An audio book.
The 2000s in Berkeley, USA. Each chapter is headed by a song title, the song being played in the chapter or having a thematic significance. Percy (her first name's actually Eileen) is into indie music - she writes in a zine things like "I can't mush because my boobs are too big". She and Jo assess his songs and those of the Beatles, the Beach Boys, etc. His mother died young, his father started drinking and music's his therapy. Zoe's been his girlfriend for 5 years. He's been adopted by her family. Last year she told him she was gay. She tells Percy that she's cute and she can have him - she's already his music muse. Jo and Zoe become the first close friends she's made. When Jo and Zoe split, Zoe tries to chat up Percy who gently disappoints her. Percy tries to seduce Jo, who'd rather keep her as a music collaborator than a lover. Jo has to leave uni now that Zoe won't help him with his essays/exams. He starts a band called "Caroline" named after his mother and goes touring. Percy wants to lose her virginity before ending uni so she has sex with an ex in a car. It hurt. She starts mixing with prose writers, living with one of them, Raj. They don't have penetrative sex. Jo returns for a night and they have good sex. He admits that he'd slept with many groupies. When she angrily leaves him he finds solace in another girl.
Percy, by now 23, rushes to her parents, confesses to Raj (who dumps her), then decides she might as well complete the MFA writing course she's on. She confides in Zoe, writing long letters and getting practical advice, flat-sharing with her. On her blog she doesn't highlight the latest break-out indies, she uses songs to talk about herself, but she's running out of things to say.
She gets a job seeking Trendsetters. She gets Caroline's 2nd CD. She's thanked on it, but that's all. Jo gets the labelling corrected on the 2nd pressing so that she's a co-writers for some of the tracks. She goes to a concert of his and he asks if she's in the audience. His bassist, Luke Skinner, has left to start his own group. He asks her for help with producing. Jo is jealous.
She loses her job. She meets Jo by chance. He's odd-jobbing, doing the occasional tour. His most successful tracks are hers. They wonder if writing songs together is good for them. Zoe's moving out. They sleep together and think about buying a house.
Other reviews
- Alexanger Larman (charming but slightly precious)
- Kritika Narula
- 1girl2manybooks (It did not feel to me, like Joe was in love with Percy. It felt like Joe was in love with the impact Percy’s knowledge of music and arranging could have on his songs, and therefore, make him well known)
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