Review Detail

I've read my fair share of YA novels set in high school and none of them have revolved around marching band. It was refreshing to see the band nerd represented.

Yasmin Treviño has dreams of being the top flute player in the marching band even if it means having to beat her best friend Sofia for the first chair position. She has been practicing all summer while Sofia has been off hanging with her obnoxious boyfriend Andy.

Yasmin is so close to fulfilling her dream, but when she sees a video of a freshman tuba player being harassed by some of the band kids, she decides to report it to her teacher. The majority of the tuba section, including Sofia's boyfriend Andy, are kicked out of band. Yasmin has become the most hated member of the marching band. In hopes of making Sofia less angry, Yasmin offers to move to the tuba section when the music teacher asks for volunteers.

Despite her effort to make things right, Yasmin deals with constant bullying from an anonymous Instagram page. Yasmin tries her best to not let it bother her but everyone has a breaking point. In the end, Yasmin learns what true friendship is all about.

Initially, I thought this book was going to be all about Yasmin's band crush and though that is a storyline it is not the focus. The real emotional drama centers around Sofia and Yasmin's failing friendship. At times I was frustrated with the way Yasmin let Sofia walk all over her. The hair dye incident made me angry because it was obviously deliberate and Yasmin didn't call Sofia out on it. The way Yasmin was treated made me wonder why she even wanted to be friends with Sofia. Their friendship felt very toxic especially compared to the new friendships Yasmin was making with the low brass section.

Anna Meriano writes an excellent portrayal of teenage life, from school pressures to family pressures to bullying, she was able to capture it all. The highlight of this book is how she focused on representation. A wide range of characters are represented, including queer, non-binary, and those of different religions and ethnicities. This is exactly what you'd find in any diverse high school, and I appreciate this book's representation.

It Sounds Like This is not just for the marching band geek, but for anyone wanting to read about teenage friendship.