Stringz by Michael Wenberg

by Michael Wenberg

Life hasn t been easy for Jace Adams, a mixed-race teen whose mom moves them from one place to another so often that sometimes he's been in four schools in a single year. To cope with all that instability, Jace has vowed to never let himself get attached to anyone or anything--other than his beloved cello. But when his mom takes them to Seattle, where they're living with tough, sassy Aunt Bernice, Jace wonders if this time things might really change. Because money is tight, Jace plays his cello on the street in downtown Seattle, and one evening, someone throws a folded $100 bill with a business card attached into Jace s open cello case while he's serenading. That card changes everything; it's from a famous cello instructor who offers to take him on, giving Jace a shot at winning a large cash prize. Will he make the grade?

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Music

Hardcover

First published April 25, 2010

About the author

I live with my wife and our wonder dog, Gracie, on five wooded acres close enough to Puget Sound to hear the fog horns when the weather turns nasty. In addition to writing stories, I enjoy playing my horn (a trombone), hiking and mountain biking in the nearby the woods and Olympic mountains, rowing my wherry on Puget Sound and Hood Canal, and spending time with family and friends. If you want to get in touch, send me an email: michaelcwenberg@gmail.com.

Reviews

[Katrina Burchett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jace Adams lives a life with no stability and very little family. His mother has moved him from place to place, and he has even slept in a car at times. His brother, Derrick, is in jail and his dad is not in the picture because he left before Jace was born. The last place Jace and his mother lived was California where he could at least enjoy his love of surfing, but now they have moved to Seattle. Jace doesn't expect life to be good in this city, and he doesn't expect to make any friends. At least he has his cello, Ruby.

I look at the book cover and read the synopsis and, thinking about cello playing and a prestigious school, words like intelligent, confident, gifted and mostly `culture' come to mind. And then I think about the fact that not only does this black guy - Jace had an African American mother and a White Irish father - play a cello, but he likes to surf and I expected the story to be, I don't know, maybe `sophisticated' and `unique' are the words I'm looking for. As I began to read Stringz, it wasn't what I expected and I wasn't sure I wanted to finish the book.

When the story begins Jace is calling himself names like moron or loser and he's calling others by the same names and he's using way too much profanity. I did not expect any of that, particularly all of the profanity. I was so disappointed that I wasn't sure how I felt about the character. And then he brought up Oprah's name and that was unrealistic to me, because I'm not sure any teenage guy is giving Oprah a second thought. What I mean is a teenage guy wouldn't be quick to bring up her name the way a female would. But I could be wrong. It turned out that the more I read the more likable Jace became and, even though the name calling continued (still disappointing, especially when he said he felt like an animal on display at the zoo), he wasn't using foul language as much as the story went on and I appreciated that. This young man did not have a happy childhood and I could understand him being angry about some things, so I guess it was his anger that gave him such a nasty mouth. And as I learned more about his family life I could definitely understand his case of low self-esteem, or maybe I should call it self-loathing. But Jace did have something that made him feel good and that was his cello, Ruby, and they've been together since he was six years old. If it wasn't clear to me just how much he loved Ruby, it sure was after reading chapter eighteen!

It was a shame that Jace had a mom who seemed to always put her needs before her son's, but at least his brother, Derrick, cared enough to better his life. He showed up on the scene at just the right time. And his Aunt Bernice was okay in her own way and she sure cared more about him than his mother did. Still, Jace needed friends his own age, so it was good that he eventually opened up to his classmates Marcy and Elvis and found out that his cello wasn't the only thing he could count on.

I did not feel good about this book in the beginning, but it got much better. I especially liked that Dr. Aldo Majykowski took an interest in fourteen year old Jace, caring enough to help this young man realize how talented a cello player he was. I found myself smiling big for Jace by the end. Also, the words on pages 158 and 159 touched my heart deeply.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

For about 200 pages, this is a pretty unique book in that it mixes music and a dysfunctional family together to tug at the heart strings (pun intended!) Jace is a teen whose mom has moved him all over chasing what, he doesn't know, and now he's landed in Seattle with an aunt who seems to dislike him. Somewhat characteristically, Jace is then left in Aunt Beatrice's hands while Jace's mom plays playmate with a man and moves away, which for Jace just makes his life suck more. He's already discounted because he's a black kid who likes to surf (his aunt wanted him to play a sport and makes him do track) and who is amazing at the cello. But Jace perseveres and sticks with what he loves. A mentor finds him, he becomes friends with other "strings" and has a heart-to-heart with his aunt to understand her better.

I wouldn't say I loved the book, but again, it's unique. There is a bit of everything: sports, music, romance, dysfunction to make everyone happy and I enjoyed Jace's voice and his adoption of the phrase "it is what it is" to just move with life's waves.

[Michael Wenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, it's my book...so I gotta give it five stars.

[Doret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jace Adams and his mom are never in one place too long. The only constant in Jace's life since he was six is playing the cello. Jace will be starting his freshman year at a new school in a new state.

"In fact, it's been so crazy the past couple of years I've barely had enough time to figure out the location of the safe bathrooms at a school before mom hauls me off somewhere new - again. But she always has a very good reason : better job, shorter commute, more money, nicer apartment, She even promised that this was going to be our last move - because she finally had a really good job" (from the arc)

Sometimes its the little things that stand out for me in a passage. Jace's wanting to find the safe bathrooms is one of those. In Seattle, Jace and his mom will be living will Aunt Bernice. Though they are living with a relative money is still tight. Jace decides to play his cello outside for money, like he did in San Diego.

Jace is mixed raced, his father is White, his mom Black. Thoughout the novel he identifies as Black. Jace has never meet his father and that's how people see him. He joins the school orchestra. The music teacher, Mr Whitehead doubts Jace can play the cello. Jace quickly proves him wrong.


I suppose it seems a little obvious for Wenbreg to put in a scene where the White music teacher doesn't believe Jace is a skilled cellist. But sadly people are placed in boxes of what we can and can't do, like and don't like. The author didn't overplay the interaction between Mr. Whitehead and Jace. It was simply a reflection of what a person faces when they do something outside of the supposed norm for their race or gender.

When Jace finally lets Elvis and Marcy, they become good friends. They are in the orchestra as well. The two convince Jace to enter the Volt competition. Its a national string competition for Black and Latino, high school students. Jace and Marcy get even closer when they take private cello lessons together.

I really liked Stringz and Jace. Though I wished the author would've slowed down a bit. The story seemed to move quickly towards the strings competition. Wenberg doesn't skip anything but there could've been more. I loved that Jace refused to be boxed in, besides playing the cello, he also surfed. It was pretty cool picturing Jace playing Jay Z on his cello. I appreciated that Jace's musical taste were very broad. The author did a good job connecting everyone close to Jace from his Aunt to his music teacher.


"When I woke the next morning, there were new clothes hanging on my door. Black suit, white shirt, black tie. New black shoes and black socks. I even had new boxer shorts. Damn. "Thanks for the, well everything," I said to Bernice. "No problem," Bernice said. "I didn't think you and your lunatic teacher would have thought about it. I called up your girlfriend and Elvis. We made a day of it. Decided to go for the Obama look." (from arc)

[Edith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jace changes schools every few months because his mother is unable to keep a job or a man. She loses them, and moves on, her child in tow. With so many new schools in his life, why does Wenberg choose to tell us about Jace’s stint in Seattle when in fact, Jace plans to return to California where he can hit the surf as soon as he can? Wenberg tells us about Seattle because this is the place that will matter to Jace. It’s where he actually makes friends, falls in love and finds his true gifts. It’s where he settles down. It’s also where his mother up and leaves him.
Jace Adams is bi-racial, his mom is Black and his dad is white. When moving to Seattle, Jace and his mom move in with her sister, Bernice.His dad disappeared a long time ago. Jace’s racial identity does matter as Wenberg shows the obstacles young Black men can and do face in society. But, he doesn’t linger on them. Instead, he advances his story by showing how much Jace achieved by developing his talents and networking with people who could help him, not because of pity or affirmative action but simple because Jace was an outstanding musician. Wenberg’s message is clear: be good at what you do, connect with good people and you’ll get somewhere in life.
I didn’t think I was going to like Jace because I couldn’t feel sorry for him. Things kept piling up against him and somehow, Wenberg took away my need to pity Jace. I realized I’ve been reading too many books about male characters written by females.
My favorite character in the book had to be Bernice, Jace’s aunt. Appearing tough as nails for the sake of self-preservation, she was a true and honest character. Least favorite? Elvis. Perhaps if he had been better developed some of the things he said wouldn’t have been so awkward. I had a difficult time accepting that Jace’s mom would have left her son because they seemed so close, but I suppose moving in with her no-nonsense sister gave her the opportunity to follow her heart. There’s a lot to this story and it’s well told. I finished it wishing I had cello music on hand to play the end notes.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis: "Life hasnt been easy for Jace Adams, a mixed-race teen whose mom moves them from one place to another so often that sometimes hes been in four schools in a single year. To cope with all that instability, Jace has vowed to never let himself get attached to anyone or anythingother than his beloved cello.But when his mom takes them to Seattle, where theyre living with tough, sassy Aunt Bernice, Jace wonders if this time things might really change. Because money is tight, Jace plays his cello on the street in downtown Seattle, and one evening, someone throws a folded $100 bill with a business card attached into Jaces open cello case while hes serenading.That card changes everything; its from a famous cello instructor who offers to take him on, giving Jace a shot at winning a scholarship to a prestigious music school. Will he make the grade?"

My Review: I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, they were each so unique and full of life. The only issue I had was the fact that Jace seems far more mature than 14 years old, granted he would have had to grow up a little faster with the lifestyle his mother forced upon him but he really seems like more of a 20 year old. Stringz was kind of a Cinderella type tale, except for being modern, with a male main character, and with out the fairy tale wedding, haha okay so it doesn't have much to do with Cinderella except for the fact that kindness pays it forward. I really did like to what Jace grow in friendships, family, confidence and trust. It was really a great story.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took a couple of chapters to grok with Jace. The book is written in first person and Jace is justifiably furious with his mother. He is Afro American in a true sense, his Irish dad split before he was born, his mom, a beautiful black woman get twitchy and moves every few months.

Jace is always the new kid with the cello (kind of hilarious). He possesses immense talent that his mother and brother have nurtured despite their personal demons. Now Jace has been uprooted to Seattle. He and his mom are staying with gruff Aunt Bernice. The story gets good when we realize that there is more than meets the eye with the story and the characters. Two music (specifically string) geeks, Bernice, Sir Lionel, Jace himself and his brother. As a black boy he is pigeonholed numerous times; on the other hand, he puts others in boxes and distances himself with his own prejudices.

Jace does not have an easy road, but this move to Seattle may be one that helps him bust out of his box and let others emerge from theirs as well.

[Phoebe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fourteen-year-old Jace Adams is a musical genius but doesn't really know it. He just loses himself in the music every time he picks up his cello. The rest of his life isn't so great, with a brother in and out of prison, a mother who hits the road whenever things get tough, and the prospect of another new school in another new town for a few months before things change again. But as Jace begins to settle in to his life in Seattle with his great-aunt Bernice and some actual friends, he finds out that this time, things might be a little brighter. He is stunned and hurt when his mother leaves for Denver with a new boyfriend, but slowly the heartbreak is assuaged with something he's never had before: the possibility of a real, stable family life and a chance to really do something with his music. This novel abounds with stereotypes and a few underdeveloped characters, but Jace is a lovely guy and the story is full of heart. A solid realistic fiction novel for upper junior high and early high school readers.

[Rene Kirkpatrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty good. Seattle-based story about a boy whose mom is flighty to say the least. They end up living with her sister, his aunt, near Greenlake, his bedroom is in a shed outside until the mom leaves town with a man for Colorado.

Our hero, Jace, is a cello player and he's good. When he starts at Franklin High, he is immediately embroiled in a fight with football players who take a major disliking to him; joins the orchestra with people he has to prove himself to. He's a good boy, poor, and all he wants to really do is play his instrument and move back to California where he can surf and be on his own.

Over the course of time, he begins to make some friends, becomes even better at playing the cello, and finds a family. It was a very quick read, though.

[Carolina Colleene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Language - R (73 swear, 0 "f"), Sexual Content - G; Violence - G
Jace has never had a "normal" life. He doesn't have a dad, he doesn't know where his bother is, and his mom moves him around constantly. This time, they've moved from LA to Seattle and the only thing Jace can rely on is his cello. One day while playing his cello on the street to earn some cash, he gets $100 bill with a business card telling him to call a Mr. Majykowski if he wants to make to make a difference.
A good book about music and how good it can be for you. I found myself loving this as every page turned because it was so spectacular with the details and play. I recommend this to any music-loving person.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A contemporary young adult novel about a teenage boy named Jace Adams whose most loyal companion is his cello. An accomplished cellist, Jace is constantly moving and switching schools whenever his mom breaks up with a boyfriend or finds a better job, which is sometimes two or more times in a school year. He and his mom recently moved from L.A. to Seattle and are living with Aunt Beatrice where Jace continues to struggle to fit in. Not only that, but it seems his teachers can't take him seriously just because he's the new kid and black, too. A great little coming of age story from a teenage boys perspective.

[Danie P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As if he weren't considered an oddball for surfing, Jace also plays the cello. His mom moves to Portland to follow a lead for a new job and Jace of course has to follow. He has moved so many times he can't remember and his only friend has been his cello.
When his mom moves in the middle of the night and he's left to stay with his Auntie, who can be not so nice Jace finally has the opportunity to settle down and make some friends.
Excellent realistic fiction read that deals with race, family dynamics and social dynamics...and never giving up on what you love.

[Karen DelleCava · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was immediately hooked when Jace Adams gets into a fist fight on his first day at a new high school to defend a violin. Jace’s passion for music is the driving force that connects him with unlikely friends; Elvis (owner of the previously mentioned violin) and sweet Marcy. I was taken with Jace’s struggles to become his own man while afraid he won’t ever fit in. The touching relationships between his brother, aunt and cello teacher and the humor woven throughout are a sheer joy. Michael Wenberg makes the cello cool. Read Stringz. Rejoice!

[Judy]

Life hasn t been easy for Jace Adams, a mixed-race teen whose mom moves them from one place to another so often that sometimes he's been in four schools in a single year. To cope with all that instability, Jace has vowed to never let himself get attached to anyone or anything--other than his beloved cello. But when his mom takes them to Seattle, where they're living with
Reluctant readers FIC Wenberg 334350

[Minoaka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down! It took me six hours to read this amazing book. Jace, the main character encounters so many difficulties but instead of giving up, his love of music pushes him to reach things, he's never imagined of achieving. Truly wonderful, being a high school student in Seattle as well as an musician, I could really connect with this. I would definitely read it again.

[Kiirsi Hellewell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the overall premise of this book...it was different and unusual. (African-american teen boy is a cello genius.) The protagonist was appealing mostly. I didn't like all the profanity, and some of the writing wasn't the best. Overall, a worthwhile book to read and an engaging story and characters for the most part.

[Ricki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jace is used to moving. His mother has forced him to change schools numerous times, and he is just waiting until she decides to move again. As a mixed race (African-American/Irish) teen, he is used to people looking at him in a funny way as he plays his cello on street corners.

I'd give this book 3.5 stars. As I read it, I had a strong desire to buy a cello and take string lessons.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

First of all the plot of this book was horrible. The author couldn't decide if he wanted the main to be a snotty black gang banger or a misunderstood classical musician. Next it was just plain boring and there were only about about three major events in the entire book. I was very happy to be done with this book and am left wondering how it got published.

[Aymee · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely well-written and engaging story of a boy who becomes a confident man-to-be with a little help from his music-loving friends. Even as an adult, I found this story to be encouraging and inspirational. Definitely worth the read.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It wasn't deep, just enjoyable reading with everything turning out ok in the end.

I especially like that the main character played a musical instrument that is not typical for a teen. Jace emphasized that he likes all genres of music. - It just had to be GOOD music.

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a great book. It is a must for all cellists and musicians. It really shows an escape in music as well as perseverance through tough times. This guy has some really tough times being a mixed race teenager in Seattle and having moved thousands of times, every couple months.

[Laurie]

I love the cover photo; hope the book is good. Set in Seattle.

[Kelly]

Weak dialog and no immediate heart to the story made me 50 page it.

[Susie Carson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was definitely YA. Very short, easy read. I thought it was fun, if sometimes kind of depressing, but the music part was enjoyable to me.

[Merissa]

I like this book because it's about this kid that is playing the cello. This book is so inteesting nice book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

i think that this book was great! i loved it!

[Jessie Myrriah · Rating 5 out of 5]

because cello.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

It pulled me into it's world.