My Favorite Band Does Not Exist

by Robert T. Jeschonek

Sixteen-year-old genius Idea Deity believes that he exists only in the pages of a novel written by a malevolent, omnipotent author . . . and that he will die in chapter 64. Meanwhile, an older teen named Reacher Mirage sings lead vocals for the undercover rock band Youforia . . . a band that exists in Idea’s world only as an Internet hoax that Idea himself perpetuated. Then there’s beautiful and mysterious Eunice Truant, who links their destinies. When Idea and Reacher plunge into the reality of Fireskull’s Revenant, the twisted epic fantasy novel they’ve both been reading, chapter 64 bears down on them like a speeding freight train on an unstoppable collision course. Being trapped in a bad book can be a nightmare. Just ask Idea Deity.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Music, Science Fiction, Fiction, Teen, Adventure

327 pages, Hardcover

First published July 11, 2011

About the author

Robert T. Jeschonek is an award-winning writer whose fiction, comics, essays, articles, and podcasts have been published around the world. His young adult fantasy novel, My Favorite Band Does Not Exist, won the Forward National Literature Award and was named one of Booklist’s Top Ten First Novels for Youth. His cross-genre science fiction thriller, Day 9, is an International Book Award winner. He also won the Scribe Award for Best Original Novel from the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers for his alternate history, Tannhäuser: Rising Sun, Falling Shadows. Simon & Schuster, DAW/Penguin Books, and DC Comics have published his work. He won the grand prize in Pocket Books' nationwide Strange New Worlds contest and was nominated for the British Fantasy Award. Visit him online at www.thefictioneer.com. You can also find him on Facebook and follow him as @TheFictioneer on Twitter. Sign up for the Robert T. Jeschonek newsletter right here: http://eepurl.com/tpKhr

Reviews

[Karla Nellenbach · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summary:

Being trapped in a book sounds like fun...unless, of course, you die in Chapter 64. Just ask Idea Diety. To most people, FIRESKULL'S REVENANT might be a fun, fantastical read, full of action and plot twists, but for Idea--who believes this book and the person writing it are controlling his life--it's a runaway train of catastrophe, plunging headlong into Chapter 64 and his imminent demise.

Meanwhile, Reacher Mirage, lead singer of the biggest rock band that never was, Youforia, can't figure out who's been leaking news--info that only he should know--of his group on the internet. Seemingly overnight, his little, secret band becomes a national sensation. A price is put on his head. The rock magazine Tuned wants an interview, and they'll go to any lengths to get it...that includes offering up a reward for Reacher.

Now, the two boys, whose lives are inexplicably linked through this one book, are now on a collision course that will irrevocably change the world as they know it.


My Take:

If I saw this book on the shelves, I'd snap it right up just by the book cover design and the blurb alone. I mean, what greater concept can you ask for? ALICE IN WONDERLAND meets SCHOOL OF ROCK** actually describes the premise quite well. And, the idea that Jeschonek had for this novel--layering Idea's story in with not only Reacher's but that of the FIRESKULL book--is, in my opinion, purely awesome.

But, that is as far as it went for me. The writing came across a little flat, and at times, irritating. There were many scenes in the book where the writer told me the conclusions that each character came to instead of just allowing the reader to use her brain and figure it out. This was a little annoying, not to mention insulting.

Example: (sorry for the spoiler, but I want to make myself clear as to what I'm talking about) Idea is going through the Gauntlet of Realities and he encounters his parents. Earlier, when the reader meets his parents, it's obvious that they are somewhat cold and very distant people. In the Gauntlet of Realities, however, they are the exact opposite, and just as I'm thinking to myself, "Hey, what a complete turn-around" the writer launches into a monologue about how these loving, touchy-feeling people are so much the opposite of what his parents are normally like. Gee, buddy. Thanks for pointing that out. I wouldn't have guessed it otherwise.

Sadly, this is not the only time it happens throughout the book. If it had been, I could overlook it, but this kind of telling happened so frequently, that soon it was all I could focus on. Which is not a good thing, people.

Another issue I had was the disjointed format. There is a lot of hopping around, back and forth, over, under and sideways between Idea, Reacher, and the book FIRESKULL. At first, all the jumping around was a little confusing. Once I got into the rhythm, it wasn't too bad, but there were a few points where I had to stop and re-read a few pages of the previous chapter as I thought I'd missed something important going down.

Come to find out, there were several blind spots in the book that I can only conclude were an intentional play on Jeschonek's part to have the reader just as off-kilter as Idea and Reacher. I can respect that. I really can, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. I'm just saying.

All in all, even with the issues I had with this book, I would recommend MY FAVORITE BAND DOES NOT EXIST...but only to those who love fantasy above all else...to the point that they can over-look the somewhat flat writing, disjointed formatting, instances of telling to the point of beating me over the head with it, and a few spots of confusion. After all, this is a great premise...just not executed as well as I would've have liked.

**direct quote from the ARC blurb, and I wholeheartedly agree with this description.

[AuroraIce]

Bookshelf reread.

This book follows two different characters in separate realities that parallel each other. The first is Idea Deity, who is on the run from people who work for his parents. He meets Eunice Truant, who helps him, and he explains that his parents started a weird church and decided to kill themselves online to fulfill their beliefs or something, so he’s on his way to stop them but other church members were tasked with preventing him.

He also reveals he created a hoax band to see if he could, making a website for them with fake pictures, status updates, song lyrics, concert info, etc. He even posts made up sightings with names for places that don’t exist that get twisted and soon the message spreads. The band has become very popular, even though no songs were released, yet people know song titles and somehow an actual song gets leaked. Similarly, Eunice created a digihoroscope that can predict things that will happen and answer questions if enough info is provided.

Idea suffers from Deity Syndrome, named after himself, where he believes he’s a character in a book and his life is being controlled. Whenever extreme coincidences happen, this tells him the strings are being pulled and make him panic.

Eunice finds it strange that despite his urgency to save his parents, as soon as real merch and tickets and other stuff related to the fake band start popping up, he decides to chase after those and delays going to his parents. He admits the thing with his parents was a lie, and actually they’re lawyers or something who are obsessed with power and money, so they had teachers raise him to train him into being a business extraordinaire. His life was under immense control, explaining the source of his syndrome, and he managed to escape. The tutors are the ones chasing him.

The pair decide to go to the location where they heard the band’s official debut concert will be, which Idea never wrote about. He thinks people are taking advantage of his hoax to become the band and benefit from his work. The concert is in Pennsyltucky, which doesn’t exist, but he goes to Kentucky instead.

The other main character is Reacher Mirage, the lead singer of Youforia, the made up band. He lives in the universe where Pennsyltucky and other such states exist, along with months with altered names. He created the band, but hasn’t let them go public because he has a fear of failure ingrained in him from his own family. All their performances have been in costume. He wants it to feel right before he’ll agree to go public.

The band is frustrated with him, and also with the website they didn’t make that keeps posting all their information they never revealed and is making them famous even though they haven’t debuted yet. Then a magazine offers to pay anyone who can bring the band members to them for an interview prior to the concert. The band didn’t schedule the concert either.

Reacher gets kidnapped by fans who want the money, thinking the magazine will deliver him to the concert afterwards. This sets him on the path there, and he gets one fan to help him and is then rescued by his girlfriend, Eurydice Terantula. This should showcase the strange names of the book. It’s quite creative.

So both boys are on a course for the mystery concert of their own creations, a concert neither of them set up.

Alongside this storyline is a book both happen to be reading at the same time: Fireskull’s Revenant. It starts at chapter 30-something, where Fireskull, whose name is literal, and Johnny Without, who has an ever-changing body, have been at war with each other forever and are secretly cousins, which has no relevance. Both receive a prophecy from the same mysterious visitor warning them to never face each other, for that will end the world. Instead they can kill each other from afar.

Both go to Scrier, an apathetic prophet of their own, who calls that prophecy a fraud and tells them they must unite to prevent world destruction. This is difficult, since they both hate each other. Each has a separate Scrier: one with white hair and one with black.

This matches with Eurydice and Eunice. Eunice is blond with a black-hared face tattooed on the back of her head, and Eurydice has black hair with a blond-haired face in tattoo on the back of her head. I couldn’t fully understand this, like, are they both bald in the back? Anyway, it’s implied the fake faces can talk to people under certain circumstances.

Both girls wear clothing that has two fronts and no backs, so being seen from behind looks like the front of a person.

Johnny is willing to try a truce, but Fireskull warps the warning in his favor to suggest war is the answer, and he launches an attack. Johnny retaliates, and the two sides go into a bigger battle than ever before that kills off most of their armies. Both try to avoid seeing each other though. Scrier scolds.

That book coincides with the girls also telling Idea and Reacher to join with their enemy and unite, as Idea thinks the band are fakes stealing his hard work, and Reacher thinks the website creator is taking credit for the band and exposing their secrets.

After they reach the concert, both cross into the other’s world and get mistaken for each other by the other’s family’s despite having different haircuts, hair colors, and birthmarks. Both are rescued by the other’s girl and taken to a diner to meet, except they have to rely on the girls to translate for them since they’re in opposite realities and can’t see or hear each other, so it’s like they’re talking to air.

In one reality, the waitress is a grumpy smoker while the cook is friendly. In the other, the cook is strict and harsh while the waitress is super sweet.

The girls tried to get the boys to meet, but it instead crossed them into the wrong realities and so they had to resort to this instead. They offer the boys the chance to change their lives, but they’ll have to take the initiative to make it a happy ending.

Also, Idea and Eunice became a couple earlier. And the two girls go by various E names when they’re in different settings with new people.

The boys agree and get transferred into the book. Idea becomes Fireskull and Reacher becomes Johnny. A Scrier appears to both of them and tells them to find the other. Before their arrival, the prophet who warned them not to meet invaded their weakened kingdoms with his own army, as he’s been taking over all the lands by giving false prophecies. He plans to kill both leaders to guarantee his success.

The Scriers decide the boys are still too crippled by their personal struggles and sends them through the Gauntlet of Realities to help Reacher get over his fear of failure and Idea get over his certainty his life is being controlled. It puts Reacher on various stages then shows him his mom and reveals his dad wasn’t who he thought and his real parents had believed in him and loved him. Idea goes to a reality where his parents are loving and supportive, then sent elsewhere where he finds the computer writing out his life and tries to alter the story only for it to trap him in old age on a space rock with limited oxygen until he takes control of his own path.

They return to battle after overcoming these things, but get captured by the enemy who looks like Reacher’s band manager and one of Idea’s tutors, since there’s a lot of overlap between the realities. Actually, when they crossed into each other’s worlds, Reacher met both of Idea’s tutors, and though the descriptions match, he never noticed or said anything about the man resembling his manager, so I’m confused about that.

The enemy fakes attacking Johnny so he can target the Scriers instead, who reveals they were keepers of the Chain Of Realities, and so was the enemy, but he was more skilled and decided to break the chain so he could create his own Moment. No explanation on this, and I don’t care because I didn’t want to hear it. All the other keepers were killed except her and the author. Fireskull’s Revenant was a fail safe that exists the same way unchanging in all realities.

Because Idea/Reacher is someone who could pass through realities or something since the breaking split him in half and his two halves were gravitating toward each other despite the different worlds, that made him someone who could repair things. They’re actually the same person. So are Eurydice and Eunice, the Scriers, who split into two so she could go to a boy each and help guide him. She starts merging back with herself and tells him to do the same.

This makes them all float out of reach of the enemy soldiers, a symbolic death to match Idea’s belief that he would die in Chapter 64, as was the title of one of Reacher’s songs, which happened to be a rock opera about a boy who believed he was trapped in a book. Idea concludes this is chapter 64, but it was 63. Whatever.

Once they’re merged, they follow Scrier’s instructions on how to repair the chain, and that whole description was needless because I couldn’t visualize it or understand or be entertained. They succeed, then an epilogue reveals he named himself Johnny Fireskull and became a legendary musician, but hates the other elements of that so he faked his dead and moved into the Amazon but allows true fans to track him down by solving puzzles and answering hard questions. When a group succeeds, he tells them they’ll be his band tonight at a performance.

Maybe this was all a metaphor for how these really were book characters, I don’t know.

I don’t get why the boys were different ages, or why Fireskull’s Revenant by Milt Ifthen was supposed to be so riveting, since those were my least favorite chapters and the narration was giving new information that should have already been established if we were supposed to be halfway through the book. The concept is good, how all three stories overlap and parallel and connect and might just be the same people, though I theorized for a long time that Idea and Reacher were Johnny’s lost sons. That was probably intentional.

It was hard to get invested because none of it felt like it was supposed to be real even within the universe of the story. The different realities they had to flash through just disconnected it more. Everything they were fighting toward for most of the book was irrelevant. Aside from Reacher’s fear of failure, which I couldn’t even feel because he was clearly talented, was the only relevance to him performing on stage, so whether he ever did that or not became obsolete in terms of the band. Idea’s obstacles to overcome his lack of control felt farfetched and I didn’t understand how they would help. The computer with his story could have, but it didn’t go in a satisfying direction, though I do get how meeting nice versions of his parents would benefit him.

Reacher even learns he can alter his lyrics on the spot and people sing along in perfect time as if those were always the lyrics. Like there are no real consequences to this aspect of his life. Or maybe he was supposed to notice that to help him realize failure wasn’t even possible, but the book never said this.

Too much felt like it was written in just to take up space. There was a disconnect. The overall idea with the different realities and parallels was really cool though. Though I can’t enjoy the head tattoos of the girls because I don’t understand and it doesn’t sound pleasant, it is creative and I wonder what the author actually had in mind and how it differs to how I envision it. And the different month and states names have always stuck with me since I first read this book.

Quotes:

“By the way, what’s your sign?”
“Gemini. What’s yours?”
“Virgitarius.”
“Do you mean Virgo or Sagittarius?”
“Yes.”
I like this because it was written before answering yes to multiple choice questions was a thing.

”Wouldn’t it be more important for us to stop your parents from killing themselves?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Then, why are we doing this right now?”
“Don’t worry about it. Make a right.”

Although Reacher hadn’t been mistreated, apart from being bound and gagged and zipped into a garment bad, he’d had enough of being a captive.

Simultaneously pampered and driven insane–” I just like this concept. I’ma keep it.

”We’d better get going. His kidnapper’s waiting in the parking lot.”

“I love ya, son. Now turn around so I can tie you up.”

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this one a try solely from the cover and from the basic plot gimmick: a hoax band that might actually exist. It was clear right from the outset, though, that there is considerably more to this book than meets the eye. So much so, in fact, that I really don’t know what to make of it. It’s a weird cross of speculative fiction, YA romance, and bizarro, with a heaping spoonful of magical realism and dash of pulp fantasy homage. I think I liked it, but it was kind of a mess.

The story is told through three different viewpoints. Idea Deity is a boy on the run from his family, and suffering from a condition wherein he believes he is a character in a novel, being manipulated by a malevolent author. As a release valve for his anxiety, he has created a fake band called Youforia and maintains their web presence, effectively nurturing an online following for an indie band so obscure that they don’t actually exist. Meanwhile, Reacher Mirage, the lead singer for the band Youforia, is driven to distraction by the news about his band that keeps leaking out onto the Internet. Determined to keep the band a secret until he is ready to play in public, he is confounded by reports of the band's doings that nobody else should know about. The third perspective is told through a tattered fantasy book called Fireskull’s Revenant, which both Idea and Reacher happen to be reading. As that story draws to a climactic confrontation, Idea and Reacher are slowly pulled together in a meeting that could save them both.

This book is utterly confusing at the outset. Jeschonek does not give the reader much time to get accustomed to the quirks and idiosyncrasies in Idea’s world before shifting to Reacher’s much odder one. Furthermore, it’s not particularly clear until later that the sudden jump to reading a chapter in the book-within-a-book, Fireskull’s Revenant, is a narrative device that will continue throughout the story. I almost gave up in the first third of the book, because the technicolor mishmash of existentialism and bizarre characters was a bit much to handle.

With a little perseverance, I broke through to a place where I started to get into the story. As the characters and their disparate worlds began drawing together, the pace evened out a bit. Still, once I got to the end I was left feeling a little unsure about what I had just read. I think I understood what Jeschonek was going for, and I liked the themes and the unique concept, but I’m not sure how successful he was at translating it all into a readable story. Still, there’s an eclectic, punk-rock aesthetic at play, here. This book would be worth trying if you’re looking for something way off the beaten path, or are in the mood for some weirdness without venturing into full-on bizarro territory.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

The inside-of-the-flap description of this book is misleading. It's much weirder than it sounds.

Idea Deity and Reacher Mirage's stories are briefly described, what it fails to mention is that Idea invented a band (with a website and social media) in his world, while Reacher is leader of that band in an alternate reality. But Idea's descriptions are leaking onto Reacher's web, posting info about the band that only he should know, they both happen to be reading the same book (which we get chapters of throughout the story and later comes back to play a much larger role), and they both happen to be dating the same girl (sort of. Reacher's girlfriend has Idea's girlfriend's face tattooed on the back of her head and vice-versa). It's bizarre, and I wouldn't describe it as School of Rock meets Alice in Wonderland so much as Lemonade Mouth meets Evil Genius meets Inception. I give would give this book 5 stars merely for the achievement of being the weirdest thing I have ever pulled off a library shelf at random.

Now it's not perfect. It doesn't have a flooring writing style and some of the plot points seem cheap or gimmicky, but it is wacky and original in nature and a sheer joy to read for its confusion. The only reason I don't award it the full 5 stars is the ending.



I have several issues with the ending. It is in the set of books where you have yet to reach the denouement with about 20 pages left, and since I wasn't expecting a cliff-hanger I was unsurprised when the wrap-up was vague and relatively easy. It also relied pretty heavily on the romance, which up until then had been secondary and pretty much un-interesting. But my main problem was the fact that when Reacher and Idea melded together the book proper ended almost immediately after, and then we cut to 15-20 years in the future. We got no sense of who Idea/Reacher was when the two came together, so the epilogue was tantamount to ending the book about a character who had nothing to do with the story.



That being said, I really enjoyed finding a book that was not too shy to run away with a zany premise and keep the reader guessing as to what exactly is going on. Reading this felt like watching a cult movie, and a fair amount of the twists and turns kept me guessing.

[Micha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was way more deep and adventurous than I had expected. I was drawn to this book because after I read This Song Will Save Your Life, I wanted to read more books about music. So I picked up this baby.

My Favorite Band Does Not Exist centers around two boys and a book within a book. The two POVs are from Idea Deity and Reacher Mirage. The book within a book is called Fireskull's Revenant. Idea Deity and Reacher Mirage both are in a situation that is going to change their lives forever. Idea Deity is expected to be successful in life by his parents. Reacher Mirage has grown up with a family who believe he is a failure. I loved both of these characters equally. They're both are being held down by someone. This leaves for much character development which, was a wonderful thing to read about.

Fireskull's Revenant is the book that Idea and Reacher have been reading. In this book, there are two characters fighting against each other, Lord Fireskull and Johnny Without, who are told they are told two different prophecies. They both have their own kingdoms and each of them was to kill the other for varying reasons. Lord Fireskull was a gruesome character who loves bloodshed. Johnny Without is seeking revenge but he does his best for his kingdom. They're basically opposites who's goals are to commit a certain murder.

My Favorite Band Does Not Exist had an original plot and it is something I would recommend for people who either believe they are being controlled or have stage fright.

[Sarah Porter]

It's sort of a digest of postmodernist tropes for teen readers, and definitely different from most of the YA novels out there. It has a real sweetness about it, and admirable nerve. Some reviewers are saying they skipped the book-within-a-book chapters, but those were my favorite part: an extravagant parody of bad fantasy writing that was truly funny. It does get kind of messy, especially toward the end, and you should check your skepticism at the door.

I'm not rating this because Jeschonek is my label-mate (we're both on Harcourt) and it seems wrong. But I thought his book was charming.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly can't figure out how I feel about this book. The concept was cool and different, but it was also kind of convoluted. It felt a little like the hallucenogenic road trip in Libba Bray's "Going Bovine."

[Andrez]

The storyline is so CONFUSING! I didn't understand the first pages and decided it wasn't worth it.

[Sesana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very strange, and ultimately not quite worth it to me.

[Danny Pfarr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, in itself, is a masterpiece of young adult and fantasy fiction. That is, to me at least, it is amazing. It brings in concepts of time, alternate realities, romance, higher powers, fears, and mental health. It is a potluck of humanity, and interlocking stories and connections beyond belief. If anything is a little off in this book, I would say it was the strange names of the characters, and the very quick and unexplained ending, but otherwise it was a very enjoyable book. I appreciate the strange names because of how strange my real name is, but nevertheless not everyone's names should be that strange. Whatever the matter, this book was fantastic and for a first time writer, Jeschonek did a wonderful job.

[Lyndsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the strangest books I have ever read. It has been 6 years since I have read it and I think about almost everyday. I just can't get over the absolute strangeness of this book and I absolutely loved it.

[Billie · Rating 1 out of 5]

The cover looked like it would be appealing to my students. I thought is was a tortuous mess to read. I enjoyed the book within the book sections far more than the rest of the book...but no.

[Mason Pfaff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just now I remembered I read this book in high school. Don't remember much about the details and overall plot, but remember loving it and it blowing my mind. So.

[BookWormYami · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
This was a weird, unique book and I really enjoyed it.

[J Ups · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surreal and trippy but cool as hell. I loved trying to stitch together the story before the big reveals.

[Diane]

Jumping ship after 1 chapter. Not for me.

[Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Three narratives you'd think one of them would be good.

[Parallel Worlds · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intended Audience: YA

Sexual content: Mild

Ace/Genderqueer characters: ?

Rating: PG

Writing style: 3/5

Likable characters: 3/5

Plot/Concepts: 4/5

Idea Diety suffers from anxiety attacks, believing that he’s a character in a book written by a malevolent author. In an effort to control his own life, he created a nonexistent band, Youforia, on the internet. When he runs away from home, he teams up with a literally two-faced girl named Eunice/Eurydice, and soon finds out that his make-believe band might be more real than he ever intended.

I’m always curious about stories where the characters end up inside books or videogames or whatever other form of alternate reality they’re engaged in. I was surprised to find that not only is Idea convinced his life is a book, but he and the lead singer of his made-up band are also reading the same book, Fireskull’s Revenant, at roughly the same pace. Segments of the book are scattered throughout the narrative, and in the copy I had, the edges of those pages were colored darker than the rest, and the chapter headings looked different. At first these three realities or universes seem unrelated, but as the story goes on they converge and begin to influence one another in unexpected ways. A favorite scene of mine involves Idea speaking to Reacher (lead singer of Youforia) through Eunice/Eurydice. Although neither of them can see one another, they argue because Idea believes Reacher stole his idea and made a fake Youforia, while Reacher believes Idea is wrongfully posting private information about his secret band online. As a writer I’ve always wanted to have a real-life conversation with my characters, so that trope attracts me.

One of the things I enjoyed most about the entire book is that the author plays with stereotypes in every reality. He injects unexpected creativity into situations which would otherwise be completely overdone and boring. So, for example, although Fireskull’s Revenant is about two warring lords, and Fireskull is stereotypically insane and evil (and has a flaming skull), his enemy Johnny Without is cursed (or blessed) with a nearly-indestructible, constantly mutating body and patchwork voice. The real villain of Fireskull’s Revenant was also not immediately apparent. Basically, I thought many scenes of this book would make an excellent animated movie. The humor is spot-on for a clever cartoon, and the dialogue and visuals would fit in well—for example, Reacher’s world has pink foliage and an emerald sky. I think such a film would be pretty entertaining and work well with the author’s writing style.

The character descriptions were all quite easy to visualize… actually, most things were brought into pretty clear focus, and the writing style was snappy and quick to read, although the author did repeat descriptions of characteristic appearances or behaviors. The plot was easy to follow but not too simplistic. Although many of the characters were archetypes, the author used this to his advantage. It works with the feel of the book and the humor that is intended. I never sensed that the author was taking himself too seriously.

Although Idea and Reacher both have a romantic relationship with Eunice/Eurydice, it was pretty mild and I appreciated that most of the time they just acted like good friends. I also liked that Eunice/Eurydice was a very important female character, perhaps even more important in correcting the problems in all realities than Idea. Certainly nothing could have been resolved without her presence and abilities. She’s also pretty likable. The book doesn’t really pass the Bechdel test, unfortunately, and Eurydice’s rivalry with the only other female band member (which supposedly was not just because she stole Reacher’s affections) is never explained. As for ace and genderqueer characters, there were no possibilities that stuck out to me except that Fireskull seems completely disinterested in anything other than destroying Johnny Without; also, Johnny Without’s body and voice is described as shifting between that of a man, woman, and child. I’m not sure either one really counts, but it was fun to speculate anyway.

If you like stories within stories, time travel, or cartoonish plot devices and humor, check this one out. It’s definitely entertaining and a pretty quick read. My only real complaint is that some of the emotional moments were a little bit corny, but that in and of itself was kind of amusing and may have been intentional. If not, I can look past that to appreciate the value of the rest, and the creativity it took to put together.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think the tagline 'Alice In Wonderland meets School of Rock' really does this novel justice. but I couldn't figure out a better one to replace it with until the last fifth of the book. What the tagline SHOULD be is 'Rock and Roll Doctor Who' because as someone who loves the Gallifreyan antics, the climax reminded me of that. I'm not trying to spoil anything but essentially, if you can get through Doctor Who logic, you can get through this.
My only complaint is common for many books, but it's still a complaint. The pacing starts off in the middle of the action, then slows the ef down to a grinding freaking halt, then scrambles madly to pick up the pace again in the last third.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reviewer's note: a digital ARC was provided by the publisher for this review.

My first word of warning to anybody who is interesting in buying the eBook version of My Favorite Band Does Not Exist: there are numerous instances where the book shifts to a "book within a book" that is presented in semi-graphic form with dog-eared pages and fancy fonts. Clicking through these sections of the eBook seems to slow loading something fierce, to the point you might think there's something wrong with your reader or the eBook file. I opened the file in two separate eReaders and encountered the same issue, and I have to admit that waiting for pages to load proved irritating. I promise, though, the following review doesn't take that into account - I just note it here for the reader to be warned should anyone decide to buy e.

My Favorite Band Does Not Exist seeks to convey an adventurous spirit that takes readers on, literally, a whirlwind tour - imagine the Beatles' bubblegum tour bus and its passengers compressed into a paranoid teenager and his flight companion, then hold a mirror to the result for a parallel story. Idea Deity is on a mission to save his parents from going through with a public suicide pact to preserve and promote the cult movement they have founded. While Vengeful and Loving Deity (and these are perhaps the tamest of the names bestowed upon this book's characters) are measuring potions or knife lengths on the other side of the country, Idea has hooked up with the bubbly Eunice who assists in keeping him hidden from the Deitys' toughs. Slipping under their radar might be easier to do if Idea weren't already preoccupied with the plan he's set in place to upstage media attention the suicide might receive: he's fabricated a rock group with a viral following for which Lady Gaga would give up her meat bra, and Youforia has left Bic lighters aglow from sea to sea. This is despite having never cut an album, played live, or existing.

Cut to Reacher Mirage, who would argue the point of Youforia's existence. His band rehearses in secret, travels incognito, and deflects pressure placed upon him by management and band mates to do something besides nothing. It's when Reacher gets wind of website updates made without his knowledge and songs leaked through "YoFace" and other aptly named social media sites that he suspects something he's apt to fear more than playing in public.

Meanwhile, Idea can't understand why people are scalping tickets and making money off a band that exists only in his mind, crammed in his conscious along with the belief that he is a literal Truman Show - a character in a book set to die in Chapter 64. Certainly it's not the same book he's carried around on his quest: Fireskull's Reverent, a hefty tome that also has Reacher turning pages. Suddenly any determination to save his parents is forgotten as Idea and Eunice detour to track down those profiting from Youforia's, er, presence.

When realities and fiction collide, one would think things start to make sense, yet in reading My Favorite Band Does Not Exist I find the narrative off-putting and at times frustrating. Whether the saturation of odd character names (Wicked Livenbladder comes to mind) are there as some satirical commentary on goofy names dreamed up in typical YA fantasy I can not say, but having to take it all in - while juggling three parallel universes within the book - left me weary. There is a good germ of a story here, but one may end up re-reading chapters and passages to make it come together. I would dare suggest having too much of the novel within the novel made it difficult for me to follow the complete story - it's like David Lynch remade A Hard Day's Night.

As an adult reading this book, I may also concede a younger reader - the target audience of this book - will have little problem getting through the story and enjoy the irreverent humor and moments of slapstick. My Favorite Band reads like an acid trip Saturday morning cartoon, and though I don't consider a book like this my cup of tea I wouldn't mind mixing some that drug in with it.

[Stephanie Davenport · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this one up at the library book sale for $2, then looked it up and saw it has a 3.3 rating on Goodreads… yikes. But honestly? It was a super weird and fun read and I’m glad I gave it a shot.
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The story is bizarre in the best way—meta, twisty, and totally unpredictable. It has that chaotic, anything-can-happen energy that kept me turning the pages just to see where it would go next.
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That said, there were a few timeline inconsistencies that left me genuinely confused. I had to go back to reread sections more than once and things didn’t always seem to add up.
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Still, for sheer originality and entertainment, it gets a solid 4 stars from me. If you’re into offbeat stories that don’t take themselves too seriously, this one’s a good choice.
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Favorite Line: “We are near the end now.
The end of what? He asked, still flapping, still rising. Our lives?
No. Scrier/Eunice’s long blond hair fluttered as she climbed into the sky along with him. The book.”

[Robert Beveridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert T. Jeschonek, My Favorite Band Does Not Exist (Clarion Books, 2011)

Finally, someone wrote the ultimate hipster book!

No, no, I kid. My Favorite Band Does Not Exist is way, way better than anything that would use the phrase “I only liked them before they signed to a major label.” It's a fantasy novel of the most ridiculous stripe, playing out simultaneously in our world, an alternate version of our world, and the pages of a mystical fantasy novel beloved of the protagonists of both of the other storylines that begins eerily echoing the real-world events. In other words, there's a whole lot going on here. Because of this, it's possible Jeschonek may have missed his target demographic, judging by the decidedly mixed reviews the book has gotten (it's a rarity on Amazon, a book with an almost-perfect bell curve in the Customer Reviews box). I am not entirely sure, however, that this is a bad thing.

Plot: Idea Deity (you see where we're going here?), the protagonist of the real-world storyline, is sixteen years old, socially awkward, and has just met the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. Until she turns around. It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but Eunice Truant, the young lady in question, has a second face tattooed on the back of her head. (This becomes very important later.) Idea is on the run from his parents, as well as a pair of trenchcoated guys they've hired to track him down. Eunice helps him outwit them, and while they're on the run, Idea reveals to her that he believes someone else, more shadowy and more powerful, is also after him, and that that person was somehow involved with the creation of the novel Fireskull's Revenant—and that he predicted Idea's death, which will happen in Chapter Sixty-Four. Idea is also the perpetrator of the Internet's greatest hoax, Youforia, a band that doesn't actually exist... except in the alternate-universe portion of the storyline, where Reacher Mirage, the frontman for Youforia, is trying to figure out who the hell keeps leaking news of the band's supposedly-secret gigs on the Internet, and why the characters in his favorite book, Fireskull's Revenant, remind him so much of his eternally-bickering bandmates.

Here's the problem as I see it, judging by the reviews I've read: My Favorite Band Does Not Exist is not a book for beginners, in the same way Akira is not anime for beginners (though it always seems to be presented that way). I think you'll get a lot more out of this book if you've got a solid grounding in high fantasy of the swords-and-sorcery stripe, as well as some form of science fiction that hits the same buttons this does (time travel stuff would work as well as alternate-universe stuff, methinks). Jeschonek is not going to dumb down his themes, nor will he take pauses to explain things, and while this is a very good thing for the novel's readability factor, I've read more than a few reviews that imply the book is off-putting for this reason. Your mileage may vary; mine certainly did. But then, I am also pretty well outside the age range to which the book is marketed to (I have a daughter in said age range), and have a great deal more reading experience under my belt to draw on and reference. So, I have to heavily qualify my recommendation for this book. Which is unfortunate, because I flat-out loved it and would prefer to give it the highest of regards. However, its seeming vertical-market-ness demands a bit of reserve. (But still, for the love of Fireskull, read this. Now.) ****

[Rhea Hepburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well that was an utter headtrip...

2017 Popsugar Reading Challenge: a book that is a story within a story ✔️

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

"My Favorite Band Does Not Exist," (MFBDNE) tracks the progress of two young men, one who has a complex about being controlled by others, the second fearful of failure.

They are unfamiliar with one another, but Idea Deity has confected a fake band over the Internet that has gone viral, at the very same time Reacher Mirage's rockin' combo is rehearsing under THE VERY SAME NAME.

Author Rober Jeschonek has gone Yin-and-Yang, sun-and-moon, night-and-day, complete-me-complete-you in a text that fully embraces dualism and puts his protagonists on a track towards unity. It's for their own good and for the good of the "chain of realities," or something like that.

Their progress is aided by two sprightly girls, each with a tattoo of the other's face on the back of her head. Jumping back between Reacher's and Idea's stories, MFBDNE also inter-cuts with a novel both men are simultaneously reading called "Fireskull's Revenant."

It would result in a spoiler to say anything more than that the protagonists' fates are inextricably mixed with the two comic book-style characters, Lord Fireskull and Johnny Without, the author fashions in some alternate reality.

Follow? It's not that complicated really. MFBDNE is nothing if not a smooth read.

Mr. Jeschonek's background includes turns as a writer of the Pocket Book "Star Trek" series, podcasts, a Twitter serial, and work for D.C. comics. His first novel follows in the same vein.

There is just enough characterization to make this a novel and something other than a comic-book-in-text. Jeschonek's little machine of counterweights inter-spliced with a metaphor-laden fantasy book drives itself nicely.

He even takes Miguel Unamuno's "Abel Sanchez" a step further, empowering Idea, as character, to rebel against the intentions of his creator/author and choose a proper destiny.

For all its cartoon-like pyrotechnics, MFBDNE is mostly an oneiric yarn concerned with interior lives of its primary subjects.

The test for individual readers will be whether they care if Idea and Reacher resolve their inner conflicts. It's highwayscribery's guess younger readers will while their elders shrug.

Don't let the edgy, punky cover fool you. Jeschonek's are straight ahead, white-bread prose that take no chances and break no new ground.

That said, he writes the heck out of his story, fully developing his many threads, punching up his yarn in every sentence, and with every named character, so that nothing seems lazy or unnecessary to the piece. It is hard not to be pulled along by the writer's exuberance, as he barrels forward, tongue ever in cheek, playfully approaching his task.

"My Favorite Band Does Not Exist," is meant for the denizens of the younger generation currently afoot and, perhaps, for those who want to understand something of their reality.

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being trapped in a bad book can be a nightmare.  Just ask An--wait.  That's not my name on the inside cover?  Oh.  (And I'm still not convinced the back cover won't murder me.  I need to get this out of the house.)

So, again with the "being trapped in a bad book" thing.  Was Fireskull's Revenant, the novel "inside" of My Favorite Band Does Not Exist (I know, it's all very Inception), supposed to be a bad book?  I'd feel much better if the answer was yes, because I didn't enjoy reading about those parts.

I didn't particularly enjoy the rest of it, either.  The idea was awesome--a hugely popular band that's actually an internet hoax, a teenager with a disorder that makes them believe they are a fictional character, etc.  I loved the ways the stories intertwined, but that's about all I liked.

The rest of it was just...bizarre.  I have a high tolerance for weirdness in books, but there's weirdness, and then there's...random weirdness.  This weirdness made no sense and was jarring.  So many lines popped up like this: "Eurydice pulled a dodo bird burger out of the bag and tossed it on the bed beside him."  This was me:

 

Lines like this were incredibly disorienting.  I understand that this was an alternate reality, but this came out of nowhere and I spent five minutes being confused.  And also, the writing was awkward and repeated itself over and over.

Similar Books: It has the same ideas of disjointed reality as The Marbury Lens or Every Day, to a lesser extent.  It also reminds me of The Obsidian Blade.

[Bibliojunkies]

“Being trapped in a book can be a nightmare – just ask Idea Deity. He’s convinced that he exists only in the pages of a novel written by a malevolent author … and that he will dies in chapter 64. Meanwhile, Reacher Mirage, lead singer of the secret rock band Youforia, can’t figure out who’s posting information about him and his band online that only he should know. It seems to both teens that someone is pulling the strings of their lives… and they’re not too happy about it. With a national magazine preparing to expose Youforia and chapter 64 bearing down like a speeding freight train, time is running out. Will Idea and Reacher be able to join forces and take control of their own destinies before it’s too late?

School of Rock meets Alice In Wonderland in this fast-paced, completely unpredictable novel of alternate realities, time travel, and rock ‘n’ roll. If you band does not exist… do you?"



The description doesn’t lie. It is a fast-paced, action-packed story that volleys back and forth between the two characters, Idea and Reacher. There’s also another book within the story called Fireskull’s Revenant that both the characters are reading. A few chapters in it does occur to you that there’s a parallel between the book you’re reading and the book they’re reading. And eventually Idea and Reacher realize that too.

Jeschonek has come up with a brilliant idea here (no pun intended). I’d like to add that elements of the story also reminded me of a certain Brad Pitt movie that shall remain nameless lest it give away too much about the book. It’s definitely one of the more creative stories I’ve read, and to be perfectly honest it was kind of nice to take a break from reading about angels, dragons or elves. Instead I was introduced to this guy over here, Fireskull, a guy with a perpetually flaming head as you can see, who loves war and torturing his army. Despite that gruesome bit of detail, he was rather entertaining.

Reading this reminded me of authors like Terry Prachett and Neil Gaiman* and their propensity for creating bizarre worlds, outlandish characters and ridiculous names. In my opinion, that's high praise. So if you’re in the mood for something different, definitely try this. Though be aware that it may take some concentration to keep up with who’s who and what’s what as the author does scramble realities frequently. Have fun!


~ Bel

* Good Omens being one of my favorite books :-)

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Idea does not like his life. In order to escape from the horrors of his day to day life, he does two things. First, he created a band called Youforia. He created bios for each of the band members, including rough sketches. He formatted entire albums, offering free downloadable song samples that led to broken links. Eventually the underground band that never performs became an Internet phenomenon. The discussion boards dedicated to the band erupt with comments from fans claiming that they heard a secret track off one of Youforia’s unreleased albums. Idea’s imaginary world helped distract him from his problems for a little while, but ultimately that wasn’t enough. Specifically because Idea believed that he was a character in a book and that he was going to die in chapter 64. Idea needed to leave home in hopes that his story might take a distract change for the better. While running from his family, Idea meets up with an odd girl named Eunice who helps him.

Reacher is the lead singer of a secret underground band named Youforia. Reacher’s uncontrollable stage fright has kept the group from performing. Somehow, unknown to everyone in the band, all of their private information has been leaked onto the Internet, including the titles of songs that Reacher hasn’t even shared with the group yet. Reacher is currently working on a rock opera about a guy who believes that he is a character in a book, complete with a song called ‘Chapter 64.’ The information about the band via the Internet has caused a major surge in Youforia’s popular, including a reward for any members of the band. Reacher’s girlfriend, Eurydice, is the only hope he has at escaping the mayhem.

The two characters have some connection that Jeschonek keeps from the reader throughout the novel. The only similarities are a relationship with a girl that is a mirror image from the girl in the other story and a fantasy novel called “Fireskull’s Revenant.” Both Reacher and Idea are simultaneously reading the novel, which is included as chapters in the original story as well. The concept may seem a bit out there, but that is its appeal. It is a clash of stories in which connections made by the reader help the story along. Don’t be afraid to be confused or awestruck, this novel is worth every minute it takes to finish it.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was an interesting trip. And, ultimately, a bit of a letdown. I'm tempted to give it just two stars because I was disappointed with the ending, but have to admit I was drawn into it, entertained, and anxious enough to find out what was coming that it earned three stars. It had a great odd quirkiness and the potential to really build into something full of big ideas, but in the end was just a fun diversion.

Idea Deity (son of father Vengeful Deity and mother Loving Deity) is on the run after bumping into a strange girl who has a face tattooed on the back of her head and dresses in clothes that are different in the back than the front, as though she were two different people. He has also created a fake band called Youforia through websites like YoFace and Yapper, creating fake personalities for fake members of the band, including a lead singer who is afraid to perform so he only does so secretly, wearing a mask and giving his band a different name each time. Except Idea keeps running into people claiming to have heard Youforia in secret concerts and who claim to have copies of songs the band has secretly recorded.

Reacher Mirage (son of father Purpose Mirage and mother Dreamer Mirage) leads a secret band called Youforia, playing concerts in a mask under an assumed name until he feels the band is good enough to go public. Except someone keeps giving away their location and posting other private, personal things on social media like YoFace and Yapper, including the lyrics to songs he hasn't even shared with his band yet and details about his girlfriend who has a face tattooed on the back of her head and dresses in clothes that are different in the back than the front, as though she were two different people. Crazed fans are just one step behind them everywhere they go, but Reacher still hasn't conquered his stage fright and isn't yet ready to face the public.

Fireskull's Revenant is a fantasy novel by Milt Ifthen about the eternal war between Lord Fireskull and Johnny Without. Idea and Reacher are both reading the book, and are beginning to see odd parallels between their lives and the events unfolding in the novel. Something strange is happening with the Chain of Reality, as all three stories start bleeding into each other and identities begin to blur.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not even sure how to describe this book. It certainly doesn't fit into any genres that I can think of. There are multiple narrators, all with fantastically whimsical names, and multiple realities. First, in the reality closest to our own, is the world of Idea Deity (son of Loving and Vengeful Deity). He's on the run from his tutors and parents since they've been restricting his life and priming him for "success" for the entirety of his memory. The only outlet he has is the fictional band that he's created, Youforia. Even though the band doesn't exist, it has developed a cult following. Idea has teamed up with a rather unusual young woman who calls herself Eunice Truant. She's got a Janus-sort-of-thing going on. The back side of her head has a face painted on; her hair is two different colors and her clothes are two outfits stitched together. Idea also suffers from he calls "Deity Syndrome", where the sufferer believes that he is a character in a novel penned by a malevolent creator.
In the alternate reality, where the grass is pink and the sky is green, Reacher Mirage, lead guitarist of the secret band "Youforia" is wondering how the heck someone is able to post such detailed information about the band online. Because the real Youforia has never performed as themselves. But all the details online are disturbingly accurate. Everyone is pushing Reacher to take the band public, but Reacher's just not ready; he's been led to believe that he'll fail, a remnant of his upbringing by Daddy Naysayer. He's on the run too, trying to avoid his own past. Interestingly enough, he also has a two-faced lady friend, Eurydice Tarantella, with features that run directly opposite of Eunice's.
Consistent in both realities is a fantasy novel called "Fireskull's Revenant", which also has two narrators. It's only a matter of time before all realities collide.
I can't really think of anything else that I've read that even remotely resembles this book. It is ambitious, particularly for a debut novel. For the most part, it really works. The writing is occasionally a bit clunky, but I'm willing to forgive it for the sake of the highly original premise.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird, and in the end, rather unsatisfying.

Two girls and two guys in separate realities have weird connections with one another.

One boy thinks he's got a fun idea when he makes up a band, makes a YoFace and Yapper account for them, and posts updates.

Another guy thinks it's weird that somebody's always posting on YoFace about where his secret band is, even though all the members have agreed to keep things on the downlow.

The first guy's posts are straight out of his imagination, but reality for the second guy. Weird right? So far, so good.

One blonde girl has a face surrounded by black hair tattooed on the back of her head.

One girl with black hair has a face surrounded by blonde hair tattooed... yeah, you get it.

There's also this book that both guys are reading, and the book ends up becoming a third reality blended in with these other two.

The lessons the boys learn about becoming the men they want to seem forced and trite. They learn the lessons by being shown a flashback, or being given a surreal opportunity to do one thing. Like, voila! Put tab A into slot B and you have Learned Your Life Lesson.

Also, the girls seem aware all along of what is going on, and they are masterminding things in some weird way. Which means the fear that guy #1 has of being controlled is a lot more real that he thinks, but that's never pointed out.

There were also lots of little things that made no sense. Like... one of the guys discovers a computer screen that seems to narrate his recent life up to that very moment. So he tries typing in a few things. They come true! Then he tries a few more things... and they randomly don't. And then he's suddently transported into an imminently life-threatening situation and almost dies. But later we find out the "author" is totally benevolent. Hm.

I kept reading in order to find out what was going on - the book certainly was interesting and had a fun concept. But in the end I didn't care much about any of the characters, and was annoyed by lots of small things. However, I know the basic concept will stick with me for some time!