A rock-n-roll The Breakfast Club
for the literary set, Hughes's (I Am the Wallpaper
) novel combines teen romance, high school politics and family issues in an enjoyable romp that touches on wide-ranging themes, from music-making to corporate muckraking. What begins as a somewhat outlandish tale of how five outsiders almost accidentally form a freshman band—Lemonade Mouth—grows into a believable and heartwarming story about a Rhode Island community that rallies around a group of misfit friends. Through a series of first-person narratives, readers get to know the five classmates who wind up in detention together: Mo Banerjee (overachiever), Charlie (frizzy-haired chubster), Olivia ("introverted Virgo of the worst kind"), Wen (who has a crush on his father's 26-year-old girlfriend, aka "Sex Nanny Sent By Satan") and Stella (vegetarian and outspoken activist who morphs into the band's "Sista Slash"). When they find themselves creating music on a whim, they realize that their strange synergy can't be coincidence. Then, after their music teacher encourages them to play at the Halloween Bash and the school talent show, everything starts to gel (including some budding feelings of romance). A series of unforeseen surprises (and a few setbacks) follows, including a clash with authority over a corporate deal gone bad, and Lemonade Mouth's rise to popularity even beyond the school walls. Readers will delight in watching these well-developed characters stand up for what they believe in and, in the end, learn who they are. Ages 12-up. (Mar.)
