Suzanne Supplee’s latest release, Somebody Everybody Listens To (Dutton, May, 2010), will inspire readers to pick up a guitar and sing. With a quick, steady pace, and short, cleanly-written chapters, this young adult novel will appeal to readers of all ages, particularly those who ever dreamed of finding success in the country music industry.
Supplee’s story centers around a small town southern girl named Retta Lee Jones. She’s been the best singer in town as long as she can remember; but when she heads to Nashville after high school graduation, she feels like “just another fish in the barrel.”
Her sting of bad luck brings readers along a sometimes painful journey into the dark and dangerous world of stardom. Put a teenage girl on the streets with nothing but a guitar and see if she gets discovered. Add a dysfunctional family on the verge of destruction, a few run-ins with slimy characters and back alley criminals, a coveted pair of blue cowgirl boots in the window, and an ego that’s only one shred short of being splintered to the winds, and readers can’t help but root for Retta.
This book is a fun read. Quick. Easy. Charming. And inspiring. Ideal for parents to share with children who pick guitar until their fingers bleed (Taylor Swift) or aim to hit Nashville the day after graduation (Dolly Parton).
But readers also get a bonus, as this book is much more than just a fictional tale. With Supplee’s experience as a Country Music Association writer, it seems as if she’s giving readers the inside scoop on how to survive the Nashville game. She also includes interesting facts about famous country music artists, proving that, yes, dreams really do come true.
Leave a Reply