songs and dreams of finding an audience to embrace his tunes.
Mandy’s obsessed with music and a compulsive dreamer. She’s longing for something more fulfilling than daytime TV and cups of tea with best friend Alice, something like the excitement and passion of rock ’n’ roll.
When their eyes meet at a gig, sparks fly across a crowded room and hope burns in their hearts.
But in a city of millions and a scene overrun with wannabes, can they ever get it together? Will Mandy’s nerves doom their romance before it even starts? And where does the darkness in Tim's songs come from?
This is a story of Sydney's Inner West, of first love, crush bands and mix tapes; of the thrill of the night and what happens when the music stops.
Set in the cafes pubs and dives of Sydney's Inner West YOU'RE THE KIND OF GIRL I WRITE SONGS ABOUT is a ballad to that time of your life when you are trying to work out who you are, what it is you want and what will it take to get you there.
My Thoughts
'Sometimes I think that the difference between the happiest people and the most miserable bastards is only one thing; the ability they have to control their memories.'
Another lovable Aussie YA book that is a perfect read for fans of rock music.
Tim is repeating his last year of school before uni and his intentions were to have a low-key year. He wanted to take the time to get things back on track after a crazy time he had the year before with family and life in general. His plan is going well until a beautiful, brown-eyed girl distracts him with her black painted nails and Replacements T-shirt.
Mandy has one thing figured out to a certainty… and that is that she loves music. She hits small local establishments that feature up and coming music artists in the hopes of running across the next big hit. When Tim catches her eye at the Annandale Hotel, she knows she's stumbled upon a gem.
As Mandy and Tim get to know each other, which is shared through alternating perspectives that are told in short bursts of narrative between the two, we uncover the complications that is growing up and defining yourself.
There were so many qualities that I liked about Mandy as I got to know her through her perspective. I loved how she cared about others in general. She works in a sandwich shop and sneaks out meals to a homeless man she constantly sees outside begging for food and money. Despite the trouble she finds herself in by doing this, she doesn't care and continues to feed the man. She’s there for her friend Alice and defends her from the mean boy that broke her heart. There were so many little moments that made this character bigger than fiction. I enjoyed the time I took to get to know her and I could have continued on for several more chapters.
The only hiccup I experienced was the pacing of this novel. It seemed to be deliberately slow and steadily paced. Despite the short chapters that switched between Mandy and Tim, it took a while for things to happen, but overall I enjoyed the story, especially the ongoing references to classic rock. I also enjoyed the play on the title of this book, which represented a music tape Tim made for Mandy. The first word of each sone on the tape is the title of the book. CUTE!
'Music is the best place to reinvent yourself and it doesn’t make you any less real.'
The Auisie backdrop and music venues were a nice addition to the scenery. This book makes me want to stock up on music T-shirts! It did get a bit slow at times but I never felt disconnected from the characters. Nicely done.
3 Snowflakes
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