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Bite: Guitar Girl by Sarra Manning
Sex, drugs, and rock & roll... a common high-school fantasy, right? In British author Sarra Manning's debut novel Guitar Girl, this oft-trumpeted triple-temptation proves to be terribly trying for a budding pop star. Molly Montgomery and her friends Tara and Jane live largely unnoticed until they form a fledgling girl band that will "be part of the new girl revolution." Fragile-yet-feisty Molly writes songs about Hello Kitty and boy crushes because that's the stuff of her world--a childhood closely guarded by her "crunchy granola," rule-oriented parents she dramatically deems "power-crazed fascists." But when her band is joined by a couple of older boys and attracts the attention of a fancy manager, "The Hormones" start racing--big gigs, an American tour, the whole bit. During her wild ride to stardom, Molly gets her first kisses from both a boy and a girl, gets drunk for the first time (but not the last), and loses her virginity and her sense of self, too. Any teenager who romanticizes celebrity will get a good dose of the reality of drug overdoses, morning-after pills, legal battles, exploitation, humiliation, and exhaustion with Guitar Girl...still, Manning manages to communicate the rush of wowing an audience and the joy and power of music through the often bittersweet, often bitingly funny voice of Molly. For a variation on the same theme, investigate Rachel Cohn's Pop Princess. (Ages 13 and older) --Karin Snelson
Paperback
First published July 17, 2003
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About the author
Sarra Manning
45 books1,932 followersSarra Manning is a teen queen extraordinaire. She spent five years working on the now sadly defunct J17, first as a writer and then as Entertainment Editor. She then joined the launch team of teen fashion bible Ellegirl, which she later went on to edit and has consulted on a wide range of youth titles including Bliss, The Face and More.
Sarra is now editor of What To Wear magazine. She's also been a regular contributor to ELLE, The Guardian, ES Magazine, Seventeen, Details and Heat and wrote the Shop Bitch column for Time Out. Sarra lives in North London with her dog Miss Betsy
Sarra is now editor of What To Wear magazine. She's also been a regular contributor to ELLE, The Guardian, ES Magazine, Seventeen, Details and Heat and wrote the Shop Bitch column for Time Out. Sarra lives in North London with her dog Miss Betsy
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 240 reviews
February 2, 2021
Sometimes you just need to re-read Guitar Girl!! I can't believe I've never put this on Goodreads before because I've read it ... upwards of 50 times in my life. My copy is from 2003, is falling apart and has some typos in it that I apparently corrected in Berol pen because I fancied myself a copy editor. This book was so so formative for me growing up—especially because I was the lead singer in a band, and our manager started trying to write songs for us, and I quit dramatically and was replaced briefly before the band crumbled—and it's very much of its time but I'm giving it 5*s because it'll always have a very special place in my dusty old heart.
November 4, 2014
This book starts light, but it doesn't take long before you start seeing hints of seriousness. Which is too bad as it can't really bear the load.
Molly just wants to sing about things that matter to her—even while acknowledging that those things aren't world-shattering or expecting others to find them interesting, themselves. She's somewhat taken aback when her little group starts to get attention and finds herself quickly out of her depth and struggling to find her way with a boatload of distractions pushing and pulling at her.
Her greatest distraction is bandmate, Dean. He runs hot and cold, argues all the time, but he has hints of deeper feelings that are as intriguing as they are confusing. I liked how their relationship progressed, frankly, even though I didn't like him much.
All of that is the good stuff. The problem with the story is that there's an undercurrent of pain, temptation, and excess that dogs Molly's little band and that seriousness undermines the entire book. Take the band's success—their success is beyond unrealistic and their speedy rise to fame just doesn't survive any scrutiny at all. That goofy foundation makes the serious events that rest on it feel trivialized, or, worse, like a tract or rant about the evils of success and putting your faith in the obviously faithless. It's like a modern Red Riding Hood story told to young girls to warn them away from promises of fame and lies about success. "Hey, little girl, where are you heading with that yummy guitar riff and quirky outfits?" It doesn't help that it's a short book and a fast read. If you're going to do serious, you really need a better foundation and, maybe, to take the time to establish enough realism to give it the impact it deserves.
And yes, I truly hated the ending. That's mollified (heh) somewhat by being completely foreshadowed and absolutely right for the characters and what was left of the plot. Still, that doesn't mean I have to like it...
Molly just wants to sing about things that matter to her—even while acknowledging that those things aren't world-shattering or expecting others to find them interesting, themselves. She's somewhat taken aback when her little group starts to get attention and finds herself quickly out of her depth and struggling to find her way with a boatload of distractions pushing and pulling at her.
Her greatest distraction is bandmate, Dean. He runs hot and cold, argues all the time, but he has hints of deeper feelings that are as intriguing as they are confusing. I liked how their relationship progressed, frankly, even though I didn't like him much.
All of that is the good stuff. The problem with the story is that there's an undercurrent of pain, temptation, and excess that dogs Molly's little band and that seriousness undermines the entire book. Take the band's success—their success is beyond unrealistic and their speedy rise to fame just doesn't survive any scrutiny at all. That goofy foundation makes the serious events that rest on it feel trivialized, or, worse, like a tract or rant about the evils of success and putting your faith in the obviously faithless. It's like a modern Red Riding Hood story told to young girls to warn them away from promises of fame and lies about success. "Hey, little girl, where are you heading with that yummy guitar riff and quirky outfits?" It doesn't help that it's a short book and a fast read. If you're going to do serious, you really need a better foundation and, maybe, to take the time to establish enough realism to give it the impact it deserves.
And yes, I truly hated the ending. That's mollified (heh) somewhat by being completely foreshadowed and absolutely right for the characters and what was left of the plot. Still, that doesn't mean I have to like it...
April 7, 2021
Read this a long while back but can I just say this MOVED me! And I was not expecting it to. One of those books that stayed with me ☆
December 27, 2011
There are not many books that should make you cry- and when it happens, you have read a book you cannot forget. This book is Guitar Girl by Sarra Manning. This book is a heart-breaker. I loved this book so much. And it shook me to the core, and you will think about this book long after you’ve put it down.
Molly Montgomery. She is just a normal British school girl. She has two very normal friends: Tara, a silent no-nonsense girl, and Jane, the school’s resident tramp- and that isn’t an offense. These three girls want to rock the world- and when they meet two boys who turn their chill-out band into something more, their dream comes true- but there is a catch- all comes at a price. Molly is forced to do things she does not want to do, she loses her virginity, she gets high and drunk, she betrays her friends, she gets into legal trouble, and she loses herself. Now, Molly is forced to get it all back- but when your life has spun out of control, is that even possible?
The music industry is a horrible, unforgiving place. I bought this book because of the fact that girl had shocking red hair, like the well known front woman of the band Paramore- Hayley Williams. This book is a carbon copy of what wrong with that band, but you love this Molly. She is strong, she is talented, but she is manipulated and you can’t blame her. She looks up to her idol Ruby X, but when she finally realizes who Ruby is…she understands that giving music to millions isn’t all what being in a band is. Her band mates care more about money, fame, and drugs then playing shows for fans. Her manager controls her, and Molly grows strong enough to control her new life.
There are scenes in this book that speak to you- boy because they are dangerous and disturbing. Molly goes through hell to get to where she is and fix her life, and even through it all, she ends up going back down on her downward spiral. But despite the challenges, she learns a lot about friendship, and most of all the power of music. Music saves Molly, and it saves you too, in the end
Bottom Line:
Buy It. Check it out from your library. I’m not kidding.
“Keep on rocking baby, keep on rocking”…..
Molly Montgomery. She is just a normal British school girl. She has two very normal friends: Tara, a silent no-nonsense girl, and Jane, the school’s resident tramp- and that isn’t an offense. These three girls want to rock the world- and when they meet two boys who turn their chill-out band into something more, their dream comes true- but there is a catch- all comes at a price. Molly is forced to do things she does not want to do, she loses her virginity, she gets high and drunk, she betrays her friends, she gets into legal trouble, and she loses herself. Now, Molly is forced to get it all back- but when your life has spun out of control, is that even possible?
The music industry is a horrible, unforgiving place. I bought this book because of the fact that girl had shocking red hair, like the well known front woman of the band Paramore- Hayley Williams. This book is a carbon copy of what wrong with that band, but you love this Molly. She is strong, she is talented, but she is manipulated and you can’t blame her. She looks up to her idol Ruby X, but when she finally realizes who Ruby is…she understands that giving music to millions isn’t all what being in a band is. Her band mates care more about money, fame, and drugs then playing shows for fans. Her manager controls her, and Molly grows strong enough to control her new life.
There are scenes in this book that speak to you- boy because they are dangerous and disturbing. Molly goes through hell to get to where she is and fix her life, and even through it all, she ends up going back down on her downward spiral. But despite the challenges, she learns a lot about friendship, and most of all the power of music. Music saves Molly, and it saves you too, in the end
Bottom Line:
Buy It. Check it out from your library. I’m not kidding.
“Keep on rocking baby, keep on rocking”…..
October 7, 2025
⭐4.25
One of the most formative books of my teen years! I need to reread this again soon(for what must be the 50th time, my copy is so dog-earred, I was forced to reinforce the cover with tape!)
One of the most formative books of my teen years! I need to reread this again soon(for what must be the 50th time, my copy is so dog-earred, I was forced to reinforce the cover with tape!)
May 4, 2010
I’m a sucker for the “high-school-kid-in-a-local-band-scene-almost-makes-it-big-and-learns-a-little-something-about-himself/herself-in-the-process” novel, Guitar Girl is not as sophisticated or intense as Nick & Norah’s infinite playlist but it’s just as good.
Sarra Manning is amazing (if you haven’t read the Diary of a Crush trilogy, you absolutely must because it’ uber-cool, it’s everything a YA love lit should be) brilliant, I read all her books and I truly believe she is one of the best ya writer out there.
Guitar Girl is about seventeen years old Molly, Molly and her two best friends start a band for fun, later Dean and his friend T join them and this how The Hormones are born, soon they become really good and are signed by a record company.
Life gets difficult for Molly considering her parents don’t like her new lifestyle, she falls for Dean and she has very mixed feelings about the band’s manager. Pressure increases and Molly is not sure she can or wants to handle this new scenario. Compromising can be really though and it gets really ugly when you reach the point in which the price to pay is losing yourself in the bargain.
Guitar Girl is certainly not a realistic account of life in a band but it’s worth reading if you have always wanted to be in a band or you dream about dating a sulky hipster rock star or you enjoy reading about troubled unrequited love (I do).
It’s unputdownable, Molly and Dean are very compelling characters and well it’s not really up to me but If I could I will change the end.
Sarra Manning is amazing (if you haven’t read the Diary of a Crush trilogy, you absolutely must because it’ uber-cool, it’s everything a YA love lit should be) brilliant, I read all her books and I truly believe she is one of the best ya writer out there.
Guitar Girl is about seventeen years old Molly, Molly and her two best friends start a band for fun, later Dean and his friend T join them and this how The Hormones are born, soon they become really good and are signed by a record company.
Life gets difficult for Molly considering her parents don’t like her new lifestyle, she falls for Dean and she has very mixed feelings about the band’s manager. Pressure increases and Molly is not sure she can or wants to handle this new scenario. Compromising can be really though and it gets really ugly when you reach the point in which the price to pay is losing yourself in the bargain.
Guitar Girl is certainly not a realistic account of life in a band but it’s worth reading if you have always wanted to be in a band or you dream about dating a sulky hipster rock star or you enjoy reading about troubled unrequited love (I do).
It’s unputdownable, Molly and Dean are very compelling characters and well it’s not really up to me but If I could I will change the end.
February 20, 2014
Well, this sort of left me in a funk.
The storyline goes that an average girl learned three chords on a guitar and then made a band, became super famous and toured America.
I've just never heard anyone say becoming famous only took playing one gig and then hitting it big. It just felt really forced, and unrealistic. I don't know that Manning did much research on this one and I also hated the ending. I saw the point of it, but I still hated it. This story just left me with a bitter taste in my mouth, and a vague sort of sadness.
The only character that truly interested me was Paul. If he hadn't been such a d*** I would have found him fascinating. Unfortunately he was too much of the quintessential bad guy for me to really want to delve any further into his personality.
It was a pretty short read and I kept reading because Manning is pretty awesome most of the time. I'm glad it's not a series. Or maybe I would have liked it better if it was a series. Who knows really?
The storyline goes that an average girl learned three chords on a guitar and then made a band, became super famous and toured America.
I've just never heard anyone say becoming famous only took playing one gig and then hitting it big. It just felt really forced, and unrealistic. I don't know that Manning did much research on this one and I also hated the ending. I saw the point of it, but I still hated it. This story just left me with a bitter taste in my mouth, and a vague sort of sadness.
The only character that truly interested me was Paul. If he hadn't been such a d*** I would have found him fascinating. Unfortunately he was too much of the quintessential bad guy for me to really want to delve any further into his personality.
It was a pretty short read and I kept reading because Manning is pretty awesome most of the time. I'm glad it's not a series. Or maybe I would have liked it better if it was a series. Who knows really?
July 8, 2012
I found this book at a bargain store near me and I can honestly say this was one of the best purchases I had made in my entire life. Not only did it surprise me when I figured out that this was an English book, but it pulled me in straight from page one. I first heard about it through a friend and when I saw the title, I remembered how oddly familiar it sounded only to remember of the recommendation. I would highly recommend this book. It's fresh and funny and just all together perfect in every way. (And it doesn't hurt when you imagine the accents as each character speaks.)
September 20, 2019
I read this book so many times as a teenage girl. I was obsessed with Molly and related so much to how uncool, grumpy, and weird she felt. Rereading it as an adult was a bizarrely nostalgic reminder of a time in my life that, despite being nearly 15(!) years ago, still feels so significant. I love this book.
December 17, 2008
Loved the premise of this book, the main character and the story's satirical look at rock bands. Unfortunately, the middle sags with the character's immaturity which is to be expected of a teenage protagonist. I just had little patience seeing it through to the end.
October 30, 2023
Three stars because I really loved this book in high school. Doesn't hold up now that I'm an adult.
June 19, 2016
A lovely quick read which I enjoyed.
Guitar girl follows 17 year old Molly who, shortly after setting up a band with her friend, is discovered and catapulted into the limelight. The story follows her journey from ordinary teenager to music superstar and gives fan insight into all the highs and lows of being in such a position.
Molly is a fab heroine of the piece. She's a real teenager complete with all the moodiness and the impulsiveness. I loved seeing how she had to cope with all the attention her new found fame got her and I loved her attitude and more importantly I loved her crazy red hair. I actually really wanted her band to be real. I mean who doesn't want to hear pop songs about hello kitty?
As I said quite a quick read which meant for me at times I didn't feel like th e story didn't develop itself as much as it could have and I would have liked more because by the end I thought it was over pretty quickly .... But then again is that a comment on how fickle fame can be?
Guitar girl follows 17 year old Molly who, shortly after setting up a band with her friend, is discovered and catapulted into the limelight. The story follows her journey from ordinary teenager to music superstar and gives fan insight into all the highs and lows of being in such a position.
Molly is a fab heroine of the piece. She's a real teenager complete with all the moodiness and the impulsiveness. I loved seeing how she had to cope with all the attention her new found fame got her and I loved her attitude and more importantly I loved her crazy red hair. I actually really wanted her band to be real. I mean who doesn't want to hear pop songs about hello kitty?
As I said quite a quick read which meant for me at times I didn't feel like th e story didn't develop itself as much as it could have and I would have liked more because by the end I thought it was over pretty quickly .... But then again is that a comment on how fickle fame can be?
February 6, 2013
this felt like a light but cautionary tale for mid-teens that are moving on from magazines to small novels. It was light as far as people development because it was heavy on some darker themes - the rock star life. It shows just how quickly "best intentions" can horrible spiral out of control and be "worst nightmare"
Molly is in the midst of the whirlwind of stardom and trying to figure out who the sheep are - when she should know they are all wolves.
Molly is in the midst of the whirlwind of stardom and trying to figure out who the sheep are - when she should know they are all wolves.
April 4, 2008
I love how she gets teen girls, right down to the moodiness, the flights of fancy, the shaping of the self. BUT I didn't like Dean in this at all, which makes the romance fail in my eyes, and it was difficult to understand Molly's attraction to him, and her consequent actions. The details about the hard slog towards stardom were interesting, if slight.
May 27, 2010
I just really enjoy this author's style. Very similar in voice to Let's Get Lost. Also, just a random note, the font inside is excellent.
September 20, 2013
taking a star off for factual errors: if you are that invested in music and the music scene, then you know that Roskilde is not in Belgium but in Denmark. Also: sloppy editing.
January 31, 2014
Was good till the nend. One cliffhanger- acceptable ... 3 - cliffhangers - a big no-no
December 31, 2019
The premise of this story is very cute but completely unbelievable. Like a straight to DVD movie.
March 19, 2023
Before I even get to the review- I didn't buy this book. I found it in a donation box at my private school. Decided that the cover looked funny as hell. (Immaturity) and picked it up to read. Month later of cleaning out my dorm, I find this book and decided to read it.
The Review.
The prologue is very vague, Molly preforming at a (bar?) (small school band?) She immediately gets traction from a man named Paul who offers her to join the company he works under. (Since she is 17 at this time, she's unable to sign any contracts.) First chapter starts, we are introduced to Molly's friends, Tara and another girl who I forgot the name of. They start writing songs about 'Watching the telly" and hello kitty.
(one of the songs is "Hello Kitty Speedboat", in the book the song gains traction.) Dean and another boy named T join their group after Tara wants more members to get noticed. (Molly mentions she wanted to be like another superstar, Molly mentions many times she hated the idea of boys in a girl band, for 'Girl Power'.) Dean and T join despite her protests.
The book is a blur because of how fast it is. It's hard to even follow along. Paul sets up the group after they gain their traction at the (bar?? I'm so confused how a 17 y/o is at a bar. Are European laws different?)
Later they do tours and Molly does her songs. Dean continues to be a jackass toward Molly, but somehow bad boy charm works. Paul and Dean are also working behind the scenes tricking Molly??
Dean is also very abusive, toxic and constantly insults Molly. But somehow Molly brushes it off?
Paul seduces Molly on her birthday to sign the contract. (Isn't he 27? She just turned 18 and they're making out in the hotel hallway while she's heavily drunk.) Dean does get with Molly a chapter or two later and Paul says, 'Dating band members is bad for the health of the band.' and then says later 'It'll gain traction!' (Huh??)
There is also American slang in this book. (It's originally British.) I'm American, so when I read 'Mcjob' or 'Mcinedable' I had to stop reading and look it up for what it meant. (That says something! I understood it was Mcdonalds at first, but confused why the slang was even used.)
Dean and Molly officially become boyfriend and girlfriend- they also get into it as well. (Isn't this for teens? I'm sure most teenagers reading YA novels ask for that, but sure.) Then Tara (Molly's best friend) Overdoses, has an abortion, and becomes a slut in this book. (What-) Molly says she's sad about it but there isn't too much mentioning besides Paul replacing her with a new guy. Molly eventually finds out Dean was... with another girl, cheating on her and Paul making him use Molly for popularity, Molly attacks Paul and leaves.
Molly also meets her superstar idol on the elevator. She realizes she needs to leave the band and packs up. She then sues the company after this. (So, seeing another superstar on drugs with a pimp made you want to finally leave? Seriously? It took that much?)
She goes back to her parents' house (Her parents are rarely even mentioned in this book, only getting details of 'Over-protective' and 'Hippies'?) She dyes her hair to blonde and makes another band! Signs another contract! (Why!? Molly would've honestly just stopped-) Her superstar in the epilogue commits suicide by an over-dose. Tara is apparently getting better with sex and drugs. Molly goes back to school as well, continuing to write songs and deal with her court case from her last record company.
The book contains a lot of unnecessary dialog, scenes and fluff. (Also mentioning sex between characters). It feels like I just read a Ao3 fanfic about someone's characters who have 0 development or backstory. (Why else would Molly want to be a superstar (Besides her idol)? Why is Dean a a-hole? Why did Tara do drugs? Besides Paul being corporate jerk, does he develop? I'm disappointed.
I read the book and I enjoyed it, but there's too many things wrong. (After reading the book, I donated it.) I read it in one sitting after taking a break from cleaning, so if you want to read a badly written YA book in 2 hours, this is the book for you.
The Review.
The prologue is very vague, Molly preforming at a (bar?) (small school band?) She immediately gets traction from a man named Paul who offers her to join the company he works under. (Since she is 17 at this time, she's unable to sign any contracts.) First chapter starts, we are introduced to Molly's friends, Tara and another girl who I forgot the name of. They start writing songs about 'Watching the telly" and hello kitty.
(one of the songs is "Hello Kitty Speedboat", in the book the song gains traction.) Dean and another boy named T join their group after Tara wants more members to get noticed. (Molly mentions she wanted to be like another superstar, Molly mentions many times she hated the idea of boys in a girl band, for 'Girl Power'.) Dean and T join despite her protests.
The book is a blur because of how fast it is. It's hard to even follow along. Paul sets up the group after they gain their traction at the (bar?? I'm so confused how a 17 y/o is at a bar. Are European laws different?)
Later they do tours and Molly does her songs. Dean continues to be a jackass toward Molly, but somehow bad boy charm works. Paul and Dean are also working behind the scenes tricking Molly??
Dean is also very abusive, toxic and constantly insults Molly. But somehow Molly brushes it off?
Paul seduces Molly on her birthday to sign the contract. (Isn't he 27? She just turned 18 and they're making out in the hotel hallway while she's heavily drunk.) Dean does get with Molly a chapter or two later and Paul says, 'Dating band members is bad for the health of the band.' and then says later 'It'll gain traction!' (Huh??)
There is also American slang in this book. (It's originally British.) I'm American, so when I read 'Mcjob' or 'Mcinedable' I had to stop reading and look it up for what it meant. (That says something! I understood it was Mcdonalds at first, but confused why the slang was even used.)
Dean and Molly officially become boyfriend and girlfriend- they also get into it as well. (Isn't this for teens? I'm sure most teenagers reading YA novels ask for that, but sure.) Then Tara (Molly's best friend) Overdoses, has an abortion, and becomes a slut in this book. (What-) Molly says she's sad about it but there isn't too much mentioning besides Paul replacing her with a new guy. Molly eventually finds out Dean was... with another girl, cheating on her and Paul making him use Molly for popularity, Molly attacks Paul and leaves.
Molly also meets her superstar idol on the elevator. She realizes she needs to leave the band and packs up. She then sues the company after this. (So, seeing another superstar on drugs with a pimp made you want to finally leave? Seriously? It took that much?)
She goes back to her parents' house (Her parents are rarely even mentioned in this book, only getting details of 'Over-protective' and 'Hippies'?) She dyes her hair to blonde and makes another band! Signs another contract! (Why!? Molly would've honestly just stopped-) Her superstar in the epilogue commits suicide by an over-dose. Tara is apparently getting better with sex and drugs. Molly goes back to school as well, continuing to write songs and deal with her court case from her last record company.
The book contains a lot of unnecessary dialog, scenes and fluff. (Also mentioning sex between characters). It feels like I just read a Ao3 fanfic about someone's characters who have 0 development or backstory. (Why else would Molly want to be a superstar (Besides her idol)? Why is Dean a a-hole? Why did Tara do drugs? Besides Paul being corporate jerk, does he develop? I'm disappointed.
I read the book and I enjoyed it, but there's too many things wrong. (After reading the book, I donated it.) I read it in one sitting after taking a break from cleaning, so if you want to read a badly written YA book in 2 hours, this is the book for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2018
I really liked this book. It's slightly romantic without overdoing it. I like Molly's temper, I see myself as a teenager. However, I had a hard time tolerating Paul the manager of Molly. I found him suspicious from the start and I did not like him. Dean meanwhile was mysterious from the start and I loved him despite everything. Basically, I enjoyed reading this YA book.
J'ai bien aimé ce livre. C'est légèrement romantique sans trop exagérer. J'aime bien Molly une caractérielle qui me fait grandement passer à moi lorsque j'étais adolescente. Toutefois, j'avais beaucoup de difficulté à endurer Paul son manager. Je le trouvais louche dès le départ et je ne l'appréciais guère. Dean quant à lui était mystérieux dès le départ et je l'aimais bien malgré tout. En gros, j'ai bien aimé lire ce livre jeune adulte.
J'ai bien aimé ce livre. C'est légèrement romantique sans trop exagérer. J'aime bien Molly une caractérielle qui me fait grandement passer à moi lorsque j'étais adolescente. Toutefois, j'avais beaucoup de difficulté à endurer Paul son manager. Je le trouvais louche dès le départ et je ne l'appréciais guère. Dean quant à lui était mystérieux dès le départ et je l'aimais bien malgré tout. En gros, j'ai bien aimé lire ce livre jeune adulte.
February 8, 2022
Okay, I really enjoyed this book!! I picked this out for my "coming of age unit" in my American lit class later in 2021 and I loved it more than I thought! This is one of the only YA books I have enjoyed. It wasn't cheesy and it wasn't too slow or too fast. It has some important topics that are brought up in this book and you can really see how the main character developed. The love story is also super good. It gives bad boy falls for the upbeat girl and the chemistry was thereeeee looool. You should read this if you like romance and YA. Even if you don't like YA ( which I usually don't) this is still a really good read. Hopefully, you guys can find it if you decide to read it because it is an older book and I wanted to buy a copy of my own, but I haven't been able to find them in stores. This book is what really got me going and getting into reading again.
October 12, 2013
This is one of those books that I tend to keep waffling back and forth on; it’ll sit on my shelf for a few months, and I’ll think “Oh, did I really like that book? Maybe I ought to read it again.” And then I read it and back on shelf it goes.
Which isn’t to say that this is a bad book…yet it’s not one that’s terribly memorable. I will say this about Guitar Girl, while it’s a typical “teen girl experiences the darker side of fame” novel, the plot is a little more blunt than other more well-known novels with similar plot lines. But it’s incredibly fast-paced with the plot which can work at times, but doesn’t work all of the time and feels too-rushed, especially given the length of the book.
What I do like here is that the main conflict and driving momentum of the plot is Molly Montgomery and her being manipulated by her manager does actually read as realistic and makes sense. For all as Molly goes on about being an adult and able to make her own decisions can read as “bratty teenage girl,” it is a fairly realistic portrayal; add to the fact that that attitude is what allows Paul to really manipulate Molly emotionally. I also really liked that Paul doesn’t take advantage of Molly sexually—aside from the one kiss—but it is this emotional manipulation that feeds on “I’m going to make you into a star. You don’t need your parents, you don’t need to listen to your friends, you listen to me and I will take care of everything.” (The fact that this is common, especially given the number of young women stars in the last two-three years with varying ‘breakdowns,’ is frightening and does add a level of realism to this.)
And Molly didn’t read as bratty all the time to me. The only thing that I don’t like is her relationship with her parents—I did get her attitude of wanting to be more independent and being able to make her own decisions, and that’s fine. But I didn’t get any sort of love between her and her father (Molly’s mother is largely nonexistent, aside from being the go-between) until right up until the end. A lot of that is due to the fact that the plot forces Molly to be away from home, but we really don’t get to see a lot of interaction between her and her father for three-fourths of the book. So, their reconciliation at the end doesn’t really ring as true to me because we haven’t seen much of their loving relationship together.
But that said, I do like that Molly is very concerned with her friends, and that they (specifically Jane) are reacting badly to fame. While it doesn’t really help a lot with the plot, given that we’re seeing what happens through Molly’s eyes and it needs Jane to propel the plot along. However, I really liked that Jane’s choices and spiraling out of control is what makes Molly decide to walk away at the end. I liked that she doesn’t choose to leave fame because of what’s happened to her, it’s because that Molly’s afraid that her best friend isn’t going to make it through a full year of touring. And I liked that it’s very blunt about Jane’s decisions and what happens to her without vilifying her for sleeping around or drinking or partying.
The same thing applies to Molly’s relationship with Dean and the problematic elements between them. I liked that they do have the bad relationship where all they do is fight and snipe at each other, but they can’t help but go off and snog their brains out. And even then, Dean’s very cagey about letting everyone else know that he and Molly have been snogging their brains out. (And again, Paul—I really like that we get to see that Paul’s been emotionally manipulating Dean as well.)
(It should be noted that Paul pretty much reads as a skeevy douchebag in bright flashing letters from the first page he shows up. There’s really no hiding that fact.)
My other problems with the book are mainly due to the length. My copy runs a little over two hundred pages and the plot takes place over a year, and there’s a lot that gets dropped. For example, Tara’s characterization doesn’t really get fleshed out beyond being the quiet, shy supportive friend but given the ending, it doesn’t really feel true that she would abandon and turn on Molly like that. (The one line that hints at that suggests bisexuality but it’s never explored and written off as “Oh, she was drunk.”) I don’t like how fast the plot moves—I get the meteoric rise to stardom, but this is so fast that it comes off as slightly unbelievable. Unbelievable given that this is set in 2004-05, pre-takeoff of YouTube. The amount of time between when the Hormones form and when they get signed is less than a month, and it’s a little too quick for me to believe. I will give this to Manning, though—I do really like the music aspect to this. It plays to Molly’s character that she still believes in changing the world on nothing more than three chords and the truth, only to have Dean bluntly tell her that “No, even with three chords, you still suck.” I did like that at least at the beginning, Molly does have to work at being good a guitarist and even after being signed, she has to work really hard. Again, there’s not enough to Molly’s relationship with her father to actually feel like there’s a payoff to it at the end.
As I said at the beginning, this isn’t a bad book, but it is kind of unmemorable, especially with the writing and the part of the ending. If you like this kind of book, I’d check it out as it is a blunt portrayal of the darker side of fame; if not, I’m not going to say skip it but it’s not a must read. (To be entirely fair, I scrounged this up at the bargain shelf at Half Price Books for fifty cents. Yeah.) There’s some good things in it, I’m probably not going to kick it off my shelf, but I’m not going to go singing its praises.
Which isn’t to say that this is a bad book…yet it’s not one that’s terribly memorable. I will say this about Guitar Girl, while it’s a typical “teen girl experiences the darker side of fame” novel, the plot is a little more blunt than other more well-known novels with similar plot lines. But it’s incredibly fast-paced with the plot which can work at times, but doesn’t work all of the time and feels too-rushed, especially given the length of the book.
What I do like here is that the main conflict and driving momentum of the plot is Molly Montgomery and her being manipulated by her manager does actually read as realistic and makes sense. For all as Molly goes on about being an adult and able to make her own decisions can read as “bratty teenage girl,” it is a fairly realistic portrayal; add to the fact that that attitude is what allows Paul to really manipulate Molly emotionally. I also really liked that Paul doesn’t take advantage of Molly sexually—aside from the one kiss—but it is this emotional manipulation that feeds on “I’m going to make you into a star. You don’t need your parents, you don’t need to listen to your friends, you listen to me and I will take care of everything.” (The fact that this is common, especially given the number of young women stars in the last two-three years with varying ‘breakdowns,’ is frightening and does add a level of realism to this.)
And Molly didn’t read as bratty all the time to me. The only thing that I don’t like is her relationship with her parents—I did get her attitude of wanting to be more independent and being able to make her own decisions, and that’s fine. But I didn’t get any sort of love between her and her father (Molly’s mother is largely nonexistent, aside from being the go-between) until right up until the end. A lot of that is due to the fact that the plot forces Molly to be away from home, but we really don’t get to see a lot of interaction between her and her father for three-fourths of the book. So, their reconciliation at the end doesn’t really ring as true to me because we haven’t seen much of their loving relationship together.
But that said, I do like that Molly is very concerned with her friends, and that they (specifically Jane) are reacting badly to fame. While it doesn’t really help a lot with the plot, given that we’re seeing what happens through Molly’s eyes and it needs Jane to propel the plot along. However, I really liked that Jane’s choices and spiraling out of control is what makes Molly decide to walk away at the end. I liked that she doesn’t choose to leave fame because of what’s happened to her, it’s because that Molly’s afraid that her best friend isn’t going to make it through a full year of touring. And I liked that it’s very blunt about Jane’s decisions and what happens to her without vilifying her for sleeping around or drinking or partying.
The same thing applies to Molly’s relationship with Dean and the problematic elements between them. I liked that they do have the bad relationship where all they do is fight and snipe at each other, but they can’t help but go off and snog their brains out. And even then, Dean’s very cagey about letting everyone else know that he and Molly have been snogging their brains out. (And again, Paul—I really like that we get to see that Paul’s been emotionally manipulating Dean as well.)
(It should be noted that Paul pretty much reads as a skeevy douchebag in bright flashing letters from the first page he shows up. There’s really no hiding that fact.)
My other problems with the book are mainly due to the length. My copy runs a little over two hundred pages and the plot takes place over a year, and there’s a lot that gets dropped. For example, Tara’s characterization doesn’t really get fleshed out beyond being the quiet, shy supportive friend but given the ending, it doesn’t really feel true that she would abandon and turn on Molly like that. (The one line that hints at that suggests bisexuality but it’s never explored and written off as “Oh, she was drunk.”) I don’t like how fast the plot moves—I get the meteoric rise to stardom, but this is so fast that it comes off as slightly unbelievable. Unbelievable given that this is set in 2004-05, pre-takeoff of YouTube. The amount of time between when the Hormones form and when they get signed is less than a month, and it’s a little too quick for me to believe. I will give this to Manning, though—I do really like the music aspect to this. It plays to Molly’s character that she still believes in changing the world on nothing more than three chords and the truth, only to have Dean bluntly tell her that “No, even with three chords, you still suck.” I did like that at least at the beginning, Molly does have to work at being good a guitarist and even after being signed, she has to work really hard. Again, there’s not enough to Molly’s relationship with her father to actually feel like there’s a payoff to it at the end.
As I said at the beginning, this isn’t a bad book, but it is kind of unmemorable, especially with the writing and the part of the ending. If you like this kind of book, I’d check it out as it is a blunt portrayal of the darker side of fame; if not, I’m not going to say skip it but it’s not a must read. (To be entirely fair, I scrounged this up at the bargain shelf at Half Price Books for fifty cents. Yeah.) There’s some good things in it, I’m probably not going to kick it off my shelf, but I’m not going to go singing its praises.
August 20, 2025
I found this book at a thrift store for $3 not expecting it to be good at all; I expected quite the opposite actually. But as I read the book I came to realize how beautiful this book is in it’s realistic depiction of a young girl experiencing fame in a messed up industry surrounded by managers who only want money, shitty men, and people who only care about fame. And what fame does to people, how it can ruin them, how so so many people in the music industry fall into drugs and depression and all of that because of how truly messed up it all can be. Is it one of my favorite books I’ve read? Probably not. Did it make me emotional and feel moved in a way some other books haven’t? 100%. It’s real and it’s raw, and it’s what makes me give it 4 stars.
July 27, 2021
I bought this book at a book sale in my neighbor's house. It's a fun story about a girl who writes songs and wants to sing and actually gets a chance to live her dream. But of course, there comes a point when the spell breaks and the dream is no longer a dream. The start of this novel actually foreshadows the end, I really wish it hadn't ended the way it did but Molly was a very headstrong character who stuck by her principles.
This book actually helped me to develop my music taste because it referenced great female rockstars. I spent hours reading this and then going online to limewire the existing songs, I wanted a movie made out of this.
This book actually helped me to develop my music taste because it referenced great female rockstars. I spent hours reading this and then going online to limewire the existing songs, I wanted a movie made out of this.
October 29, 2021
I read this when I was about 15. I'm 32 now and can't for the life of me remember what in the world happens in this book. However when I saw it on a list here, I was surprised I'd never rated it. I know I loved it when I read it the first time. It even inspired me to write my own little band drama novel haha. It's not realistic, but it's fun. Remembering reading it makes me smile. Even if I can't remember anything that happened in the plot.
Don't look at it too deep. If you haven't read it, and can enjoy some light hearted words on some dark material with your basic toxic male love interest, just read it. Why not?
Don't look at it too deep. If you haven't read it, and can enjoy some light hearted words on some dark material with your basic toxic male love interest, just read it. Why not?
April 3, 2025
I read this as a young teen for the first time I want to say maybe in 8th grade back in 2004/2005? I loved it and re-read it many times at that time in life. I remember wanting to have hair like the book cover and thought it was soo cool to have an edgy band. As an adult in my 30s I might re- visit this book just purely for nostalgic reasons and not remembering much of what happened as it was so long ago. I see other reviews of others doing just the same. I always say it's cool to revisit a story at different times in your life and see how the meaning has changed for you as you get older and grow with life.
March 14, 2022
Hands down, awesome book!!! My mom allowed me to read this book before I was a teenager and I loved it. It taught a lot of valuable lessons. For example, us females need to know self-worth. We need to be careful about who we trust and who we choose to associate ourselves with. We need to be careful about the types of men we like, are they really good people for us? & And as women, we need to be especially vigilant about the types of situations we are in. We have got to be mindful of our surroundings if we want to stay safe, etc.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2024
I didn't read this as a child and I think that was the issue. For the love of God, don't read this as an adult...
I grew up in the noughties and should've loved Molly as the reflection of my angsty, awful lyric writing teenage self, but the dialogue was so cringey and had so many typos that I couldn't even feel nostalgic for my grungy teen years, which frankly I do miss.
Thank Christ I picked this up for free at a book exchange and could finish it in about an hour. Although I do want that hour of my life back.
I grew up in the noughties and should've loved Molly as the reflection of my angsty, awful lyric writing teenage self, but the dialogue was so cringey and had so many typos that I couldn't even feel nostalgic for my grungy teen years, which frankly I do miss.
Thank Christ I picked this up for free at a book exchange and could finish it in about an hour. Although I do want that hour of my life back.
January 7, 2018
I think I was around twelve when I read this. I remember it being an enjoyable ride but frustrating that she wouldnt just trust her best friend basically. I dont think I could stand to re-read it now as the feminist I've become because the main boy and the manager would just give my eyerolling muscles too much of a workout. So there's my awkward bad memory review.
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