That's Why I Wrote This Song

Reader reviewed by Chris

That's Why I Wrote This Song Susanne Gervay (Harper Collins)
This is a brilliantly crafted gritty Young Adult book, especially for girls and especially for those who love music. It comes with a website link to free downloads of two songs with lyrics written by Susanne's daughter Tory. It is the story of four teenage girls and their sometimes uneasy family lives. The girls are united by one cause - their passion for music.
by Chris Cheng www.newkidsbooksinoz.blogspot.com

Reader reviewed by Rastous

Girls, boys, music great mix! And who hasn't dreamed of being in a rock band? And what could be better than hooking up with your besties and forming an allgirl band. That's what Pip, Irina, Karen and Angie did when they formed their band Not Perfect. These are four different girls lead very different lives, but when they come together and play, they are as one. These girls rock.

Bestselling author Susanne Gervay wrote THAT'S WHY I WROTE THIS SONG, and her musician daughter Tory wrote the lyrics. The book explores the lives of four very different teenage girls and their relationships with their fathers, boys and each other. All this is set around the music scene and the girls' passion for and involvement with it, from rock concerts, weekend music festivals and the girls' own band. Susanne says,
'Rock music, girls, guys, love, loss, bullying, life - that's what I write about because it's important, funny, sad and real.'

A recording of two songs by Tory is available to download from the HarperCollins website:
http://www.harpercollins.com.au/promotions/thatswhyiwrotethissong/
and Susanne's website:
www.sgervay.com

Susane was fabulous to talk to, and she's definitely keen on both music and writing - this is a great ... book!

Check it out at:

http://rastous.podomatic.com

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Reprinted here with author's permission

Reader reviewed by Sally

YA Book Review: That's Why I Wrote this Song, by Susanne Gervay
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

'Four girls. One dream.

I write because I write. Ive always done it. Private, emotions-on-the-page lyrics. Not-to-show-anyone words. Lately its been spilling out. Flooding me. Sometimes the music screams at me, exploding into my mind. Lyrics and music. I cant stop them.'

Pip lives for music. Sometimes it is fun, other times its an escape from the real world, a world where Mum is scared and her dad is angry. Pips three friends love music too. Irina plays drums, but her Russian parents dont approve. They want her to play the piano and study hard. Karens parents are divorced, and Karen has to move between them, left with no home, no space of her own. Without music she might well have nothing. Angie has a perfect life, but she loves music, too. The four girls are very different, but music brings them together.

As they move through a tumultuous year of school, boys and family pressures, the girls form a band, Not Perfect. They will make their debut appearance at the mid-year school concert, and it will be unreal. Or will it be a failure? Pip wonders sometimes whether theyll last until the concert.

Thats Why I Wrote This Song is an outstanding new young adult read, with the world of music and bands forming an absorbing backdrop for the dramas, big and small, of the four girls lives. Exploring teen issues including parent-child relationships, family roles, boyfriends, friendships and more, the story is an emotion-filled journey. The lyrics of the girls songs pepper the book, adding a new dimension to the story and providing an insight into the song-writing process.

Thats Why I Wrote This Song is the result of a collaboration between best-selling author Susanne Gervay and her daughter, Tory, who wrote the lyrics. In true family spirit, Susannes son, Jamie, also had input into the plot. For music fans, there is the added bonus that the two songs featured in the book can be downloaded from the publishers website, and a film clip viewed at the authors website, www.sgervay.com.

Thats Why I Wrote This Song is a brilliant book.

Reprinted here with author's permission from www.aussiereviews.com