22 February 2012

Review: Casey Barnes Eponymous

Casey Barnes Eponymous by E.A Rigg
Official Website
Description: It's three weeks into the school year when music junkie Casey Barnes gets a second chance with her mysterious, heartbreaking ex-boyfriend. She comes up with a plan to win him back, but it soon spins out of control as rivalries, revelations about him, and music itself all start to collide. For Casey the newfound attention means learning the difference between wanting center stage and actually being on it.

Review: Casey Barnes Eponymous was a quick read about Casey Barnes, a quick talking sophomore who is learning the ropes of high school. She's accompanied by her best friend, Leigh, who doesn't do anything her parents wouldn't approve of; and her brother, Yull, a gay theater addict who outshines Casey in school and at home.

Casey is a music expert, and she enjoys making playlists for other, more unfortunate people who aren't exposed to such glamourous tunes as she. She plays the guitar, and is all around a cool, knowledgeable young lass who is just trying to get the attention of Alex Deal, music god. They hooked up before school started and now she's trying to win him back, much to the dismay of Yull, Leigh and all the girls who can't get Alex's attention.

I wasn't expecting Casey Barnes Eponymous to be so short (220 pages). When I was halfway through this novel, I was really disappointed because I was really getting into it. But the dialogue, the descriptions, and the storyline made this book fly by. I was really growing attached to the characters, and I will surely miss my little music extraordinare, Casey.

When I got the e-mail about this book from the author, what caught my attention was the music references and the playlists. This is the first book I've ever read mention music and artists. Casey has introduced me to some new, obscure bands and I will definitely enjoy rubbing my knowledge of these bands into other's faces. :) And I have to say, one of my favorite parts is when Casey starts judging this kid because he gave her a playlist of mainstream songs. It's totally something I'd do, because I'm like that with music. And then she realizes what a douche he is, because he is just a big idiot and just wants to get some late-night lovin'.

The characters in this book are honestly so realistic and relatable, and are a big reason why I loved this book so much. I can put a name of each of my friends on each of the characters in Casey Barnes Eponymous. They're a bunch of unique people that you want to be your best friends, because they have each other's backs, and are just so fun to be around. Yull is my favorite secondary character. I love the relationship between Yull and Casey. They're sarcastic and pretend to dislike each other, but their teasing and pestering is adorable. Even though Yull is the star of the school and the house, Casey isn't bitter about it. She knows if she just pushed herself, she could be popular, and in the book, she does. She makes a name for herself, and isn't known as Yull's little sister.

Another character I really liked was Ben. Ben is this boy in Casey's spanish class who she passes notes to. They're relationship is really cute, because he's a drummer, and eventually becomes a part of her band. He's a nerdy little boy, and I fall headoverheels for them, so I was deeply swooning by the end of the book. He was real with Casey, and he helped with spanish, so he's a good guy in my book.

A character I would have liked to hear more from was Leigh. She was going through some serious shit by the end of the book, and Casey wasn't really there for her, being preoccupied with the band and boys. Leigh was also being sent to boarding school, and I really admired how she didn't let anybody push her decision at the end of the novel. I liked how she stood by her choice, and was still there for Casey, but knew she had to do this for herself. I feel she had an interesting story, and would have liked to see how she was dealing with her chaos.

Another pro for me is that there weren't lengthy paragraphs explaining detail and the setting. I like to imagine a few things in my head, and place the setting where I like. Like I said before, this book was a quick read, and there weren't any parts that I was dreading reading. Maybe when Casey embarrassed herself, but that's different. It was fast, and flowed nice. There weren't any awkward pauses or boring parts in Casey Barnes Eponymous.

Overall, Casey Barnes Eponymous is about boys, music, and the boys that drive you crazy enough to write the music.

PS: I never saw the cover before, and it's simply beautiful. 
PSS: I really liked how the author ended the book. It was simple, and left me smiling.

"For what differentiates truly amazing rock stars from merely good ones is knowing that a bad reputation can be a very good thing."
-Casey Barnes Eponymous; E.A Rigg

No comments:

Post a Comment