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Songs About a Girl #2
Songs About Us
A modern love story for the Zoella generation - for anyone who has ever dreamed of being 'with the band'.
Two months on from the explosive finale to book one, Charlie's life is almost back to normal again: rebuilding her relationship with her father, hanging out with best mate Melissa, and worrying about GCSEs. All the while, Gabe's revelations about her mother are never far from her mind. And neither is Gabe.
It's not long before Charlie is pulled back into the world of Fire&Lights - but the band seem different this time. But then again, so is she...
Meanwhile, tensions between Gabe and Olly continue to run high, leading to more turmoil between the band members and press than ever before. But when Gabriel and Charlie stumble upon yet another startling truth that links them together - everything they have stands to implode in front of them.
Biographical Notes
At the age of thirteen, Chris Russell formed pop/rock band The Lightyears with his best friends from school. Since then, The Lightyears have toured all over the world, performing everywhere from Wembley Stadium to Glastonbury, and trashing a grand total of zero hotel rooms. In 2013, after a three-month stint ghostwriting for a One Direction fan club, Chris developed an obsession with boy bands and came up with the idea for Songs About a Girl. He is currently busy writing the next book in the series, gigging with The Lightyears and fanboying in the general direction of Harry Styles.
Two months on from the explosive finale to book one, Charlie's life is almost back to normal again: rebuilding her relationship with her father, hanging out with best mate Melissa, and worrying about GCSEs. All the while, Gabe's revelations about her mother are never far from her mind. And neither is Gabe.
It's not long before Charlie is pulled back into the world of Fire&Lights - but the band seem different this time. But then again, so is she...
Meanwhile, tensions between Gabe and Olly continue to run high, leading to more turmoil between the band members and press than ever before. But when Gabriel and Charlie stumble upon yet another startling truth that links them together - everything they have stands to implode in front of them.
Biographical Notes
At the age of thirteen, Chris Russell formed pop/rock band The Lightyears with his best friends from school. Since then, The Lightyears have toured all over the world, performing everywhere from Wembley Stadium to Glastonbury, and trashing a grand total of zero hotel rooms. In 2013, after a three-month stint ghostwriting for a One Direction fan club, Chris developed an obsession with boy bands and came up with the idea for Songs About a Girl. He is currently busy writing the next book in the series, gigging with The Lightyears and fanboying in the general direction of Harry Styles.
445 pages, Paperback
First published July 13, 2017
29 people are currently reading
864 people want to read
About the author
Chris Russell
3 books137 followersWhen I was thirteen, my best friend and I went to a Bon Jovi concert at Wembley Stadium. We thought it looked like fun, so we started our own band - a band that, ten years later, would become The Lightyears. Since then, we've been lucky enough to tour all over the world, from Cape Town to South Korea, playing at Glastonbury Festival and O2 Arena and supporting members of legendary rock bands such as Queen, Journey and The Who. And though we never made it anywhere near as big as Bon Jovi, we did get to play Wembley Stadium, four times, to crowds of over 45,000 people.
Music aside, writing was my first love. In 2014, I published a novel called Mockstars, which was inspired by my tour diaries for The Lightyears. Shortly afterwards, following a three-month stint ghostwriting for a One Direction fan club, I came up with the idea of a YA novel that combined an intense teenage romance with the electrifying universe of a chart-topping boyband. That idea became the trilogy Songs About a Girl, which was signed up by Hodder Children's in 2015, and has sold in multiple territories worldwide. Book One will be published this summer.
Music aside, writing was my first love. In 2014, I published a novel called Mockstars, which was inspired by my tour diaries for The Lightyears. Shortly afterwards, following a three-month stint ghostwriting for a One Direction fan club, I came up with the idea of a YA novel that combined an intense teenage romance with the electrifying universe of a chart-topping boyband. That idea became the trilogy Songs About a Girl, which was signed up by Hodder Children's in 2015, and has sold in multiple territories worldwide. Book One will be published this summer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
July 5, 2018
I didn’t expect to enjoy this series as much as I am but boy oh boy is it entertaining. I’m ridiculously invested in these characters and all their drama and that cliffhanger of an ending was more than cruel. I’m super excited to see what happens in the finale to this trilogy. Yes the writing is simple and yet plot is pretty far fetched but it’s the perfect, fun, easy read and I’m 100% here for it.
July 31, 2017
*4.5 stars*
What the f. WHAT THE ACTUAL F.
There are cruel cliffhangers, and then there's that...
What the f. WHAT THE ACTUAL F.
There are cruel cliffhangers, and then there's that...
July 22, 2017
When I finished Songs About a Girl last year, I couldn’t wait to see where Charlie’s story would go, so I was unbelievably happy to get my hands on Songs About Us and delve back into the world of Fire&Lights and Caversham High. It’s no secret that I’m a big Chris Russell fan and, having just finished his second novel, that fact is just getting more and more true. As I’ve said before, Chris has an uncanny understanding of teenage girls and writes so perfectly for YA that it’s hard to believe he’s still so new to the scene.
Songs About Us kicks off a few months after the events of the first book, with the blogosphere having moved on to new dramas and Charlie trying to keep her head down, get through her GCSEs, and be an “ordinary girl”. Predictably, that doesn’t last long and when she reunites with the boys she is pulled back into the glamour, drama, romance and tension of life with the band. People like to be scornful about the passions of teenage girls, particularly when it comes to boybands, and it would have been easy for this trilogy to be dismissed as “a bit of fluff”, but this book shows just how wrong that judgement is. There is so much going on in the story that it is never boring or predictable, but rather than it being the shallow, sensationalised, materialistic experience of reading about bands in gossip magazines, Russell goes beyond the surface of all that and uses real issues to bring depth and emotion, painting these teen music sensations as real, normal people who the reader feels on a level with.
One example of this, which I was so happy to see included in the book, was when he addressed the manufactured relationship between one of the Fire&Lights boys and a fellow female pop star. I’m going to be very vague about this so as not to spoil anything, but when Charlie asked said boy about the relationship, he shared with her how he was struggling with his identity in terms of romantic relationships. And not only was it brilliant to see some LGBTQ+ rep in there, but I absolutely loved how it was handled. I think the thing that impressed me most was the fact that neither the character in question, the character he was speaking to, or the author felt the need to put a label on him; no word was ever given to his sexuality, just an explanation of how he felt. This was so refreshing, and when Charlie responded with:
I felt the need to stop and praise it to everyone around me. It was portrayed as something that Charlie literally couldn’t give a tiny rat’s ass about, because it didn’t change her friend whatsoever and had no impact on Charlie’s life, so why should she care just because it’s different to her own experience? This, along with other passing comments from background characters about their own sexualities, really helps to normalise LGBTQ+ identities and is exactly what we need in mainstream media.
I mentioned in my review of Songs About a Girl how Russell created such brilliant characters, with such an effective, visual style of writing about them that Fire&Lights very much felt like a real boyband. In Songs About Us, this was still true, but as we’ve now spent a bit more time with the boys, their personalities have started to be further developed away from the confines of what relates to the band. Obviously, Gabriel was the main feature of the previous book, so it was really nice to see the focus shift away from him a little and allow the other band mates to shine. The friendship between Charlie and Melissa also remains a strong element, and I was happy to see that even with things getting more complex, new characters being introduced, and more page-time being given to characters who’d previously been more in the background, that relationship wasn’t lost. Melissa is such a great character, who provides a lot of the comic relief in the more intense parts of the books, but more than that, it’s so important to see healthy female friendships in YA, and the fact that Mel didn’t take a back seat to any of the Fire&Lights drama or Charlie’s romantic relationships was such a positive thing.
The pacing is excellent as well. Here is an author who understands perfectly when to pick up the excitement, when to drop, and how to do so with admirable subtlety so the story neither feels like an exhausting rollercoaster ride nor plateaus to a point where you feel like you could put the book down. Usually when I need to stop reading, I’ll do so at the end of a chapter because that’s a natural place to pause, but with Russell’s writing style it never feels like you can. His chapters often end so well on these enticing mini-cliffhangers, that you simply have to carry on reading, even when you have other things to do. Case in point: my friends and I had a Marvel Cinematic Universe marathon over the last couple of days, and after I picked up my book between films, I elected to keep reading even when Captain America: The Winter Soldier came on. Now, I know there’s a whole debate over the best Chris, and I’m not gonna say Russell is better than Evans, but… ;P
All in all, Songs About Us is an extremely strong follow up to Chris Russell’s debut, with plenty to satisfy the pickiest of teen readers; gripping plot twists to shock you, gorgeous boys to fall in love with, wonderfully nasty characters to be angry at, emotional moments to melt your heart, hilarious lines to make you pee your pants… Reading this book was honestly such an enjoyable experience, that left me with a huge smile for days, and I will be foisting it into the hands of everyone I can convince to listen to me.
Songs About Us kicks off a few months after the events of the first book, with the blogosphere having moved on to new dramas and Charlie trying to keep her head down, get through her GCSEs, and be an “ordinary girl”. Predictably, that doesn’t last long and when she reunites with the boys she is pulled back into the glamour, drama, romance and tension of life with the band. People like to be scornful about the passions of teenage girls, particularly when it comes to boybands, and it would have been easy for this trilogy to be dismissed as “a bit of fluff”, but this book shows just how wrong that judgement is. There is so much going on in the story that it is never boring or predictable, but rather than it being the shallow, sensationalised, materialistic experience of reading about bands in gossip magazines, Russell goes beyond the surface of all that and uses real issues to bring depth and emotion, painting these teen music sensations as real, normal people who the reader feels on a level with.
One example of this, which I was so happy to see included in the book, was when he addressed the manufactured relationship between one of the Fire&Lights boys and a fellow female pop star. I’m going to be very vague about this so as not to spoil anything, but when Charlie asked said boy about the relationship, he shared with her how he was struggling with his identity in terms of romantic relationships. And not only was it brilliant to see some LGBTQ+ rep in there, but I absolutely loved how it was handled. I think the thing that impressed me most was the fact that neither the character in question, the character he was speaking to, or the author felt the need to put a label on him; no word was ever given to his sexuality, just an explanation of how he felt. This was so refreshing, and when Charlie responded with:
“You shouldn’t put so much pressure on yourself… You are who you are. Maybe that’ll change, maybe it won’t. As long as you’re happy, none of it matters.”
I felt the need to stop and praise it to everyone around me. It was portrayed as something that Charlie literally couldn’t give a tiny rat’s ass about, because it didn’t change her friend whatsoever and had no impact on Charlie’s life, so why should she care just because it’s different to her own experience? This, along with other passing comments from background characters about their own sexualities, really helps to normalise LGBTQ+ identities and is exactly what we need in mainstream media.
I mentioned in my review of Songs About a Girl how Russell created such brilliant characters, with such an effective, visual style of writing about them that Fire&Lights very much felt like a real boyband. In Songs About Us, this was still true, but as we’ve now spent a bit more time with the boys, their personalities have started to be further developed away from the confines of what relates to the band. Obviously, Gabriel was the main feature of the previous book, so it was really nice to see the focus shift away from him a little and allow the other band mates to shine. The friendship between Charlie and Melissa also remains a strong element, and I was happy to see that even with things getting more complex, new characters being introduced, and more page-time being given to characters who’d previously been more in the background, that relationship wasn’t lost. Melissa is such a great character, who provides a lot of the comic relief in the more intense parts of the books, but more than that, it’s so important to see healthy female friendships in YA, and the fact that Mel didn’t take a back seat to any of the Fire&Lights drama or Charlie’s romantic relationships was such a positive thing.
The pacing is excellent as well. Here is an author who understands perfectly when to pick up the excitement, when to drop, and how to do so with admirable subtlety so the story neither feels like an exhausting rollercoaster ride nor plateaus to a point where you feel like you could put the book down. Usually when I need to stop reading, I’ll do so at the end of a chapter because that’s a natural place to pause, but with Russell’s writing style it never feels like you can. His chapters often end so well on these enticing mini-cliffhangers, that you simply have to carry on reading, even when you have other things to do. Case in point: my friends and I had a Marvel Cinematic Universe marathon over the last couple of days, and after I picked up my book between films, I elected to keep reading even when Captain America: The Winter Soldier came on. Now, I know there’s a whole debate over the best Chris, and I’m not gonna say Russell is better than Evans, but… ;P
All in all, Songs About Us is an extremely strong follow up to Chris Russell’s debut, with plenty to satisfy the pickiest of teen readers; gripping plot twists to shock you, gorgeous boys to fall in love with, wonderfully nasty characters to be angry at, emotional moments to melt your heart, hilarious lines to make you pee your pants… Reading this book was honestly such an enjoyable experience, that left me with a huge smile for days, and I will be foisting it into the hands of everyone I can convince to listen to me.
September 1, 2017
Review to come.
July 28, 2017
I enjoyed this as much as the previous book in the series. I loved getting to know Charlie and the boys again. It drew me in as much as the previous book and made my inner boyband fan very happy indeed.
I loved seeing ho the story developed further a Charlie got dragged back into the world of fire and lights and didn't want it to end.
This book, like the first, has another killer cliff hanger. I do not know how I am going to be able to wait for book 3.
I loved seeing ho the story developed further a Charlie got dragged back into the world of fire and lights and didn't want it to end.
This book, like the first, has another killer cliff hanger. I do not know how I am going to be able to wait for book 3.
July 15, 2017
Charlie Bloom is trying to get her life back on track without Fire & Lights, and worry about normal teenage things. The band soon find their way back into her life, but things aren't as they appear to the outside world. The band are coming apart at the seams, and the mystery that links her and Gabriel seems destined to stay that way. For Charlie, it's a balancing act once again, and the plates are almost certain to come crashing down.
What a Feeling, I'm so sure that only three books is going to be Never Enough, but then I've got No Control over that. I was going to pace myself with this book, I really truly was, and then I didn't, which is a surprise to nobody. Once again, I am Melissa, and once again I love my boyband sons. I am so desperate to get the next book and this one has barely been out a few days! There was so much more tension and things brewing beneath the surface of this book, and I loved there being more involvement of plotlines for the other boys this time around. I wanted this book to be four times the length it is to devote more time to each of these subplots, because I really need More Than This.
This book has that One Thing, and it kept me Up All Night. In no way does it suffer the dreaded second book syndrome, Songs About Us will capture your teenage fangirl boyband loving heart all over again.
What a Feeling, I'm so sure that only three books is going to be Never Enough, but then I've got No Control over that. I was going to pace myself with this book, I really truly was, and then I didn't, which is a surprise to nobody. Once again, I am Melissa, and once again I love my boyband sons. I am so desperate to get the next book and this one has barely been out a few days! There was so much more tension and things brewing beneath the surface of this book, and I loved there being more involvement of plotlines for the other boys this time around. I wanted this book to be four times the length it is to devote more time to each of these subplots, because I really need More Than This.
This book has that One Thing, and it kept me Up All Night. In no way does it suffer the dreaded second book syndrome, Songs About Us will capture your teenage fangirl boyband loving heart all over again.
July 25, 2023
okay i love this one a bit much. there’s more romance. more friendship and more mystery. love love the plot so much. really want olly and charlie closure but i know i will not get that…..but nvm this second book is much entertaining and loveable. love all characters in this book so much especially the band. i just wanna hug them so much….rated this one 4.3 stars!!!!
August 8, 2017
I loved the first book in this trilogy, which I only read at the beginning of this year but I couldn't wait for the second. It didn't disappoint and now I'm waiting (not so patiently) for the third book. It's just a fun, easy read that I thoroughly enjoyed. The idea is great and I love that there's more to it than just being in love with the band.
July 24, 2017
This series is so fun I think I liked Songs About Us even more than the first book!
June 8, 2021
I went through so many emotions reading this book. I read it within a few hours because I just couldn't stop and I really need book three already.
This series has made me so happy. My friend introduced me to Songs About A Girl and I have never been so thankful for a book recommendation. At a point where I've felt alone and just generally been feeling awful about myself, Songs About A Girl and now Songs About Us have been a huge comfort for me and I absolutely love them.
I found myself yelling at Charlie so much during this book. I was like GET WITH OLLY and then she did and I was like YES but obviously things just don't work out. Also Gabe, Gabe isn't my favourite character by a long stretch. I find him very irritating which I think you're meant to but when the journalist made him upset I just wanted to hug him and tell him it was okay and he was loved😂 and YUKI MY FAVE I went through so many emotions. And I hope that Chris continues to follow Aiden's journey of who he is because that will be really important representation and for Aiden's sake because he needs to be happy.
Honesty, Fire & Lights have made me feel like I've got a place in the world and they're a fictional band.
This series has made me so happy. My friend introduced me to Songs About A Girl and I have never been so thankful for a book recommendation. At a point where I've felt alone and just generally been feeling awful about myself, Songs About A Girl and now Songs About Us have been a huge comfort for me and I absolutely love them.
I found myself yelling at Charlie so much during this book. I was like GET WITH OLLY and then she did and I was like YES but obviously things just don't work out. Also Gabe, Gabe isn't my favourite character by a long stretch. I find him very irritating which I think you're meant to but when the journalist made him upset I just wanted to hug him and tell him it was okay and he was loved😂 and YUKI MY FAVE I went through so many emotions. And I hope that Chris continues to follow Aiden's journey of who he is because that will be really important representation and for Aiden's sake because he needs to be happy.
Honesty, Fire & Lights have made me feel like I've got a place in the world and they're a fictional band.
November 7, 2018
2.5 stars.
Not as enjoyable as first book - the drama levels are getting quite ridiculous as well as the 'every-single-teenage-boy-finding-charlie-hot' thing. Gabriel is not dark and mysterious with his frequent violent outbursts (seriously - NOT attractive at ALL) and secrets, and his and Charlie's relationship is pretty toxic, when all she's doing every time is continuously running after him and making excuses for his behaviour. Olly was and will always be a much better choice and that whole "you're in love with him and you don't know it" is bullshit. What Charlie feels for Gabriel is sympathy and a desire to find out the truth of their shared history, not anything that resembles love. Plus, the level of drama that is being played out in regards to the death of Katherine/Kit and Harry West is bordering on becoming a farce, especially with all the "~coincidences~" that keep throwing Charlie and Gabriel together. The series was enjoyable while it lasted, but I think it's time to part ways.
Not as enjoyable as first book - the drama levels are getting quite ridiculous as well as the 'every-single-teenage-boy-finding-charlie-hot' thing. Gabriel is not dark and mysterious with his frequent violent outbursts (seriously - NOT attractive at ALL) and secrets, and his and Charlie's relationship is pretty toxic, when all she's doing every time is continuously running after him and making excuses for his behaviour. Olly was and will always be a much better choice and that whole "you're in love with him and you don't know it" is bullshit. What Charlie feels for Gabriel is sympathy and a desire to find out the truth of their shared history, not anything that resembles love. Plus, the level of drama that is being played out in regards to the death of Katherine/Kit and Harry West is bordering on becoming a farce, especially with all the "~coincidences~" that keep throwing Charlie and Gabriel together. The series was enjoyable while it lasted, but I think it's time to part ways.
October 8, 2018
Oh Charlie <3 bring on the 3rd book!!
September 24, 2017
OH MY GIDDY AUNT!! How can this book leave me with such an EVIL cliffhanger....I will be waiting on the edge of my seat for the third book now...
December 22, 2017
Earlier this year I read a fantastic book called SONGS ABOUT A GIRL. I loved it SO MUCH that it consumed my every waking moment until I reached the explosive end. So when this book came out I couldn't wait to read it. Yet, at the same time, I kept finding excuses to put it off because I couldn't bring myself to get started... because I knew it would be over way too soon.
This week, I decided it was time to stop teasing myself and just take the plunge.
A few months have gone by since Charlie's life changed. When she got swept into the orbit of one of the hottest bands in the world, she got the chance to do what she loved best: take photos. She also became friends with the four band members, had a lot of fun, became the target of fan-hate, and even fell into a whole lot more with two of the guys.
Now her life is slowly getting back to normal. She's trying not to lie to her father, or resent him for not being honest about her mum. She's hanging out with her best friend Melissa a lot. She's also preparing for her GCSEs. But when she meets up with Olly again after a surprise performance at their school, she finds herself getting back into their groove.
This time, things are more intense. The friction between the guys is obvious, as each one seems to be plagued by their own demons. As she gets closer to Olly, Gabriel's distant attitude towards her seems to shift, but not his determination to find out how Charlie's mother and his father were really connected. Finding out the truth is what they both want, but the cost might be too much for either one to take...
Wow. He did it again. That ending was... yikes! o.O
I loved Charlie's voice in the first book, so I wasn't surprised when I got swept up in her life again. One of my favourite things about this story is how she tries so hard to be good for her father's sake. How she hates lying to him but keeps finding her way into a web of deceit because she's so passionate about following her ambition to become a photographer. She's such a nice person at heart, but the need to keep so many secrets for so many different reasons makes her doubt her own character. And she just can't escape the ghost of her mother, can she?
At least we all know she's as much of a sweetheart as Melissa. She cracked me up so much! And it was so cool to see them back on track, btw.
Of course I have to mention the band. The boys are so different, yet so similar that they constantly find themselves in these strange situations, and none as serious as what happens here. Yuki is behaving erratically and won't tell anyone why. Aiden is in a relationship but kinda isn't because he feels he can't be honest. Gabriel is keeping his distance because the truth is too hard to risk exposing (his past and his feelings for Charlie). And Olly... man, that guy wears his heart on his sleeve. He's such a nice guy with flaws of his own.
I also loved how the pressures of stardom and the strength of rumours are portrayed in such an honest, brutal and sincere way.
Songs About Us is such a fantastic and fun sequel! It's got all the awesomeness from the first one--it's well-written, the characters keep growing, the music is still exciting, the bonds of friendship are truly tested, the complications of the heart don't stop coming--plus SO MUCH MORE. This book is AWESOME. I just can't believe how easily it (once again) took me right back to my teens. The power of the boy band phenomenon is something one never forgets, and Chris Russell not only taps into its energy in the brilliance of the narrative, but also in the way he captivates his audience.
I can't wait to see how it all ends for Charlie & Co, because just when I think I have the mystery at the very heart of the story figured out: BOOM! I don't. LOL.
This week, I decided it was time to stop teasing myself and just take the plunge.
A few months have gone by since Charlie's life changed. When she got swept into the orbit of one of the hottest bands in the world, she got the chance to do what she loved best: take photos. She also became friends with the four band members, had a lot of fun, became the target of fan-hate, and even fell into a whole lot more with two of the guys.
Now her life is slowly getting back to normal. She's trying not to lie to her father, or resent him for not being honest about her mum. She's hanging out with her best friend Melissa a lot. She's also preparing for her GCSEs. But when she meets up with Olly again after a surprise performance at their school, she finds herself getting back into their groove.
This time, things are more intense. The friction between the guys is obvious, as each one seems to be plagued by their own demons. As she gets closer to Olly, Gabriel's distant attitude towards her seems to shift, but not his determination to find out how Charlie's mother and his father were really connected. Finding out the truth is what they both want, but the cost might be too much for either one to take...
Wow. He did it again. That ending was... yikes! o.O
I loved Charlie's voice in the first book, so I wasn't surprised when I got swept up in her life again. One of my favourite things about this story is how she tries so hard to be good for her father's sake. How she hates lying to him but keeps finding her way into a web of deceit because she's so passionate about following her ambition to become a photographer. She's such a nice person at heart, but the need to keep so many secrets for so many different reasons makes her doubt her own character. And she just can't escape the ghost of her mother, can she?
At least we all know she's as much of a sweetheart as Melissa. She cracked me up so much! And it was so cool to see them back on track, btw.
Of course I have to mention the band. The boys are so different, yet so similar that they constantly find themselves in these strange situations, and none as serious as what happens here. Yuki is behaving erratically and won't tell anyone why. Aiden is in a relationship but kinda isn't because he feels he can't be honest. Gabriel is keeping his distance because the truth is too hard to risk exposing (his past and his feelings for Charlie). And Olly... man, that guy wears his heart on his sleeve. He's such a nice guy with flaws of his own.
I also loved how the pressures of stardom and the strength of rumours are portrayed in such an honest, brutal and sincere way.
Songs About Us is such a fantastic and fun sequel! It's got all the awesomeness from the first one--it's well-written, the characters keep growing, the music is still exciting, the bonds of friendship are truly tested, the complications of the heart don't stop coming--plus SO MUCH MORE. This book is AWESOME. I just can't believe how easily it (once again) took me right back to my teens. The power of the boy band phenomenon is something one never forgets, and Chris Russell not only taps into its energy in the brilliance of the narrative, but also in the way he captivates his audience.
I can't wait to see how it all ends for Charlie & Co, because just when I think I have the mystery at the very heart of the story figured out: BOOM! I don't. LOL.
August 12, 2018
This book is incredibly hard to review without spoiling any of it for you, as these are the most suspenseful YA contemporaries I`ve ever read. I had found a few parts of the 1st book, Songs About a Girl, slightly slow paced, but I was absolutely gripped throughout this book, and the ending has made me desperate to get my hands on Songs About a Boy next year. This continues the story of Charlie, who is given the opportunity to take photos for the world`s biggest boyband Fire and Lights, and is also linked to mysterious frontman Gabriel West in a way we don`t know yet. The characters in these books are phenomenal. They are layered and multi-faceted, and in a lot of ways feel like they could be real celebrities from our world. This book managed to develop every single one further and in really interesting, often unexpected ways. I particularly liked band members Aiden and Yuki`s arcs (although I do wish we`d seen a little more of Aiden`s). I also loved protagonist Charlie even more in this book and still thought she was really easy to sympathise with, as well as her best friend Melissa, who I wasn`t very keen on book 1. Overall, if you loved Songs About a Girl, I think you`ll fall head over heels for the sequel.
July 30, 2020
I loved the first book and it had an incredible ending so I wanted to read the rest of the trilogy soon. I just read this second book and I really liked it a lot. It's not a 5 stars for me like the first one but it's so good anyway.
The mystery surrounding these books is so cool! It keeps surprising me and of course the ending of this one is as amazing as the first one was. Of course I feel I need the final book in the trilogy soon!
Songs about a girl was about a girl who likes photography and she got the opportunity to be the photographer of a famous band. She enters the world of fame, drama, the media.
Songs about us has that detail at the end that I loved from the first one: there are songs from the book recorded and it gives you the link to listen to them! I love it when they do that! I just listened to the songs that are available and they're fantastic!
I hope I can get to read the third and final book soon!
The mystery surrounding these books is so cool! It keeps surprising me and of course the ending of this one is as amazing as the first one was. Of course I feel I need the final book in the trilogy soon!
Songs about a girl was about a girl who likes photography and she got the opportunity to be the photographer of a famous band. She enters the world of fame, drama, the media.
Songs about us has that detail at the end that I loved from the first one: there are songs from the book recorded and it gives you the link to listen to them! I love it when they do that! I just listened to the songs that are available and they're fantastic!
I hope I can get to read the third and final book soon!
September 5, 2017
This is a lovely continuation of the first book that didn't have that awkward sequel feeling to it at all. Aaaah I need part 3!!!!!!
February 11, 2024
I love this seriesssss so nostalgic!!!
July 20, 2024
Ahhhh the drama, the angst, and boy band 😩😍
February 8, 2020
I read the first two books back when they first came out and adored them. I hadn't realised until I saw a review that I had not finished reading the trilogy and I knew I had to remedy that quickly! I had owned all three books for a while and I can't believe it has taken me so long to get to reading the whole lot! Of course I started from book 1 again before getting to the final book that I had not read yet and fully immerse myself back in the story.
I loved this just as much, if not a bit more, than I did the first time around. Following Charlie, a budding young photographer, as she attends school but gets offered the job of taking photos of Fire & Lights (the hottest boy band of the time). She gets to know the band and various other characters that come along the way - some good and some not so good. There's also a bit of a love triangle going on and simply because I had read the first two books before I kind of knew that was coming but there were definitely a lot of questions I had about what has happened in the past that ties some characters together.
The characters also were a big pull for me in reading this trilogy. Whether they are a good character or a not so good character, all had their own quirks and personalities and were intriguing to follow. If I had to pick my favourites they would have to be Charlie (of course!) and Yuki who is another member of the band and a larger than live character.
I cannot recommend this trilogy enough. If you like Emery Lord's Open Road Summer, you need to pick this up!
For more reviews, please check out the link below:
Debra's Book Cafe
Debs :-)
I loved this just as much, if not a bit more, than I did the first time around. Following Charlie, a budding young photographer, as she attends school but gets offered the job of taking photos of Fire & Lights (the hottest boy band of the time). She gets to know the band and various other characters that come along the way - some good and some not so good. There's also a bit of a love triangle going on and simply because I had read the first two books before I kind of knew that was coming but there were definitely a lot of questions I had about what has happened in the past that ties some characters together.
The characters also were a big pull for me in reading this trilogy. Whether they are a good character or a not so good character, all had their own quirks and personalities and were intriguing to follow. If I had to pick my favourites they would have to be Charlie (of course!) and Yuki who is another member of the band and a larger than live character.
I cannot recommend this trilogy enough. If you like Emery Lord's Open Road Summer, you need to pick this up!
For more reviews, please check out the link below:
Debra's Book Cafe
Debs :-)
October 11, 2023
This one is even better than the first one. The drama with the band and Charlie her dad almost finding out and the breakup between Charlie and Olly and him quitting Fire&Lights, and the letter that Katherine left Charlie and the letter Harry left for Gabriel. It broke my heart when i read the letters they left.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2017
"Well butter my face and call me crumpet!" - that is what I think of Songs About a Girl series. If you familiar that saying you'll know it comes from the bonkers, gorgeous and hilarious Melissa, Charlie's best friend. This is one rockin' series and I loved it!
Songs About a Girl starts off with Charlie, a girl that likes to be invisible and loves to do photography, she never dreamed that the most popular band in the world, Fire and Lights would put her in the spotlight. Olly, one of the band members used to go her school, he went on Make or Break - basically the X-Factor, then wound up with Yuki, Aiden and Gabe to live his dream as a signer and guitarist. It's not until Charlie receives an email from him, to ask to do some photography from a groupie stand point that her life suddenly changes. She didn't realise how being roped into something so glamourous could turn something so ugly. How being caught between the smoldering, and bad boy Gabe and the the thoughtful gentleman Olly could be exhausting and emotional.
It doesn't stop there, Songs About Us, follows on, with much more mystery, that links Charlie more intimately with one member of the group. There are secrets that bind them together yet it's ugly affairs threaten once again the bands reputation and relationship to be released to the public. Being 'with the band' can be amazing on the outside, but beneath it all, on the inside you can really see how backstage bickering can tear it apart and Charlie at the center of it.
I loved all the characters especially Melissa who I mentioned in the beginning. She is just the bomb, completely nuts mind you, Mel really reminds me of a young Penny from the Big Bang Theory. Melissa really lens perspective on the band but also to Charlie, being her best friend. She isn't perfect, and the beauty of her. Oh and the band, Yuki, Aiden, Olly and frontman Gabriel, if I'm honest I really loved Yuki and Aiden especially in book 2, but each them really valued Charlie even when sometimes she felt she wasn't welcomed. She became such good friends with them all and she knew she could get to the heart of them and really see them for who they really are.
Chris's writing is completely addictive, it's unputadownable. It was his take on a romance, I mean there is very few male authors that write a typical YA romance. But I think the boy band aspect really took off. Obviously Chris being in a band of his own Light Years has made this book, looking on the inside of what it can be like for them. I was certainly intrigued as to whether this really does happen in the music industry. Whilst we followed the boy band through Charlie's adventures what I felt was that their is a fragility, a vulnerability to them. We see them as huge musicians, rocking that industry, we see the blood, sweat and tears in their songs, we see them as a band and not individuals and Chris really captured that through Charlie and through the honesty of her lens. All Yuki, Aiden, Olly and Gabe really want is to be normal too.
However, I felt there was so much more to this book than 'being with the band', it highlighted so many key issues in teenage life, including Charlie's relationship with her father and how strained it's become since her mum died. How Charlie's life can turn upside down from a single post on a blog and being constantly stalked and trolled online. Also that being an instigator to main school bully. Throughout the two books, Chris really explores this as well as how Charlie has grown and changed as a character.
Songs About a Girl Series is more than being part of a band, it has everything you need in a novel, family, friendship, love, romance, music, truth, lies, and even a slice of mystery as well. Oh and so many laughs, I loved every second of it, and I need more. I recommend it for those who loved the DIMILY series Can't wait for the release of Songs About a Boy next Summer of 2018.
Rating -
Songs About a Girl - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Songs About Us - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thank you to Hodder Children's Books and Team BKMRK for the review copies in exchange for an honest review.
Songs About a Girl starts off with Charlie, a girl that likes to be invisible and loves to do photography, she never dreamed that the most popular band in the world, Fire and Lights would put her in the spotlight. Olly, one of the band members used to go her school, he went on Make or Break - basically the X-Factor, then wound up with Yuki, Aiden and Gabe to live his dream as a signer and guitarist. It's not until Charlie receives an email from him, to ask to do some photography from a groupie stand point that her life suddenly changes. She didn't realise how being roped into something so glamourous could turn something so ugly. How being caught between the smoldering, and bad boy Gabe and the the thoughtful gentleman Olly could be exhausting and emotional.
It doesn't stop there, Songs About Us, follows on, with much more mystery, that links Charlie more intimately with one member of the group. There are secrets that bind them together yet it's ugly affairs threaten once again the bands reputation and relationship to be released to the public. Being 'with the band' can be amazing on the outside, but beneath it all, on the inside you can really see how backstage bickering can tear it apart and Charlie at the center of it.
I loved all the characters especially Melissa who I mentioned in the beginning. She is just the bomb, completely nuts mind you, Mel really reminds me of a young Penny from the Big Bang Theory. Melissa really lens perspective on the band but also to Charlie, being her best friend. She isn't perfect, and the beauty of her. Oh and the band, Yuki, Aiden, Olly and frontman Gabriel, if I'm honest I really loved Yuki and Aiden especially in book 2, but each them really valued Charlie even when sometimes she felt she wasn't welcomed. She became such good friends with them all and she knew she could get to the heart of them and really see them for who they really are.
Chris's writing is completely addictive, it's unputadownable. It was his take on a romance, I mean there is very few male authors that write a typical YA romance. But I think the boy band aspect really took off. Obviously Chris being in a band of his own Light Years has made this book, looking on the inside of what it can be like for them. I was certainly intrigued as to whether this really does happen in the music industry. Whilst we followed the boy band through Charlie's adventures what I felt was that their is a fragility, a vulnerability to them. We see them as huge musicians, rocking that industry, we see the blood, sweat and tears in their songs, we see them as a band and not individuals and Chris really captured that through Charlie and through the honesty of her lens. All Yuki, Aiden, Olly and Gabe really want is to be normal too.
However, I felt there was so much more to this book than 'being with the band', it highlighted so many key issues in teenage life, including Charlie's relationship with her father and how strained it's become since her mum died. How Charlie's life can turn upside down from a single post on a blog and being constantly stalked and trolled online. Also that being an instigator to main school bully. Throughout the two books, Chris really explores this as well as how Charlie has grown and changed as a character.
Songs About a Girl Series is more than being part of a band, it has everything you need in a novel, family, friendship, love, romance, music, truth, lies, and even a slice of mystery as well. Oh and so many laughs, I loved every second of it, and I need more. I recommend it for those who loved the DIMILY series Can't wait for the release of Songs About a Boy next Summer of 2018.
Rating -
Songs About a Girl - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Songs About Us - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thank you to Hodder Children's Books and Team BKMRK for the review copies in exchange for an honest review.
August 28, 2017
Just hits four stars. An addictive read like SONGS ABOUT A GIRL, but not 100% certain I like the dark route the book is going down (though I get why...). Need to have think about feelings & get back to you on that one!
*
EDIT - Review Taken From The Pewter Wolf
It's two months after the events of Songs About A Girl and Charlie is trying to get normal back into her life. She's rebuilding a relationship with her father, try and hang out with her best friend and worry about GCSEs.
But soon, she is taken back into the world of Fire&Lights, the hottest boyband on the planet. But things are different between the four now. Aiden is in a relationship, but is uncomfortable with it. Yuki is drinking and no one can understand why. And tension between Gabriel and Olly are running at an all-time high and they are close to coming to blows with each other.
When you're as successful as Fire&Lights, there is two ways you can go: up or down. And either way, they're going to take Charlie and everyone around them with them. Whether they want to or not...
Am going to say it: out of the two, I think I prefer Songs About A Girl over Songs About Us. But Songs About Us is still a really good read.
It's a sugary, fun summer read. You can whizz through it and not come up for air for a while. You get sucked in. Plus, with some of the elements Chris tackled (LGBT+, mental health, etc), it was good to see it and go "YES!" over it. It's nice to have these characters and have them and their problems fleshed out.
But, at the same time, I didn't fly through this book as quickly as I did with Songs About A Girl. Some of the darker elements added to this annoyed me and slowed my reading down. Like I said, some elements I was for and most/all, I completely got why the book was taking us in that direction. But there were one or two elements/chapters/moments, where I would have to put my kindle down and leave it for a while, but I was getting frustrated over the characters and their reaction.
An example is one character. In the previous book, he was one of my faves because he was fun. I liked reading him. But, in this book, he changed. Of course, I got why at the end of the book, but there were several strong moments while reading, I was getting hugely annoyed over this character and the way their behaved.
While there were moments I got frustrated with the book, I did enjoy it. Maybe not as much as Songs About A Girl, but I am very much going to continue with this series when Songs About A Boy come out next year. Plus, with Songs About Us ending on that cliffhanger, I will be very intrigued how Chris is going to explain everything...
*
EDIT - Review Taken From The Pewter Wolf
It's two months after the events of Songs About A Girl and Charlie is trying to get normal back into her life. She's rebuilding a relationship with her father, try and hang out with her best friend and worry about GCSEs.
But soon, she is taken back into the world of Fire&Lights, the hottest boyband on the planet. But things are different between the four now. Aiden is in a relationship, but is uncomfortable with it. Yuki is drinking and no one can understand why. And tension between Gabriel and Olly are running at an all-time high and they are close to coming to blows with each other.
When you're as successful as Fire&Lights, there is two ways you can go: up or down. And either way, they're going to take Charlie and everyone around them with them. Whether they want to or not...
Am going to say it: out of the two, I think I prefer Songs About A Girl over Songs About Us. But Songs About Us is still a really good read.
It's a sugary, fun summer read. You can whizz through it and not come up for air for a while. You get sucked in. Plus, with some of the elements Chris tackled (LGBT+, mental health, etc), it was good to see it and go "YES!" over it. It's nice to have these characters and have them and their problems fleshed out.
But, at the same time, I didn't fly through this book as quickly as I did with Songs About A Girl. Some of the darker elements added to this annoyed me and slowed my reading down. Like I said, some elements I was for and most/all, I completely got why the book was taking us in that direction. But there were one or two elements/chapters/moments, where I would have to put my kindle down and leave it for a while, but I was getting frustrated over the characters and their reaction.
An example is one character. In the previous book, he was one of my faves because he was fun. I liked reading him. But, in this book, he changed. Of course, I got why at the end of the book, but there were several strong moments while reading, I was getting hugely annoyed over this character and the way their behaved.
While there were moments I got frustrated with the book, I did enjoy it. Maybe not as much as Songs About A Girl, but I am very much going to continue with this series when Songs About A Boy come out next year. Plus, with Songs About Us ending on that cliffhanger, I will be very intrigued how Chris is going to explain everything...
July 23, 2017
Having read and loved the first book, “Songs About a Girl”, I was needless to say rather excited when this book came in the post.
It starts with an immediately gripping first chapter as Charlie, the main character, reminisces on her time with the band “Fire & Lights” from book 1. She then receives a text from one of the band members and the action of the book begins.
This book is extremely well written. I was hooked from the start. After being on holiday for the past month and reading 5 different books I was finding it difficult to find something new that would grab my attention, and this was it. It’s much more interesting than your generic teen romance due to the fact that the author used to be in a band so you get almost a backstage pass to what it’s like to be a famous band on tour.
Overall I thought this book was pretty good. There was a good amount of drama and tension. I wasn’t so keen on the overused love triangle, as it seems every YA book has a love triangle somewhere, but it wasn’t the only focus of the book.
The cliffhanger ending leaves me waiting excitedly for book 3. Overall I give this book 6.5/10.
Read more on my book blog Off The Page Books.
It starts with an immediately gripping first chapter as Charlie, the main character, reminisces on her time with the band “Fire & Lights” from book 1. She then receives a text from one of the band members and the action of the book begins.
This book is extremely well written. I was hooked from the start. After being on holiday for the past month and reading 5 different books I was finding it difficult to find something new that would grab my attention, and this was it. It’s much more interesting than your generic teen romance due to the fact that the author used to be in a band so you get almost a backstage pass to what it’s like to be a famous band on tour.
Overall I thought this book was pretty good. There was a good amount of drama and tension. I wasn’t so keen on the overused love triangle, as it seems every YA book has a love triangle somewhere, but it wasn’t the only focus of the book.
The cliffhanger ending leaves me waiting excitedly for book 3. Overall I give this book 6.5/10.
Read more on my book blog Off The Page Books.
March 5, 2019
Eventful with the right level of drama and wit. Even though Charlie is the main character I think Melissa is my favourite character in the book, because she's so clever, funny and quirky with her Fire and Lights obsession. Songs about Us is a wonderful follow-up on the plot in Songs about a Girl (#1) without becoming long-winded or tedious to read. I especially enjoy the way Russell intertwines suspenseful, sometimes even dramatic scenes with more light-hearted and moving descriptions of the characters' personality, expressions, responses towards one another, etc. The only thing I didn't like was the letter on the final page. I understand that Russell wants to go out with a bang (i.e. a cliffhanger to interest people to read book #3), but the last three lines (no spoilers here) didn't have the right effect on me personally. It was a bit hard to believe that a dad would confess something this drastic to his young child in a letter without fully explaining what he believed really happened instead. I also would've been happy if Russell had left it at two books instead of three. I ordered #3 anyway but only because I don't have all the answers yet, not because I'm that excited to read yet another book in the series. I hope it's worth the read...
August 24, 2017
I dont know how I'm properly going to put into words how much I absolutely love this series. I started reading this book the moment I bought it because I was just so excited to see what happens next and it definitely didnt disappoint. And now the long wait for the third book begins.
Like the first book this one is full of funny and heartwarming friendships between Charlie and Mellissa, and Charlie and the band. However there were also a lot more serious moments throughout the book as more of the mystery is uncovered which truly kept me gripped to the story and I couldnt put it down. There were so many shocking moments and little plot twists that I hadnt suspected which just left me shocked at how well they were done. The cliffhanger at the end completely threw me and I was sat there looking at the book for a while before I could close it.
I recommend that everyone reads this book, it is just so so so so so good.
Like the first book this one is full of funny and heartwarming friendships between Charlie and Mellissa, and Charlie and the band. However there were also a lot more serious moments throughout the book as more of the mystery is uncovered which truly kept me gripped to the story and I couldnt put it down. There were so many shocking moments and little plot twists that I hadnt suspected which just left me shocked at how well they were done. The cliffhanger at the end completely threw me and I was sat there looking at the book for a while before I could close it.
I recommend that everyone reads this book, it is just so so so so so good.
November 16, 2017
*mini review*
Charlie is home and life is back to normal, whilst Fire & Lights are touring. The issues with Gabriel are still unresolved, as well as the unanswered questions especially about their past.
However things aren't perfect for the band, and the members are facing their own demons with a lot of altercations.
I really enjoyed getting to see Charlie in school, and how being with Fire & Lights affected her. I loved getting to go back stage again, getting up close and personal with both the good and bad parts of band life. I liked that we get some more clues to what connection Charlie and Gabe have, but also felt sorry for Olly and how he gets a completely different side to the secrecy. The characters have definitly grown in this book, but there are also repeated mistakes.
A brilliant second instalment to this series, and I can't wait for the next book.
Charlie is home and life is back to normal, whilst Fire & Lights are touring. The issues with Gabriel are still unresolved, as well as the unanswered questions especially about their past.
However things aren't perfect for the band, and the members are facing their own demons with a lot of altercations.
I really enjoyed getting to see Charlie in school, and how being with Fire & Lights affected her. I loved getting to go back stage again, getting up close and personal with both the good and bad parts of band life. I liked that we get some more clues to what connection Charlie and Gabe have, but also felt sorry for Olly and how he gets a completely different side to the secrecy. The characters have definitly grown in this book, but there are also repeated mistakes.
A brilliant second instalment to this series, and I can't wait for the next book.
January 23, 2019
Enjoyable, but not quite as good as the first - a little too much drama for my liking. And though I got my wish from the first book (#TeamOlly), I wasn't thrilled with how that all panned out.
This review is a pretty accurate reflection of my feelings, except that I'm still enjoying these books. I like Charlie and her friendships with the band and with Melissa. (And I loved Melissa saving the day in this one!) I like Charlie and her dad, and I hope that she comes clean to him. It's a very enjoyable series, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it wraps up.
This review is a pretty accurate reflection of my feelings, except that I'm still enjoying these books. I like Charlie and her friendships with the band and with Melissa. (And I loved Melissa saving the day in this one!) I like Charlie and her dad, and I hope that she comes clean to him. It's a very enjoyable series, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it wraps up.
July 30, 2017
Maybe I'm too old for this book and that's why it just didn't click for me the way it clearly did for other people on here.
Don't get me wrong it's not a bad book. I'm quite a harsh rater with the stars so even though I've only given it two that in no way means it's a bad book. I just think it was stretched out because the plot could have been condensed down but to make the book longer I think the author went a bit all over the place with it.
It's a shame because the potential is there. The characters have something that makes you care about them. And the backstory of finding out what happened to Charlie's mum and such is interesting and keeps you guessing but as an overall read I just felt it could have been so much better.
Don't get me wrong it's not a bad book. I'm quite a harsh rater with the stars so even though I've only given it two that in no way means it's a bad book. I just think it was stretched out because the plot could have been condensed down but to make the book longer I think the author went a bit all over the place with it.
It's a shame because the potential is there. The characters have something that makes you care about them. And the backstory of finding out what happened to Charlie's mum and such is interesting and keeps you guessing but as an overall read I just felt it could have been so much better.
December 24, 2018
-I think there was a time jump between book 1&2 and either I missed it or it wasn't explained well but then Charlie was saying that she hadn't seen the boys in several months and it was confusing. I just realized that it said in the book description that it has been two months, but without reading that, it was difficult to figure out how much time had passed
-It isn't that I don't like Olly, it's just that I prefer Charlie with Gabriel. Also I hate love triangles so I'm not keen on Olly and Gabe fighting over Charlie again. I just felt like she was always going to end up with Gabriel so the whole thing with Olly was just a distraction.
-I didn't really like her relationship with Olly even. He asked her so much if they were okay, which was sort of alright because there were things happening between Charlie and Gabriel but it seemed like he didn't trust her fully. The relationship clearly made Charlie feel good and safe, but it wasn't right. Often, their text messages and conversations felt rehearsed and I just thought the whole plot line was really just for drama's sake
- I had forgotten about Paul Morgan and I really just want him to get out of the picture. He is such a creep and a dirty worm and honestly needs a restraining order
-I really liked getting to see the rest of the boys having subplots that all contributed to the downfall of the band (Yuki's drinking and parental situation & Aidan's relationship with Kaitlyn)
- I loved finding out more about Charlie's mom and
-the ending literally put me to tears, but they were tears of shock. I know there was a cliffhanger at the end of the first book, but I never really expected another one at the end of this book. Also, it wasn't something I thought I would see in a sweet contemporary that, for the most part, is about having fun and chill music
-It isn't that I don't like Olly, it's just that I prefer Charlie with Gabriel. Also I hate love triangles so I'm not keen on Olly and Gabe fighting over Charlie again. I just felt like she was always going to end up with Gabriel so the whole thing with Olly was just a distraction.
-I didn't really like her relationship with Olly even. He asked her so much if they were okay, which was sort of alright because there were things happening between Charlie and Gabriel but it seemed like he didn't trust her fully. The relationship clearly made Charlie feel good and safe, but it wasn't right. Often, their text messages and conversations felt rehearsed and I just thought the whole plot line was really just for drama's sake
- I had forgotten about Paul Morgan and I really just want him to get out of the picture. He is such a creep and a dirty worm and honestly needs a restraining order
-I really liked getting to see the rest of the boys having subplots that all contributed to the downfall of the band (Yuki's drinking and parental situation & Aidan's relationship with Kaitlyn)
- I loved finding out more about Charlie's mom and
-the ending literally put me to tears, but they were tears of shock. I know there was a cliffhanger at the end of the first book, but I never really expected another one at the end of this book. Also, it wasn't something I thought I would see in a sweet contemporary that, for the most part, is about having fun and chill music
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