The Music Of What Happens
* "Konigsberg demonstrates once again why he is one of the major voices in LGBTQ literature." -- Booklist, starred review
Max: Chill. Sports. Video games. Gay and not a big deal, not to him, not to his mom, not to his buddies. And a secret: An encounter with an older kid that makes it hard to breathe, one that he doesn't want to think about, ever.Jordan: The opposite of chill. Poetry. His "wives" and the Chandler Mall. Never been kissed and searching for Mr. Right, who probably won't like him anyway. And a secret: A spiraling out of control mother, and the knowledge that he's the only one who can keep the family from falling apart.Throw in a rickety, 1980s-era food truck called Coq Au Vinny. Add in prickly pears, cloud eggs, and a murky idea of what's considered locally sourced and organic. Place it all in Mesa, Arizona, in June, where the temp regularly hits 114. And top it off with a touch of undeniable chemistry between utter opposites.Over the course of one summer, two boys will have to face their biggest fears and decide what they're willing to risk -- to get the thing they want the most.
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Community Reviews
3.5 Stars
The importance of this book is difficult to define, but all students need to see themselves in the books they read.
The characters are well-defined and believable; although, Jordan’s whiny, self-abuse got a little annoying at times. I enjoyed the food truck endeavor, and thought it was an important part of the plot.
Both characters have to overcome some serious issues and struggles, and I enjoyed the way they were able to lean on/support each other throughout the book. Max and Jordan seem to make each other better humans through their relationship, and that’s probably the best part about this book.
What I didn’t like was the last five-ish chapters. After they lose the food truck, it’s never mentioned again. And Jordan’s mom just gambling everything away? Ooh! That really pissed me off the way it was handled. Should have seen the signs? What signs? That she ate Twinkies and sat around the house or stayed out late? That part wasn’t explained very well - it seemed a bit contrived at the end that she gambled away the food truck and the back mortgage money. And Max’s dad - he “just can’t”?! What’s that supposed to mean? His relationship with his dad could have been handled better than, oh by the way, Max’s dad is an ass. And what about Max’s other teammates? Did he come out to them? How did they handle it? How did he handle it? These are questions I think my students might ask, especially if they see this book as inspirational.
The importance of this book is difficult to define, but all students need to see themselves in the books they read.
The characters are well-defined and believable; although, Jordan’s whiny, self-abuse got a little annoying at times. I enjoyed the food truck endeavor, and thought it was an important part of the plot.
Both characters have to overcome some serious issues and struggles, and I enjoyed the way they were able to lean on/support each other throughout the book. Max and Jordan seem to make each other better humans through their relationship, and that’s probably the best part about this book.
What I didn’t like was the last five-ish chapters. After they lose the food truck, it’s never mentioned again. And Jordan’s mom just gambling everything away? Ooh! That really pissed me off the way it was handled. Should have seen the signs? What signs? That she ate Twinkies and sat around the house or stayed out late? That part wasn’t explained very well - it seemed a bit contrived at the end that she gambled away the food truck and the back mortgage money. And Max’s dad - he “just can’t”?! What’s that supposed to mean? His relationship with his dad could have been handled better than, oh by the way, Max’s dad is an ass. And what about Max’s other teammates? Did he come out to them? How did they handle it? How did he handle it? These are questions I think my students might ask, especially if they see this book as inspirational.
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