cover image Tig Ripley: Rock ’n’ Roll Rebel

Tig Ripley: Rock ’n’ Roll Rebel

Ginger Rue. Sleeping Bear, $16.99 (360p) ISBN 978-1-58536-945-4

Alabama middle schooler Tig Ripley wants to start an all-girl band, Pandora’s Box, to prove her classmate Will Mason wrong when he says, “Girl bands are gimmicks.” Tig enlists cousin Kyra on bass, tennis champ Olivia on keyboard, rocker Robbie on guitar, and herself on drums. When Kyra invites popular Haley to be the lead singer, the group is astounded by her terrible voice and inflated ego. Dumping Haley creates hostility between the band and the school’s “Bot” clique. Even with a new singer, the band’s fears over Bot name-calling and retaliation leads to some cringe-worthy performances and Tig’s failing grades. Tig searches for a way to save the band and end the Bot war, all while coming to terms with Will’s romantic interest in her. Rue’s (Jump) conventional plot leaves little room for surprise, and some of the idioms used by the band members (“My name is going to be mud”; “The walls have ears”) sound wooden and antiquated. Still, Rue’s thematic focus on bullying is timely and nuanced. Ages 9–up. Agent: Abigail Samoun, Red Fox Literary. (Sept.)