Drummer Girl

by Karen Bass

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-playing girl who likes shop class, now Sid is forced to deal with guys who think her new look makes her fair game. Sidney begins to realize the price of compromising who you really are.

Genres: Young Adult, Music, Canada, Contemporary, Fiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2011

About the author

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, and she has seven more on her published shelf. Two novels, Graffiti Knight and Uncertain Soldier, won the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young Readers. Her newest novel, Blood Donor, is an Orca Soundings book for readers who like short, exciting stories, and is a Junior Library Guild Gold Star Selection.

A few years ago, Karen moved from her long-time home in northwest Alberta, to southern Ontario, where she is enjoying exploring a whole new province as she gathers new story ideas.

Reviews

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Rhiannon Ryder · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Gabriele Goldstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Kelly Watt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A girl power romance that never skips a beat. I just finished this book and loved it. I loved learning about jazz and drumming and the way the author used musical expressions as chapter headings. Sidney the main character, was awkward and sweet and tough and endearing. The story combines girl empowerment, #MeToo issues, with a sweet budding romance. There's also lots of suspense. A moving page turner.

[Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought she was going to be gay and now I am disappointed.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sid is a teenage drummer lacking all self-awareness. The book never gives a good reason for why she wants to join a band from her high school. She already has connections in the music community, so why is she willing to do anything to get into a band with guys she hates? This book tries to do too many things, and does none of them successfully. Is it a book about sexual harassment and assault? Is it a book about dangerous decisions teenagers make? Is it a book about changing your identity? No. It's really just a poorly written book a very unlikable drummer.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 she's a girl. She doesn't dress like one, but she decides to change up her appearance and give off sex appeal hoping that'd set her apart from her male competition. It doesn't, and instead, it makes her a target of harassment and assault...by members of the very band she wants to be a part of. There's a cyber bullying theme undercutting it, too. I guess I never understood why she felt changing herself would set her apart or why she'd even WANT to do that to get attention enough to be part of the band. She figures it out later, but it was a bit of a head scratcher for me.

Sid reminded me of a lot of teens, and I think her story's appealing, especially for those girls who are tomboys and always want to hang with the guys. I appreciated that about her. It wasn't a guy who makes her change because she was always one of the guys.

That said, the writing wasn't the strongest I've read, and the beginning was a challenge to get into (may be the third person thing). The first chapter wasn't a strong hook, but once past that hurdle, it picks up.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 happened to women's lib and dressing how you want? I deplore that our culture sees sexuality in everything. And feel it's their right to judge. Anyway, my 23-yr old daughter (goal: lawyer; disposition: extremely feisty & opinionated) was spitting mad about how the girl was set up & abused, and then how the perpetrators just basically got away with it, with the authorities' blessing. But, as I pointed out, she couldn't win either way--it's how you can live with it. You just hope there are people who help you through and that you can count on, and you make good choices where you can. And for her, there were and she did, mostly. I also really appreciated that the author, while keeping the situations and characters authentic, was careful to avoid foul language and any explicit situations--makes it easier to promote as an option for next year's Christian High School Book Club! (Her novel Run Like Jager was hands down the winning title on our list the first year we ran the book club.)

[Keely Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed a lot about this novel. Sid is the kind of teenager I can really relate to because (other than getting to the swan phase, something I aspired to but never reached ;)) I was a lot like her in high school. Her struggles with image and identity were realistic and poignant. There were touches all throughout the narrative that drew me in - one scene where Sid is sitting in the school cafeteria all alone and how Bass describes the moment was just so right.

As a girl who played some drums (albeit in a marching band) and now living with two guys who are drummers (dad and son), the drumming descriptions were spot-on - Bass clearly did her research here. I was also really pleased that Sid's LI was NOT the popular hunky boy, but that Sid found something so powerfully attractive in a self-proclaimed math geek instead. That came through as true to Sid's character in a wonderfully authentic way.

A great book, and I look forward to reading more from this talented YA author!

[Crystal L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book from the library for two reasons: it's about a female drummer, and it seems like a short read. I thought I would be able to like it because I might've been able to relate to it.
I wasn't bored by the book. I wanted to know what happened next, and I liked the details in it because it made me want to be a musician like Sid. However, I did not like the ending. Throughout the book, Sid was losing against society. When given a chance to win, she didn't take it and ended up losing again. There could've been a lot more depth to the book if the result was different.
The subject of the book was very cliché, yet the character of Sidney was pretty unique. There were many parts of the book where it felt awkward; the way that some scenes were written made me want to look away in embarrassment rather than to indulge myself in the happenings.

Personally, I would not recommend this book.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 to just how nasty other students can get when their gender roles are threatened. At times a bit didactic, the book still managed to keep me reading and I didn't put it down until I was finished.

[svm · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 think the thing i took away most was a list of interesting terminology for drummers, of which i am not one, though i appreciate their talent.

[Ricki · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Sean Kottke · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Sid. We've got girl drummer in identity crisis, who wants something so bad that she loses herself in the process of getting it. The story just got more complicated and interesting as it went. My complaint is that the secondary characters never feel quite real, especially the ones who really need. For that reasons I'd call this more 3.5 stars than 4, but I'm feeling generous enough to round up today.

[Kira Mellark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is honestly one of my favourite books. I don't even know totally why. Maybe because I can relate to it. Like it's not impossible for these things to happen. Usually I'm attracted Sci-Fi and Fantasy but I really love this book. 5/5 for me! :)

My favourite scene:

When she realizes she really cares about her bestfriend and she'd do anything for him. Especially when she's holding his hand after the motorbike crash.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was adorable. I loved how it showed that you have to find your own normal and your own style instead of being like everyone else. I kept waiting for her to mix the girly and rocker. This book is misleading in the beginning. I thought it would be lighter. I was surprised in a good way that it dealt with so many hard to deal with issues for high school kids. Drummer Girl had great spirit and was a fun read.

[Stacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Sylvia McNicoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Nicole Luiken · Rating 5 out of 5]

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...

[Tigrish · Rating 1 out of 5]

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.

[Kerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Dariya · Rating 1 out of 5]

"I couldn't even finish the book."

[Jessalyn King · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Jesica Portillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Di · Rating 2 out of 5]

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..

[Virna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The storyline is great.
I really enjoyed this book.

[Alexis]

Friend's book