The first of this pair is five years old now, but with a movie out just last year and the sequel new this year, I’m hoping teens will discover Lemonade Mouth all over again – it is so. darn. good.
Lemonade Mouth
by Mark Peter Hughes
Random House
ISBN: 978 0 385 73511 7
The story of how high school band Lemonade Mouth went from a few misfits in detention to a phenomenon in one school year, as told by the people who were there, in all their various voices. Described by Publishers Weekly as “A rock-n-roll The Breakfast Club for the literary set” it champions the weirdos, tries to deconstruct the chemistry and timing of how amazing things can come together from nowhere, and encourages finding your voice. There are some terrible nail-biting moments in the ups and downs of this, and the suspense is all the greater because you really get invested in these five kids, reading their story as they tell it and getting to know them.
This is a great book, hooking you right into the story and making you care about the outcome without ever feeling like it’s manipulating you. I am, I’ll be honest, a little disappointed to see that there was a movie made last year, and that the kids look nothing like the ones in the book. However, this is totally offset by getting a sequel this year, and getting to continue the real story of Lemonade Mouth. Any music lover should be thrilled and yes, I’ll give it to that reviewer above, John Hughes fans should be right into this, too.
Lemonade Mouth Puckers Up
by Mark Peter Hughes
Random House
ISBN: 978 0 385 73712 8
The followup is written in the same style – bits of the story told by various people who were there, some of them even snippets from very, very minor characters. The summer is looking pretty uneventful at first, until the band plays a little festival and is approached by a big deal agent, and then things start happening fast. Limos, new looks, professional recording sessions, and a slot on an American Idol-style TV show kick things into high gear in a hurry, but the crew struggle to stay true to their roots and stand up to the hosts of the show, taking everyone by surprise.
It’s another wild ride of ups and downs, and just as tense in spots for the same reasons, but it doesn’t feel like a mere retread, just the next chapter, which is exactly what it is meant to be. These are a great pair of books for a music-addicted teen, and I can’t help but hope we might see another…