Another Miserable Love Song

Kallie Echo, 18, still reeling from the recent death of her father, now has to figure out how to keep her Vancouver home in Carter’s debut novel, part of the Orca Soundings series, written at a fourth-grade reading level. Then Kallie is asked to join her friend Jamie’s all-girl punk band; before long, she is romantically entangled with Jamie, who is transitioning to life as a man. Despite some hiccups, the band starts to take off, but while readers will be drawn in by Carter’s electric descriptions of performing (“I opened my mouth... and pressed my lips to the mic, kissing the crosshatched metal.... A surge of power rose in my gut”), those excited by the tender trans love story that develops will likely be disappointed by the melodramatic and violent ending. Ages 12–up. (Aug.)