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Sorta Like a Rock Star

Matthew Quick

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Jun 13, 2013 Brian rated it it was amazing

Sorta Like a Rock Star is a young adult novel written by Matthew Quick, the same author who wrote the popular novel Silver Linings Playbook.

The novel has somewhat of a slow start, as you begin to get acquainted with the main character of the story, Amber Appleton. She is a girl who is living homeless with her mother on a school bus. Even though she is considered to be somebody at the lower end of society, she has an incredible amount of hope, which is challenged through the course of the novel. Sorta Like a Rock Star is a young adult novel written by Matthew Quick, the same author who wrote the popular novel Silver Linings Playbook.

The novel has somewhat of a slow start, as you begin to get acquainted with the main character of the story, Amber Appleton. She is a girl who is living homeless with her mother on a school bus. Even though she is considered to be somebody at the lower end of society, she has an incredible amount of hope, which is challenged through the course of the novel. She’s has a faith in Jesus Christ that is true to herself.

The novels weakest quality, as observed by a few, is the main character Amber. In fact, I’ve read a few of the bad reviews of Sorta Like a Rockstar on Goodreads, and the trend seems to be that if you hate the novel, it’s because you hate Amber’s voice. Some reviewers can’t stand the way she talks because she doesn’t talk the way other teenagers talk. However, I believe this is intentional as Amber is not somebody who would fit in with the popular crowd, in fact she was placed in a special class by a social worker to develop her social skills. But in spite of her weaknesses, she is an amazing girl who gives of herself and time to help others.

In my opinion books main flaw is that since it’s written in first person, half of the story involving the other characters in Amber’s life goes untold. These other characters do something, in a brave fashion like something Amber herself would do, but the reader never finds out how their conflict gets resolved. If Matthew Quick could have pulled off telling their side of the story, I would have been very impressed.

Lastly, I like the significance of the title. It comes from a series of children’s books Amber had growing up called, “Jesus Christ was a Rock Star,” which talked about Jesus’s killer adventures. One thing that touched me in the story was how Amber would criticize some of the pastors she would hear speak about Jesus, because they got his story wrong:

“Only the priest there–Father Johns–told the Jesus stories all wrong. Father Johns was always going on and on about how Jesus was going to be disappointed in us if we sinned or didn’t do enough charity, and the way he talked about JC made the Son of God seem more like a mean, pissy old lady than a rock star.” ...more

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Sep 10, 2013 Diana rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I cried. I cried like a baby and I'm not ashamed of it because Amber deserved every tear. She is real, and so much bigger than a work of fiction, she is a rock star!

The quote on the cover of my edition says "This is a must-read, must-quote, must-hug kind of book." (Justina Chen) and I agree.

I love books that draw me in, that steal me away from my life demanding my attention, and even on the days I haven't read a word I was thinking about this book. I read somewhere that this was on movie-way and ...more

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