I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Disclosure here.
Reading age
12-17
Genre
Realistic fiction
Publisher
Kokila
Publication date
2024, March 12
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Riley strives to work hard to make music her future.
Riley Jo, a 17-year-old Korean American girl, is determined to pursue a career in music and leave her hometown of Bentonville behind. To achieve her dreams, she applied to Clarmont to join their contemporary band. However, this meant that she had to make a deal with her mom: Riley would spend her senior year at Clarmont and, in exchange, attend Bentonville University for four years. Despite the sacrifice, Riley will do whatever it takes to succeed in the band and prove herself to others.
The book, Not Your Average Jo, was a great read. The book provided valuable tips about the music industry, which I found helpful. The message of always working hard to achieve your dreams resonated with me. However, the book’s primary focus was on the sensitive issue of racism, which is quite an important issue. While informative, it could have taken away from the story’s central theme.
The book’s characters, Riley, Elise, and Aerie, were all unique and stood out in their ways. Riley’s hardworking nature was inspiring, and Elise’s quirky personality added a fun element to the story. The messages of standing up for yourself and feeling like you belong were crucial and quite inspiring.
The book included many Gen-Z references, which were too many for my liking. While I understand the book’s target audience is young adults, this may have needed to be more balanced.
Overall, I recommend this book to anyone aspiring to be a music artist who enjoys an inspiring story. The book provides valuable insights into the music industry, and the characters and messages will leave a lasting impression on the reader.
About the author
“Grace K. Shim lives with her husband and three children in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the author of the young adult novels The Noh Family and Not Your Average Jo. You can find Grace on Twitter @gracemisplaced1 and Instagram @gkshimwrites.” – Amazon
My rating
