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Drummer Girl

by Karen Bass (Goodreads Author)

3.15 of 5 stars 3.15 · rating details · 68 ratings · 23 reviews

The Fourth Down needs a drummer, and Sidney's easily the best in the school. But the all-male band has conditions for her to be allowed in--such as dressing like a girl. Accustomed to invisibility, Sid soon discovers the consequences to her makeover. It's not only that playing kit in a skirt is impractical. But as someone once taunted about her sexuality for being a drum-p...more

Paperback, 231 pages

Published October 1st 2011 by Coteau Books (first published August 1st 2011)

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Published in 2011

191st out of 228 books — 127 voters

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Aug 21, 2012 Suzanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chsbc-nominee

I REALLY enjoyed reading this--Karen Bass is easy to read, an experienced storyteller, and her characters ring true. And the dilemma of the novel: oooh, did it get my adrenalin going! What a situation the main character is forced into--she's damned if she does & damned if she doesn't. A really good depiction of how the infrastructure of our society is warped & skewed against females, and the way in which feminism gets (to use a term from the hippies lexicon) co-opted. Yeah, what ever hap...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction, read-in-2011

I am not sure I quite found the real message here, but the story was engaging enough that I kept with it, despite a rocky beginning. I didn't quite connect with Sid, but I thought she was a pretty authentic teen and I was okay not connecting with her because of that.

For a shorter book, a lot goes on, and I'm not sure it was all completely developed (returning to not sure I got the "message" because surely there's one here to take away). Sid wants to join a band but they don't want her because s...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Rhiannon Ryder rated it 3 of 5 stars

Last summer I had the pleasure of reading Karen's book Summer of Fire, which I loved, so I was overjoyed when her latest book popped through the mail slot a week or so ago from the ever charming folk of Coteau Books (have I ever mentioned how they're from my home province of Saskatchewan?).

Sid lives life to the beat of her own drum, quite literally as she's a great drummer, until faced with the choice of being a drummer in the band she's always wanted to be a part in or be her own, very unique,...more Last summer I had the pleasure of reading Karen's book Summer of Fire, which I loved, so I was overjoyed when her latest book popped through the mail slot a week or so ago from the ever charming folk of Coteau Books (have I ever mentioned how they're from my home province of Saskatchewan?).

Sid lives life to the beat of her own drum, quite literally as she's a great drummer, until faced with the choice of being a drummer in the band she's always wanted to be a part in or be her own, very unique, person. As the chance to join the band is only a small makeover away she decides to go for it. But the sexual politics that come with being a sudden convert to the girly girl look turn out to be more than Sid has bargained for. Between her best friend loathing the new her, the awesome new boy she's met and the suddenly cut throat competition to be the newest drummer for the band, Sid has gotten way more than she bargained for.

Like with Summer of Fire I love that Karen broaches a multitude of difficult subjects with her YA fiction. Sid has to deal with sexual politics from being presumed gay to over the top sexual harassment when she tries to prove she's not. Although the gay issue is only lightly touched upon I'm glad to see someone write an enjoyable story that talks a little more in depth about harassment and assault and what qualifies. There are more than enough YA books floating around out there with some seriously slipping morals as far as personal privacy is concerned (I can read you mind, I can sneak into your house and watch you, I can seep into your soul and experience you- all of which are done in fits of "love"-i.e.- desire, without consent). It's more than time someone sits down some YA readers and explains to them that your body is your temple, and completely under your jurisdiction, no matter how romantic it seems when a characters is violated in some paranormal romance.

Despite some of the deeper issues broached, Drummer Girl is an engrossing and enjoyable story. The ugly duckling turn around will appeal to any teen who's struggled to be more average in the high school world where being unique or unusual are particularly hard crosses to bear. I look back sometimes and wonder how it was I so unflinchingly threw myself under the unique buss and survived. I suppose I spent so much of High School trying not to be like everyone else that somehow I missed how it made me the odd one out. Presumably you need a certain level obliviousness to survive it, which Bass definitely gives Sid in droves, and I love watching the struggle for Sid to find an equilibrium for herself.

But Bass's full cast of characters is terrific, not just Sid, I especially love Brad the goofy love interest. I would happily read more about them all and would love to see more of what happens to each of them.

Do a young Twilight fan in your book circle a service and add Drummer Girl to their TBR pile. And make sure to grab yourself a copy while you're at it.

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Dec 29, 2012 Catherine Egan rated it 4 of 5 stars

While I love YA fiction, it occurred to me when I read the first sentence of this book (which, in case you are wondering, is this: “Sid stood rooted to the lawn and considered that this might be the worst idea in the history of Edwards High School.”) that I almost never read YA that isn’t fantasy. In fact, I think this might be the first non-fantasy YA I’ve read since I stopped being, myself, a YA, and became, according to every law in any country, an A. I’m not sure why I haven’t read any reali...more While I love YA fiction, it occurred to me when I read the first sentence of this book (which, in case you are wondering, is this: “Sid stood rooted to the lawn and considered that this might be the worst idea in the history of Edwards High School.”) that I almost never read YA that isn’t fantasy. In fact, I think this might be the first non-fantasy YA I’ve read since I stopped being, myself, a YA, and became, according to every law in any country, an A. I’m not sure why I haven’t read any realistic YA in nearly 20 years, but there we are, I haven’t been drawn to it. So, Drummer Girl: No witches, no giant mind-reading lizards, no snow goblins or ghosts or time-travel or telepathy, just a regular high school girl who loves playing drums, but I found myself entirely absorbed and read it straight through.

The novel’s greatest strength, I think, is Sid herself. She is a great protagonist – totally believable, sympathetic, and so “herself” that she feels real from the first pages. I liked Sid immediately, and while I don’t think it’s necessary to like the main character in order to like the book, it’s what sold me on this book. The story moves along swiftly; Sid’s desire to become the new drummer of a cool high school band leads her to try changing her “look.” Sid, and the other characters in the book, struggle with image and identity, and Sid is playing what every girl who has been through high school knows is a losing game: the trying-to-be-what-someone-else-wants-you-to-be game. Part of Sid’s huge appeal is how independent-minded and comfortable in herself she seems, and it is painful and powerful to see her trying on a new skin and facing the fall-out. The fall-out is major, and I’ll leave it at that so as not to spoil too much.

Sid’s family relationships (father and brother) were moving and authentic, and I liked that even obnoxious cousin Heather (ha ha, of course she’s a Heather) was allowed to be a somewhat sympathetic character. There is a sweet love story, if you’re into that sort of thing. I was less won over by Sid’s friendships. My only “quibble” with the storyline was the extreme reaction of her best friend Taylor to her new look, and the fact that she allows him to avoid her for several days and then they seem to have a couple of silent lunches without discussing anything – I just couldn’t imagine that, it seemed so odd. I wasn’t sure what Narain’s role was, either, except perhaps to be a “nice” jock so they weren’t all painted jerk-colour. It is a nice touch, though, that when things get truly awful for Sid, Narain, rather than best-friend-Taylor, reacts more in the manner of a true friend – because unlike Taylor he isn’t viewing Sid’s situation through the prism of his own problems and anxieties.

If my kids were teenagers, I would want them to read this, and then I would want to talk about it with them. There is a lot to discuss here, and I can imagine readers disagreeing on a lot of points, but the fact that it gives rise to so many questions is a great thing. So I will just have to hang on to it for another ten years, and then see what my boys think. While I would definitely recommend this as a read for teenage girls, I think this kind of book is just as important for boys. Calling it “important” sounds very dour and dire, so I will close by adding again that it was a very entertaining, quick read, and I <3 Sid.

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Feb 20, 2012 Chrissy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, read-in-2012

So, it's 3:02 AM right now and I'm up writing a book review. This means two things.
1. I must have enjoyed this book quite a bit if I'm up at 3 AM finishing it.
and
2. I make no apologies that this review may be a tad bit rambling and incoherent. I mean, it *is* 3 AM after all.

So, Sid is a self-professed tom boy, loner, and general all-around outcast. Generally preferring a masculine attire of baggy jeans and loose-fitting concert tees, Sid gives very little thought to her appearance or gender iden...more So, it's 3:02 AM right now and I'm up writing a book review. This means two things.
1. I must have enjoyed this book quite a bit if I'm up at 3 AM finishing it.
and
2. I make no apologies that this review may be a tad bit rambling and incoherent. I mean, it *is* 3 AM after all.

So, Sid is a self-professed tom boy, loner, and general all-around outcast. Generally preferring a masculine attire of baggy jeans and loose-fitting concert tees, Sid gives very little thought to her appearance or gender identity. Even when kids at school accuse Sid of being a lesbian, she appears to be fairly unfazed....

... that is, of course, until the hottest band in town nearly passes her over as their drummer, saying her appearance clashes with the image they're trying to project to the fans. Obsessed with drumming, both as an art form and an emotional release, Sid will give *anything* to join this band -- even if it means compromising her identity.

Soon enough, Sid succumbs to the pressure and allows her vain fashion-conscious cousin to perform a complete makeover. Equipped with her new makeup and a foreign-feeling push up bra, Sid is ready to show the band she has what it takes...

Until her new look has very negative and unforeseen consequences...

I really did enjoy reading DRUMMER GIRL, despite the fact that I've never heard of either the author or the title. Gritty and relatable, this is a fantastic work of realistic fiction that hits the hard topics from a YA perspective.

More than just a story of music, Drummer Girl is a story of identity, gender, and self-progression, outlining the tale of a teenage girl who really learns to discover herself.

On the flip side, though, it does eventually come to feel like a love story. Don't ALL YA books somehow end with the girl falling for a guy she should never love?

Although I wasn't crazy about the romantic aspect of the tale, I appreciated the bulk of the story enough to call DRUMMER GIRL a story that I would definitely recommend to fans of realistic YA fiction. I'm glad I randomly found this one in my library's e-book section, and I completely look forward to uncovering new authors in the same way!(less)

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Dec 31, 2011 Clare rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: canadian, young-adult

I liked this one a lot. It centres around Sid, a high school girl who lives for her drumming and doesn't care much about her appearance until it becomes an issue for making the band. Deciding to change her look results in some unexpected consequences as she strives to discover just what is right for her.

I will admit that a few years back I wouldn't have believed that some of the events in the book would happen the way they did. But as the parent of a non-traditional girl, I've had my eyes opened...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Lindsay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, bullying, canada, contemporary, family, friendship, high-school, music, romance, own, reviewed

The Fourth Down needs a drummer, and Sidney's easily the best in school, but the all-guy band has some conditions for her to be allowed in... such as dressing like a girl. Accustomed to invisibility, Sid soon discovers the consequences of her makeover. It's not just that playing her drum kit in a skirt is impractical, but as someone who was once taunted about her sexuality for being a girl drummer who likes shop class, she's now forced to deal with guys who see her as fair game and Sid soon real...more The Fourth Down needs a drummer, and Sidney's easily the best in school, but the all-guy band has some conditions for her to be allowed in... such as dressing like a girl. Accustomed to invisibility, Sid soon discovers the consequences of her makeover. It's not just that playing her drum kit in a skirt is impractical, but as someone who was once taunted about her sexuality for being a girl drummer who likes shop class, she's now forced to deal with guys who see her as fair game and Sid soon realizes the the price of compromising who you really are.

Drummer Girl is an interesting look at someone who is clearly not a "typical" high school girl (I mean "typical" as what society and pop culture consider "typical" for high school girls, it's a stereotype I hope you'll forgive me for referencing). She's quirky, she's comfortable in jeans and old band t-shirts, she's a huge fan of classic rock bands, and because she's not "typical," there are assumptions and stereotypes placed on her. It's her choice to dress how she wants, to be interested in what she likes, to hang out with who she wants to, but she'll have to decide if she wants to stay the way she is or chance for the sake of others.

What I liked about Sid is she was certainly her own person. She just wanted to play drums, to listen to classic rock bands like Rush, to have fun in shop class. She wants to be the one who decides who she is, and when people start thinking she's something else, she gets punchy. Which I understand, no one wants to be called names or put down when they're being themselves.

But there was something that bothered me, and that was Sid's desire to change herself because some people assumed that she was a lesbian because of how she dressed and acted. There was nothing wrong with Sid, nothing beyond a warped sense of needing to completely change her image in order for people to see her as "straight" and "normal" and "a girl." It's not all her fault for changing, there were many times when I wanted to scream at all the jocks and the band guys and her cousin for making her think that she was wrong and they were right, but I wish Sid had a bit more inner strength. Of course, if she did, the book would've been very boring. Still, it's upsetting when teenagers, girls and boys, feel the need to dress or act a certain way because they think it'll help them fit in or make friends or stop the bullying.

One of the purposes of high school, besides learning, is giving teenagers the chance to figure out who they are, to invent yourself and reinvent yourself until you're comfortable with who you are. That's what one of the most important things, discovering who you are and what you're going to be, but you have to make sure you know where the line is between reinventing yourself and lying to yourself.(less)

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May 02, 2013 svm rated it 3 of 5 stars

i stumbled across this book when i was doing research for a paper on gender & literacy. the review was intriguing enough that i ordered a used copy after i couldn't find it in westchester or even nypl. when it arrived, i discovered it was written by a canadian librarian released by a small canadian press thus it being hard to track down. i wish i could say after all this trouble, it was worth it but it was just kind of eh. not bad, but not something i want to shout about from the rooftops. i...more

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Dec 31, 2011 Ricki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sid loves to play drums. Until she finds out that her peers thought she was a lesbian, she never considered her image or sexuality. When she auditions for a band, they tell her that they would take her in the band if she was a "dyke" or better looking. She asks her cousin to help make her over, and the change in her appearance stuns everyone around her. She wonders if this new image is truly her. This book excellently conveys themes of identity and bullying.

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Jan 19, 2012 Sean Kottke rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, ya

Overall, a pretty good YA gender identity story. Nothing terribly new and groundbreaking, but it wins points for psychological truth and would serve as a really good text for exploring adolescent constructions of gender identity, problematic peer and socially imposed restrictions on expressions of gender, and adolescent egocentrism. It should come as no surprise, then, that the author is a psychologist.

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Sep 26, 2011 Bridget rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is an upbeat story off well a drummer girl.
Sid loves playing her drums. She used to play in her brothers band but now her brother is in collage. So when the opportunity comes to addition for the popular school band TFD She will do almost anything to get into the band.
I think this is a Great Book.

Received this book from Goodreads first read.

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May 19, 2012 Stacey rated it 2 of 5 stars

What the? I was pretty baffled that the main character would punch someone for calling her a name but did nothing when multiple people kissed her against her will. That seemed to happen every few pages. Everyone made horrible decisions, and pretty much everyone was a horrible person. So, that gives me no incentive to like anything about the book. It left me confused and annoyed.

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Nov 26, 2011 Gabriele Goldstone rated it 4 of 5 stars

I very much enjoyed two other books by Karen Bass's other books Run like Jaeger and Summer of Fire and this one didn't disappoint either. She touched on a lot of teen issues - sexual identity, dressing, cyber-bullying, father/daughter relationships. The beginning was a bit disjointed, but after that it was very much a page-turner.

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Jun 14, 2012 Katie rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was going to stick with 3 stars, but I think Bass dropped the ball here. The potential for strong feminist content was never reached. Also, there was just too much going on. The band plot line dragged on, long after any reader would find Sid's interest convincing. And, I had big issues with the resolution.

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Jun 14, 2013 Sylvia McNicoll rated it 4 of 5 stars

An intriguing book that captures the passion of drumming and the precarious course girls travel when they transition from tom boy to peer pleasing. A good starting point for discussions on what is acceptable behaviour from male teens as to how they treat girls. This story covers a lot of ground.

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Sep 15, 2011 Nicole Luiken rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

I bought this book at the launch at Audrey's last night--and finished reading it at 11:20pm. I really felt for Sid the tomboy character who just wants to drum. I don't read much mainstream/non-genre, but this one was excellent. Make sure to have kleenex on hand though...

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May 23, 2013 Rianne rated it 1 of 5 stars

Bluh. I'm getting to old for this stuff. The beginning was okay enough, but the ending was just really disappointing and reads kind of like a pamphlet against sexual harassment. Ugh. And then Brad, was she serious? Well let's just say not my kind of book.

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Jun 02, 2013 Dianalyn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Over all the novel is a pat on a back. The writing is decent along with the flow of story. Though, i think there are just a lot of characters in it. Hmmm i dunno it was okey to me..

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Jan 15, 2013 Jesica Portillo rated it 4 of 5 stars

this book was really good it showed alot of real life situations and judgement towards unique people

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Nov 14, 2011 Jessalyn King rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen

The story itself, and even the characters were good, but I felt preached at, which was unappreciated.

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Jul 02, 2012 Sydni rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: never-read-again

It...was stupid.

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Nov 11, 2011 Alexis added it

Shelves: 2011

Friend's book

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Sep 25, 2011 Dariya rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: idenity-music-young-adult-highsc

"I couldn't even finish the book."

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Jan 04, 2012 Kerri rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was just ok for me. I love books about music but I was not drawn to the main character in this book. :o(

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Jun 14, 2013 Pauline rated it 3 of 5 stars

Jun 13, 2013 Thei Aganon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: gotta-love-the-tomboys

Jun 12, 2013 Kayla marked it as to-read

Jun 12, 2013 Mahwash Alavi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jun 10, 2013 Miranda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jun 06, 2013 Lupemankell rated it 4 of 5 stars

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About Karen Bass

Karen's high school teacher told her she should be a writer, but it took quite a few years for that thought to take root. She began writing shortly after she was hired to manage the local library. Run Like Jager is her first novel. Since then she has published Summer of Fire and Drummer Girl, all with Coteau Books.

A fourth generation Albertan, Karen attended the University of Alberta and received...more

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