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That's Why I Wrote This Song
From bestselling author, Susanne Gervay, comes a coming-of-age story about an all-girl rock band in search of love, life and independence.
Girls, boys, music - great mix! And who hasn't dreamed of being in a rock band? And what could be better than hooking up with your besties and forming an all-girl band. that's what Pip, Irina, Karen and Angie did when they formed their band Not Perfect. these are four different girls lead very different lives, but when they come together and play, they are as one. these girls rock. Bestselling author Susanne Gervay wrote tHAt'S WHY I WROtE tHIS SONG, and her musician daughter tory wrote the lyrics. the book explores the lives of four very different teenage girls and their relationships with their fathers, boys and each other. All this is set around the music scene and the girls' passion for and involvement with it, from rock concerts, weekend music festivals and the girls' own band. A recording of two songs by tory is available to download from Susanne Gervay's website. Ages 13+
Girls, boys, music - great mix! And who hasn't dreamed of being in a rock band? And what could be better than hooking up with your besties and forming an all-girl band. that's what Pip, Irina, Karen and Angie did when they formed their band Not Perfect. these are four different girls lead very different lives, but when they come together and play, they are as one. these girls rock. Bestselling author Susanne Gervay wrote tHAt'S WHY I WROtE tHIS SONG, and her musician daughter tory wrote the lyrics. the book explores the lives of four very different teenage girls and their relationships with their fathers, boys and each other. All this is set around the music scene and the girls' passion for and involvement with it, from rock concerts, weekend music festivals and the girls' own band. A recording of two songs by tory is available to download from Susanne Gervay's website. Ages 13+
- GenresYoung Adult
First published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 23, 2010
When Susanne asked me if I'd be willing to read and review her book, I said yes right away. I had no idea I'd love her book so much.
This story's told from Pip's POV, guitar player, singer, songwriter, and daughter of a Psycho Dad.
Gervay does a great job introducing the girls, and I fell in love with all of them straight away.
Pip, Karen, Irina and Angie go to an all-girls school, and together form a band (later called Not Perfect, which is a perfect name for them. Pun not intended.) They all have a solid backstory, and Pip's take on these things makes it completely believable. Plus for Gervay.
Pip comes from a home where her dad's absent (his job often takes him away). When this happens, the sun shines in Pip's home. But it goes away the minute her father walks into the house.
Constant yelling, arguments and fear invade the house, and all everyone wants is for their dad to go back to work. Not her mother, though. She goes into an automat state, making sure everything is spick and span, and perfect for her husband's arrival. Which, of course, puts them all into a cleaning frenzy. Dad gets home, and hell breaks loose. Nothing Pip's mum does is right. There's always something wrong.
Karen comes from an even more broken family. With no real home, her mum has chosen her new boyfriend over her, and her dad his new wife. Karen's dad is the real Psycho Dad, angry and violent toward her all the time.
Irina's from a Russian family who moved to Australia to escape Russia's coldness, in every sense of the word. Her family's Jewish, and living in a country where you can't express your religion openly can be tough. More so if you're six years old, with no clue as to why that other kid just threw a rock at you, and is calling you names that make you cry.
Angie is the only daughter of her parents and lives a happy life. Happy until she discovers a secrer her father's been keeping from her, a secret that shatters her perfect life.
In Gervay's words: Life isn't perfect.
What brings them all together is their love for MUSIC.
After being asked by their Music teacher to perform at the school's Music Concert, Not Perfect is born. The band was always there, but naming it brings the girls closer together.
Music is their escape from the dramas of life. Sometimes the only escape they have.
Gervay does a wonderful job describing every girl's emotions through Pip's eyes.
Why do I love this book? Because I can relate to these girls. I feel them as if they were real. Another plus for Susanne.
A whirlwind of real emotions with real foundations, and great story-telling make this book amazing. If I get to choose between a Coming-Of-Age book and a Paranormal book, I choose the Paranormal, so it's a big deal that I'm saying this.
Monkey Rating: 4 & 1/2 Monkeys :D
This story's told from Pip's POV, guitar player, singer, songwriter, and daughter of a Psycho Dad.
Gervay does a great job introducing the girls, and I fell in love with all of them straight away.
Pip, Karen, Irina and Angie go to an all-girls school, and together form a band (later called Not Perfect, which is a perfect name for them. Pun not intended.) They all have a solid backstory, and Pip's take on these things makes it completely believable. Plus for Gervay.
Pip comes from a home where her dad's absent (his job often takes him away). When this happens, the sun shines in Pip's home. But it goes away the minute her father walks into the house.
Constant yelling, arguments and fear invade the house, and all everyone wants is for their dad to go back to work. Not her mother, though. She goes into an automat state, making sure everything is spick and span, and perfect for her husband's arrival. Which, of course, puts them all into a cleaning frenzy. Dad gets home, and hell breaks loose. Nothing Pip's mum does is right. There's always something wrong.
Karen comes from an even more broken family. With no real home, her mum has chosen her new boyfriend over her, and her dad his new wife. Karen's dad is the real Psycho Dad, angry and violent toward her all the time.
Irina's from a Russian family who moved to Australia to escape Russia's coldness, in every sense of the word. Her family's Jewish, and living in a country where you can't express your religion openly can be tough. More so if you're six years old, with no clue as to why that other kid just threw a rock at you, and is calling you names that make you cry.
Angie is the only daughter of her parents and lives a happy life. Happy until she discovers a secrer her father's been keeping from her, a secret that shatters her perfect life.
In Gervay's words: Life isn't perfect.
What brings them all together is their love for MUSIC.
After being asked by their Music teacher to perform at the school's Music Concert, Not Perfect is born. The band was always there, but naming it brings the girls closer together.
Music is their escape from the dramas of life. Sometimes the only escape they have.
Gervay does a wonderful job describing every girl's emotions through Pip's eyes.
Why do I love this book? Because I can relate to these girls. I feel them as if they were real. Another plus for Susanne.
A whirlwind of real emotions with real foundations, and great story-telling make this book amazing. If I get to choose between a Coming-Of-Age book and a Paranormal book, I choose the Paranormal, so it's a big deal that I'm saying this.
Monkey Rating: 4 & 1/2 Monkeys :D
June 12, 2011
‘That’s Why I Wrote This Song’
by Susanne Gervay with Lyrics by Tory Gervay
ISBN 0207 20086-6
Angus & Robertson/Harper Collins Imprint
$15.99
Reviewed by Hazel Edwards.
A striking photographic cover of a girl band playing sets the enthusiastic musical tone!
YA novel ‘That’s Why I Wrote This Song’ is innovative in format and content and also in the way it was created. Few mothers and daughters collaborate on novels with downloadable music. While the author admits to drawing on girl band routines close to home, a work of fiction is always crafted dramatically so it works as a story, which this does.
Written from the candid perspective of fictional fifteen year old Pip, it follows the ‘Not Perfect’, girls’ band and their musical passion. Each girl has a different goal and different family expectations and the woman-girl relationships are a strength, especially between the narrator and her mother. Sibling support with brother Eddie is realistic and jokey, and he’s an asset to the book and the girls.
Susanne Gervay’s creation of fifteen year olds Irina, Angie , Pip and Karen indicates the importance of peer friendships , especially when families are fracturing. Under-age drinking and sexuality are not avoided but there is compassion between the characters, with occasional tender scenes where parents try to reach out to their offspring, but some clumsy attempts fall flat.
( Clumsiness by the characters, not the author)
In short, breathless sentences, the pace of the writing reflects the frenetic teenage mindset, and so do the details of school-life with an enthusiastic music teacher, part-time jobs, family, food , fashion, makeup and cultural obligations. Russian Irina juggles migrant family expectations and legacies , with how much she should share with Australian mates.
The Author’s note at the end explains the video Psycho Dad which is the filmic interpretation by director Rachel Guerry of the song Psycho Dad and the novel ‘That’s Why I Wrote This Song. The CD produced by Tony Buchen is the soundtrack for the video, exploring the relationships between fathers and daughters.
Rather then confusing the issue with so many media versions, this is a strength of the story because it crosses media in familiar ways for teen readers. The long list of acknowledgements also indicates the depth of research integrating literature, lyrics, music and film.
Highly recommended as a cross-media text.
Visit www.harpercollins.com.au for two free music downloads or
www.sgervay.com to download the Psycho Dad music video and
more information on the author.
November 6, 2014
This is a great book. Susanne wrote this book with massive input from her daughter Tory who wrote the songs.
It's very thought provoking. How do families cope with a bully Psycho Dad? In this case Pip writes a song with her best friend since kindergarten, Karen. They both have over demanding fathers who abuse them verbally and in Karen's case physically. There is great insight in this story about teenagers, the pressures they live under to succeed, to become something, to have boyfriends/girlfriends, to have sex, take drugs and alcohol.
Pip has her mum and brother Eddie to rely on; when her Dad works away everything is good. Karen is unwanted by her mother who is obsessed with her new boyfriend and renovating but not making room for her. While her father has 'that woman' as his new wife and they don't see her at all. Irina is loving living in Australia but is still escaping from Russia as her parents demand she study every second of the day, play piano and not the drums. She is their band’s drummer. Angie lives a fairy tale lifestyle with parents who care about her and each other.
I loved the way the four girls in the band 'Not Perfect' each bring their own special talents to the group. Sure the project was for the school concert and marked towards their music results, but, it becomes so much more.
It's very thought provoking. How do families cope with a bully Psycho Dad? In this case Pip writes a song with her best friend since kindergarten, Karen. They both have over demanding fathers who abuse them verbally and in Karen's case physically. There is great insight in this story about teenagers, the pressures they live under to succeed, to become something, to have boyfriends/girlfriends, to have sex, take drugs and alcohol.
Pip has her mum and brother Eddie to rely on; when her Dad works away everything is good. Karen is unwanted by her mother who is obsessed with her new boyfriend and renovating but not making room for her. While her father has 'that woman' as his new wife and they don't see her at all. Irina is loving living in Australia but is still escaping from Russia as her parents demand she study every second of the day, play piano and not the drums. She is their band’s drummer. Angie lives a fairy tale lifestyle with parents who care about her and each other.
I loved the way the four girls in the band 'Not Perfect' each bring their own special talents to the group. Sure the project was for the school concert and marked towards their music results, but, it becomes so much more.
May 15, 2011
I love the music, it enhances the story. Its really innovative. Good one Susanne and Tory!
June 28, 2021
The book was quite good. Personally, it had a mix of several genres which I really enjoyed. I am sure that the plot of the story could have personally been better, and the first romance was completely unnecessary and I personally think that Oliver's character could have been warded off. The ending was still great however so I still liked it. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2017
I think this would suit 'music lovers', bought as I loved 'Cave'.
August 23, 2010
That's Why I Wrote This Song
by Susanne Gervay with Tory Gervay / Angus and Robertson
To Pip, music is everything. It’s how she translates her life, it helps her negotiate the complex relationships of family, friends and boyfriends, and is the binding strength between her friends Karen, Angie and Irina who all form the band, Not Perfect.
The girls are passionate about their music, going to concerts and writing songs that express the situations and emotions they are going through. Their stories weave together the relationships they have with their parents and the difficulties they face. In particular Pip is struggling to live with her father, a volatile, troubled man who is fighting his own demons. The lynchpin of the story is Pip’s mother and the wonderful relationship she shares with her daughter. As Pip lurches through highs and lows, negotiating boyfriend and father territory, her mother is the one constant that she can rely on.
This novel is very much a mother-daughter collaboration. Whilst Susanne wrote the story, her daughter, Tory, wrote the song lyrics which give shape to the band and provide insight into Pip’s emotional world. The strength of this story for me is the mother-daughter relationship; the love shines through and it is wonderful.
By Experts in Primary Literacies
http://www.elit.edu.au/Special_projec...
http://www.elit.edu.au/
by Susanne Gervay with Tory Gervay / Angus and Robertson
To Pip, music is everything. It’s how she translates her life, it helps her negotiate the complex relationships of family, friends and boyfriends, and is the binding strength between her friends Karen, Angie and Irina who all form the band, Not Perfect.
The girls are passionate about their music, going to concerts and writing songs that express the situations and emotions they are going through. Their stories weave together the relationships they have with their parents and the difficulties they face. In particular Pip is struggling to live with her father, a volatile, troubled man who is fighting his own demons. The lynchpin of the story is Pip’s mother and the wonderful relationship she shares with her daughter. As Pip lurches through highs and lows, negotiating boyfriend and father territory, her mother is the one constant that she can rely on.
This novel is very much a mother-daughter collaboration. Whilst Susanne wrote the story, her daughter, Tory, wrote the song lyrics which give shape to the band and provide insight into Pip’s emotional world. The strength of this story for me is the mother-daughter relationship; the love shines through and it is wonderful.
By Experts in Primary Literacies
http://www.elit.edu.au/Special_projec...
http://www.elit.edu.au/
June 11, 2015
I was excited to read this book because Butterflies by the same author was insanely good but I ended up being disappointed by it when I'd finished. Nothing really stood out and I can't even remember what happened to the situation with Pip's hot tempered father. I wouldn't say I didn't like it I just didn't like it enough.
February 4, 2016
This is one of the few books that really deal with teen issues. The songs are just fantastic and you can download on youtube and my nephew really likes Psycho dad much to his fathers annoyance. It was a school text and I picked it up and read it too.. loved it.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews