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A review by bethanyangharads
One Song: Sometimes a Song Presses Pause on the World by A.J. Betts, A.J. Betts
4.0
Thank you so much to PanMacmillan for sending me a copy of this book. I whole heartedly, pinky promise swear, that this review is 100% honest xx
In this YA novel, the newly formed band of highschoolers (The Errants) are tasked with creating the best song of their lives. The goal? To win a super prestigious place in a huge song competition, so that they have a shot at stardom.
We see the thrill and stress of creating a song, with such high stakes attached to it, through Eva’s point of view. She is somewhat of a perfectionist so is naturally drawn to the position of band manager. Through Eva, there is a realistic portrayal of the stress students feel when having to balance all aspects of their life, alongside their passions. This comes to a head when The Errants have a weekend lock in so that they can get their song in on time.
When I was reading this, I couldn’t help but think how amazing it would be for students to read this. I say students because, as a teacher, there were a bunch of my own students who I thought would love this book. Side note; I in fact did actually pass this onto a student and she loved it! I thought teenagers would like it because it has a nice amount of romance (without oversexualising anything), has realistic friendship interactions, and has relatable moments where the teens were allowed to let their hair down too.
Overall, I think this is a brilliant YA book which has its head in the clouds yet shows that those dreams are achievable with a bit of hard work. The characters are relatable and there’s some true incentive to keep reading as you want to see the band members succeed. My biggest critique is that it felt sad not being able to read the lyrics of the song. I have a feeling that this book will be a bit like a boomerang with me lending it out to student after student.
Triggers include underage drinking, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, medication, stress, lock ins. Sexual content includes kissing and mention of intercourse (but there is none).
Title - One Song: Sometimes a Song Presses Pause on the World
Publisher - Pan Mac Millan Australia (imprint: PanAustralia)
Published date - 25th July 2023
AU RRP - $19.99
In this YA novel, the newly formed band of highschoolers (The Errants) are tasked with creating the best song of their lives. The goal? To win a super prestigious place in a huge song competition, so that they have a shot at stardom.
We see the thrill and stress of creating a song, with such high stakes attached to it, through Eva’s point of view. She is somewhat of a perfectionist so is naturally drawn to the position of band manager. Through Eva, there is a realistic portrayal of the stress students feel when having to balance all aspects of their life, alongside their passions. This comes to a head when The Errants have a weekend lock in so that they can get their song in on time.
When I was reading this, I couldn’t help but think how amazing it would be for students to read this. I say students because, as a teacher, there were a bunch of my own students who I thought would love this book. Side note; I in fact did actually pass this onto a student and she loved it! I thought teenagers would like it because it has a nice amount of romance (without oversexualising anything), has realistic friendship interactions, and has relatable moments where the teens were allowed to let their hair down too.
Overall, I think this is a brilliant YA book which has its head in the clouds yet shows that those dreams are achievable with a bit of hard work. The characters are relatable and there’s some true incentive to keep reading as you want to see the band members succeed. My biggest critique is that it felt sad not being able to read the lyrics of the song. I have a feeling that this book will be a bit like a boomerang with me lending it out to student after student.
Triggers include underage drinking, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, medication, stress, lock ins. Sexual content includes kissing and mention of intercourse (but there is none).
Title - One Song: Sometimes a Song Presses Pause on the World
Publisher - Pan Mac Millan Australia (imprint: PanAustralia)
Published date - 25th July 2023
AU RRP - $19.99