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Rock War #1
Rock War
Meet Jay. Summer. And Dylan.
Jay plays guitar, writes songs and dreams of being a rock star. But his ambitions are stifled by seven siblings and a terrible drummer.
Summer works hard at school, looks after her nan and has a one-in-a-million singing voice. But can her talent triumph over her nerves?
Dylan is happiest lying on his bunk smoking, but his school rugby coach has other ideas, and Dylan reluctantly joins a band to avoid crunching tackles and icy mud.
They're about to enter the biggest battle of their lives. And there's everything to play for.
Jay plays guitar, writes songs and dreams of being a rock star. But his ambitions are stifled by seven siblings and a terrible drummer.
Summer works hard at school, looks after her nan and has a one-in-a-million singing voice. But can her talent triumph over her nerves?
Dylan is happiest lying on his bunk smoking, but his school rugby coach has other ideas, and Dylan reluctantly joins a band to avoid crunching tackles and icy mud.
They're about to enter the biggest battle of their lives. And there's everything to play for.
375 pages, Hardcover
First published February 6, 2014
91 people are currently reading
810 people want to read
About the author
Robert Muchamore
154 books1,924 followersRobert Muchamore was born in Islington, London in 1972. He still lives there, and worked as a private investigator up until 2005 and the critically-accepted release of Maximum Security.
The Hunger Games phenomenon is part of the huge YA / Children's book explosion that has grown, thanks to the British Rat pack of YA authors, Anthony Horowitz, Robert Muchamore, Mark A. Cooper and Charlie Higson. We owe much of the hunger games sucess to authors such as Robert.
Robert was inspired to create the CHERUB series by his nephew after he complained about the lack of anything for them to read. CHERUB: The Recruit was Robert's first book and won the Red House Children's Book Award 2005 in the Older Readers Category.
Following the last book in the CHERUB series, it was revealed that a trilogy would be released starting from August 2011 that will focus on a new set of CHERUB agents centred upon Ryan Sharma and also involve an sixteen year old Lauren Adams. The first book will be called People's Republic.
Check out the Hendersons Boys series. Henderson's Boys is a series of young adult spy novels written by English author Robert Muchamore. The series follows Charles Henderson, the creator of the fictitious CHERUB organisation.
CHERUB is currently being made into a TV series.
The Hunger Games phenomenon is part of the huge YA / Children's book explosion that has grown, thanks to the British Rat pack of YA authors, Anthony Horowitz, Robert Muchamore, Mark A. Cooper and Charlie Higson. We owe much of the hunger games sucess to authors such as Robert.
Robert was inspired to create the CHERUB series by his nephew after he complained about the lack of anything for them to read. CHERUB: The Recruit was Robert's first book and won the Red House Children's Book Award 2005 in the Older Readers Category.
Following the last book in the CHERUB series, it was revealed that a trilogy would be released starting from August 2011 that will focus on a new set of CHERUB agents centred upon Ryan Sharma and also involve an sixteen year old Lauren Adams. The first book will be called People's Republic.
Check out the Hendersons Boys series. Henderson's Boys is a series of young adult spy novels written by English author Robert Muchamore. The series follows Charles Henderson, the creator of the fictitious CHERUB organisation.
CHERUB is currently being made into a TV series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
August 31, 2020
DNF at page 155.
I HATE IT HERE. (Warning: mess of thoughts up ahead).
Rock War follows three young teens in their musical journeys, building bands and using their talent to escape their less-than-ideal lives and the daily slog of school. However, I feel the need to warn: I'm almost a third of the way through, and Dylan is yet to do anything musical, so there's that.
Rock War admittedly lacks direction. Despite only reading 155 pages, I can recall a handful of occasions where completely unnecessary things happen to the characters that do nothing at all to further the plot. It takes a while for anything of significance to happen, but ultimately the rock band premise was enough to keep me reading regardless. I stopped reading Rock War because Robert Muchamore is unnecessarily preoccupied with sex. That's honestly the only way I can explain it.
Whilst I absolutely adored Muchamore's Cherub series, I later encountered issues when I tried to read the prequels a few years later. Unfortunately, I will never go back and re-read the Cherub books because I'm almost certain that I will find the same problems and I don't want to ruin my youth. But that's exactly why I find Muchamore's sexual semi-obsession so problematic - his books are predominantly read by tweens, many of whom will read over these instances without questioning them. Muchamore normalises and even romanticises thoughts and behaviours that aren't ok, and even if he himself recognises that they are problematic, some of his young readers will not.
I'll stop beating around the bush now and confront the problems head on. I'll begin with the passage that crossed the line and gave me the courage to ditch this book for good:
No. No no no no no no no no no. WHEN DID PAINTED TOES BECOME 'SLUTTY' WTH AND THEY ARE BOTH THIRTEEN WHAT THE F-
For context, the above quote was also preceded by a super tasteful description of Erin, who is sitting in her room doing homework with her school blouse unbuttoned 'so you could see a turquoise bra and a belly button'. Like, guys is anyone else reading this? Oh, Jay's older brother also makes a comment about Erin 'looking seriously hot these days'. Just, excuse me whilst I puke.
For the sake of my argument let's assume that Muchamore's third person narrator is omniscient and that anything written refers to the thoughts of one of his three protagonists and focalisers. So, like, can someone explain why thirteen year old Jay is thinking this kind of stuff all the time? WHAT IS GOING ON. I just get the overwhelming sense that Muchamore is determined to make every one of his characters representative of the horniest most hormonal tween on the planet.
I promise I'm not overreacting. This particular instance tipped me over the edge, but it wasn't the first time thoughts like this were revealed and by page 155 I was already uncomfortable as hell. The narrative is riddled with comments about people's appearances. Muchamore manages to sexualise and objectify pretty much every person in this book. Seriously, it happens to a teacher and even to someone's mother, whose own sons decide to discuss her prosthetic breasts with their friends. One of said sons is only eleven.
I haven't stopped grimacing since I started writing this.
I dunno guys, but reading this book just made me feel gross. I wish Muchamore had just given it a rest with all the nonsense and focused on, you know, the actual rock bands.
Omg no I just read ahead a dozen pages and Summer gets briefly sexually assaulted by an adult, only for her to quickly kiss her classmate saviour in thanks:
Muchamore really be out here suggesting that girls only have kisses to offer to boys. I'm out. Oh yeah, Summer has also miraculously recovered from the incident within a couple of pages and then (get this) insists:
I can't. I can't do it. Especially since I remember Muchamore treated sexual assault very similarly in one of the Cherub prequels which ultimately reduces the incidents to nothing and refuses to acknowledge the very real and lasting impact on victims.
You know those books where you can just tell it was written by a man? Yeah, this is one of those.
I'm going to stop with the examples before I drive myself into a total rage. But, for good measure, here are couple of other questionable moments in Rock War:
One of Jay's friends, Salman, is described as having a 'Pakistani twang' to his voice that gives the band an 'exotic' sound. Please, Mr Muchamore, just tell us the character is South Asian and move on. I'm begging you. Salman is also suggested to have lived in the UK at least since he made friends with Jay at age ~4~, so chances are he doesn't even have an international accent, let alone a 'Pakistani twang' like seriously what even is that.
There are some charming comments about Jay's friends' mother being a whole ass racist because she would 'freak' if her sons brought a black friend home. The boys just roll with it, obvs.
Jay and his friends tease one of their bandmates about not having had any relations with girls (at age eleven!!! Wht!!) and then make jokes about being gay.
Add that to Muchamore's normalisation of female objectification (in particular) and in conclusion: why.
(2 stars for efforts to represent some variety in people's backgrounds and circumstances, I guess).
I HATE IT HERE. (Warning: mess of thoughts up ahead).
Rock War follows three young teens in their musical journeys, building bands and using their talent to escape their less-than-ideal lives and the daily slog of school. However, I feel the need to warn: I'm almost a third of the way through, and Dylan is yet to do anything musical, so there's that.
Rock War admittedly lacks direction. Despite only reading 155 pages, I can recall a handful of occasions where completely unnecessary things happen to the characters that do nothing at all to further the plot. It takes a while for anything of significance to happen, but ultimately the rock band premise was enough to keep me reading regardless. I stopped reading Rock War because Robert Muchamore is unnecessarily preoccupied with sex. That's honestly the only way I can explain it.
Whilst I absolutely adored Muchamore's Cherub series, I later encountered issues when I tried to read the prequels a few years later. Unfortunately, I will never go back and re-read the Cherub books because I'm almost certain that I will find the same problems and I don't want to ruin my youth. But that's exactly why I find Muchamore's sexual semi-obsession so problematic - his books are predominantly read by tweens, many of whom will read over these instances without questioning them. Muchamore normalises and even romanticises thoughts and behaviours that aren't ok, and even if he himself recognises that they are problematic, some of his young readers will not.
I'll stop beating around the bush now and confront the problems head on. I'll begin with the passage that crossed the line and gave me the courage to ditch this book for good:
[Erin] was barefoot with orange varnished toenails. They looked dead slutty and Jay was ashamed to find himself getting turned on by his cousin.
No. No no no no no no no no no. WHEN DID PAINTED TOES BECOME 'SLUTTY' WTH AND THEY ARE BOTH THIRTEEN WHAT THE F-
For context, the above quote was also preceded by a super tasteful description of Erin, who is sitting in her room doing homework with her school blouse unbuttoned 'so you could see a turquoise bra and a belly button'. Like, guys is anyone else reading this? Oh, Jay's older brother also makes a comment about Erin 'looking seriously hot these days'. Just, excuse me whilst I puke.
For the sake of my argument let's assume that Muchamore's third person narrator is omniscient and that anything written refers to the thoughts of one of his three protagonists and focalisers. So, like, can someone explain why thirteen year old Jay is thinking this kind of stuff all the time? WHAT IS GOING ON. I just get the overwhelming sense that Muchamore is determined to make every one of his characters representative of the horniest most hormonal tween on the planet.
I promise I'm not overreacting. This particular instance tipped me over the edge, but it wasn't the first time thoughts like this were revealed and by page 155 I was already uncomfortable as hell. The narrative is riddled with comments about people's appearances. Muchamore manages to sexualise and objectify pretty much every person in this book. Seriously, it happens to a teacher and even to someone's mother, whose own sons decide to discuss her prosthetic breasts with their friends. One of said sons is only eleven.
I haven't stopped grimacing since I started writing this.
I dunno guys, but reading this book just made me feel gross. I wish Muchamore had just given it a rest with all the nonsense and focused on, you know, the actual rock bands.
Omg no I just read ahead a dozen pages and Summer gets briefly sexually assaulted by an adult, only for her to quickly kiss her classmate saviour in thanks:
Summer wanted to do something for Kevin and felt she only had one thing to offer. She went up on tiptoes and kissed him quickly on the lips.
Muchamore really be out here suggesting that girls only have kisses to offer to boys. I'm out. Oh yeah, Summer has also miraculously recovered from the incident within a couple of pages and then (get this) insists:
She wasn't exactly happy, but not sad either and the buzz of everything going on gave her a strange sense of elation.
I can't. I can't do it. Especially since I remember Muchamore treated sexual assault very similarly in one of the Cherub prequels which ultimately reduces the incidents to nothing and refuses to acknowledge the very real and lasting impact on victims.
You know those books where you can just tell it was written by a man? Yeah, this is one of those.
I'm going to stop with the examples before I drive myself into a total rage. But, for good measure, here are couple of other questionable moments in Rock War:
One of Jay's friends, Salman, is described as having a 'Pakistani twang' to his voice that gives the band an 'exotic' sound. Please, Mr Muchamore, just tell us the character is South Asian and move on. I'm begging you. Salman is also suggested to have lived in the UK at least since he made friends with Jay at age ~4~, so chances are he doesn't even have an international accent, let alone a 'Pakistani twang' like seriously what even is that.
There are some charming comments about Jay's friends' mother being a whole ass racist because she would 'freak' if her sons brought a black friend home. The boys just roll with it, obvs.
Jay and his friends tease one of their bandmates about not having had any relations with girls (at age eleven!!! Wht!!) and then make jokes about being gay.
Add that to Muchamore's normalisation of female objectification (in particular) and in conclusion: why.
(2 stars for efforts to represent some variety in people's backgrounds and circumstances, I guess).
April 11, 2014
I love Robert Muchamore so am sorry to be going so low with 2 stars. The idea is great, the start is excellent, the characters are building in this first of a new series. BUT there is a sudden lurch about 3/4 through and everything is rushed and predictable. The rich kid is super rich with a famous dad and the girl in his band is a secret cutter who unexplainably opens up about her cutting to him. The very poor girl is recruited into a band with some very rich girls who are unrealistically helpful and thoughtful, nothing is too much trouble yet their character seems so unsupported by their behavior. The rough family bands together while the eldest son is out to ruin everything, somehow it all works out.
I'm sure there will be more of this series and I think it could work, but the formula that worked for kid spies doesn't work for me in this first book.
I'm sure there will be more of this series and I think it could work, but the formula that worked for kid spies doesn't work for me in this first book.
July 15, 2019
Karakterlerin yaşlarının oldukça küçük (12-16 arası) olmasına rağmen sıkılmadım okurken. Epsilon seriyi devam ettirirse alıp okuyacak kadar beğendim.
Read
March 6, 2016I decided to read this book because I heard from my friends that Robert Muchamore was a really good author and his books are usually quite good. Also because it was a recommendation from one of my friends and I enjoy rivalries and competition stories, so I decided to read it.
This book is about 3 different students who form up a band each and compete in an international rock competition called Rock War. The 3 students, Jay - who is an excellent guitar player in his old band but soon breaks up, due to his really bad drummer, Summer - who has a great voice but lives very poorly with her nan, but then soon, a group of girls adopt her into their band and Dylan - who really just wants to lie on his bed and smoke all day, although his rugby coach finds him and makes him join the rugby team, but Dylan does not want to get tackled into the cold water every time, so he joins the band to prevent him to play rugby. Over all I think that the book is average.This is because the students did not really get to meet each other and I thought at first they would all meet together and form a band, but there are 3 separate bands.
A good thing about the book was that it made you not put the book down because it left you with the thought "is she going to make to the finals? I wonder who wins the Finals? Is Jay going to improve his band?. A bad thing was that the 3 bands hardly ever interacted with each other.
Through out most of the book, my favourite character was Jay because he is willing to make sacrifices to get his band at competition level and is always open.
Something new I learned in this book was, no matter how bad you live or how bad your past was, you can still follow your passion.An example of this is Summer. She lives with her nan and does not have that much money, but still she joins a band and makes new friends. Another thing I learnt was that sacrifices had to be made at some point to get where you want to go. An example of this is when Jay fired his drummer because he was really bad. That drummer had been friends with Jay since they were young. But Jay made that sacrifice to get his band to the top.
I would recommend this book to anyone would would just like to sit down and read to waste time.
This book is about 3 different students who form up a band each and compete in an international rock competition called Rock War. The 3 students, Jay - who is an excellent guitar player in his old band but soon breaks up, due to his really bad drummer, Summer - who has a great voice but lives very poorly with her nan, but then soon, a group of girls adopt her into their band and Dylan - who really just wants to lie on his bed and smoke all day, although his rugby coach finds him and makes him join the rugby team, but Dylan does not want to get tackled into the cold water every time, so he joins the band to prevent him to play rugby. Over all I think that the book is average.This is because the students did not really get to meet each other and I thought at first they would all meet together and form a band, but there are 3 separate bands.
A good thing about the book was that it made you not put the book down because it left you with the thought "is she going to make to the finals? I wonder who wins the Finals? Is Jay going to improve his band?. A bad thing was that the 3 bands hardly ever interacted with each other.
Through out most of the book, my favourite character was Jay because he is willing to make sacrifices to get his band at competition level and is always open.
Something new I learned in this book was, no matter how bad you live or how bad your past was, you can still follow your passion.An example of this is Summer. She lives with her nan and does not have that much money, but still she joins a band and makes new friends. Another thing I learnt was that sacrifices had to be made at some point to get where you want to go. An example of this is when Jay fired his drummer because he was really bad. That drummer had been friends with Jay since they were young. But Jay made that sacrifice to get his band to the top.
I would recommend this book to anyone would would just like to sit down and read to waste time.
March 29, 2015
(I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review)
I adore books about music so upon seeing this, I am awestruck and I want to read it. The story is promising as it tackles different aspiring musicians. I am just disappointed that I'm almost at the end and they still haven't interacted with each other yet. I know that this is a series but I'm really looking forward when all characters met each other.
Overall, this is really promising and I want to read the next book.
I adore books about music so upon seeing this, I am awestruck and I want to read it. The story is promising as it tackles different aspiring musicians. I am just disappointed that I'm almost at the end and they still haven't interacted with each other yet. I know that this is a series but I'm really looking forward when all characters met each other.
Overall, this is really promising and I want to read the next book.
January 31, 2015
I was disappointed in this first book in a new series from Robert Muchamore, apart from one or two I find most of the characters either unlikeable, wimpish, violent, or just plain disgusting. How are teenagers meant to identify with them?
January 8, 2019
An amusing story which is easy to follow and engaging throughout - very enjoyable.
All about teenagers, rock bands and an assortment of social issues.
Written for young adults and as such is very smooth and easy to read.
Two other books in the series following the characters that are encountered in "Rock War".
All about teenagers, rock bands and an assortment of social issues.
Written for young adults and as such is very smooth and easy to read.
Two other books in the series following the characters that are encountered in "Rock War".
July 15, 2014
When I first heard about Rock War I knew it was one I HAD to read, so when I made a request for this book I kept my fingers and toes crossed. Rock War did take me a while to read, and definitly put my shoulder into exercising mode the amount of times I carried this to and from work.
Rock War follows three teenagers, who are hoping to form a band and try out for Rock the Lock. Jay, Summer, and Dylan have their own chapters as we follow each individual in the path they take to make their dreams come true. When I began reading and saw that we would be following three separate individuals, I was a bit nervous in case it got confusing, but I found it easy to follow them on their journey, I also made a handy dandy list to keep track of who was who and who was in what band, but I honestly didn't use it at all, and which I am not going to share as it gives away band members ;).
One of the things about Rock War I liked is how real the characters felt.
Jay is so stifled by his siblings, I felt sorry for him having to live the way he does, being surrounded by others all the time, with no escape to really expand his talents. He gets picked on by his brothers, and has another brother who is a felon and constantly getting into trouble.
Summer works so hard in school while also caring for her Grandmother, I really liked how she finally stood up for herself and told the principal what was really going on. When we got to see a glimpse into her home life my heart broke for her. Rock the Lock would make a huge difference to her life where every single penny counts.
Dylan took a while for me to like, he is arrogant and thinks everyone should do as he says, but when we see his home life we can see why he puts out a persona to others and doesn't really let anyone in. When he finally does I liked how he was forthcoming and welcoming his band into his home and finally letting someone in who could possibly be some great friends for him.
I don't want to say too much about what happens, I certainly didn't expect things to happen the way they did, and was shocked over the Rock the Lock results. The journey these bands take to get to the end was hilarious, sad, and also revealed who they could rely on when they needed someone. Both family and friends are put to the test in Rock War, and there are some unhappy results, but also a lot of surprises when family go to the extreme to keep each other safe.
Rock War certainty surpassed my expectations of this book, and I can't wait to see what happens next, and find out where the bands go from here. I have no idea how long I have to wait, but I know I want to read it now!!!!
Rock War follows three teenagers, who are hoping to form a band and try out for Rock the Lock. Jay, Summer, and Dylan have their own chapters as we follow each individual in the path they take to make their dreams come true. When I began reading and saw that we would be following three separate individuals, I was a bit nervous in case it got confusing, but I found it easy to follow them on their journey, I also made a handy dandy list to keep track of who was who and who was in what band, but I honestly didn't use it at all, and which I am not going to share as it gives away band members ;).
One of the things about Rock War I liked is how real the characters felt.
Jay is so stifled by his siblings, I felt sorry for him having to live the way he does, being surrounded by others all the time, with no escape to really expand his talents. He gets picked on by his brothers, and has another brother who is a felon and constantly getting into trouble.
Summer works so hard in school while also caring for her Grandmother, I really liked how she finally stood up for herself and told the principal what was really going on. When we got to see a glimpse into her home life my heart broke for her. Rock the Lock would make a huge difference to her life where every single penny counts.
Dylan took a while for me to like, he is arrogant and thinks everyone should do as he says, but when we see his home life we can see why he puts out a persona to others and doesn't really let anyone in. When he finally does I liked how he was forthcoming and welcoming his band into his home and finally letting someone in who could possibly be some great friends for him.
I don't want to say too much about what happens, I certainly didn't expect things to happen the way they did, and was shocked over the Rock the Lock results. The journey these bands take to get to the end was hilarious, sad, and also revealed who they could rely on when they needed someone. Both family and friends are put to the test in Rock War, and there are some unhappy results, but also a lot of surprises when family go to the extreme to keep each other safe.
Rock War certainty surpassed my expectations of this book, and I can't wait to see what happens next, and find out where the bands go from here. I have no idea how long I have to wait, but I know I want to read it now!!!!
January 13, 2015
Teens will love this book about the lead-up to a spectacular battle of the bands. Jay knows that his only way out of poverty is to be in a band, but his bandmates just want to hang out and have fun. Meeting an amazing drummer may just change his life. Dylan is a true slacker who just happens to be great at mixing and recording. He is just what the Pandas of Doom need to get their big break, if he can stop being an insufferable git. Summer spends all of her time studying or taking care of her nan... until the day she gets kicked out of class and impresses the class crazy, Michelle Wei. Summer is a great singer and a perfect fit, if only her nan stays healthy. Will they all make it? Will the band members still be friends after? Rock War is a great offering from teen favorite Robert Muchamore.
July 6, 2014
I'm glad this book has 'mature read' on the cover as it is not suited to primary Agee students. I normally like Robert Muchamore's stories as they are fast passed with lots of action. Although I enjoyed getting to know the characters I didn't like how they three main groups hardly interacted together. I know the author was setting the scene for future novels in the series but this book lacked a significant problem. That said I will probably read the next book in the series.
January 16, 2020
This book is really engaging and a page-turner, and I loved it. The author is Robert Muchamore who can write really quicky, punchy books. It's a book about music and it's third-person. It's the first book in a series of 4. It's a really happy story and makes you want to believe it's true. He writes about children from all different backgrounds coming together because of their love for music. The ending is a really jaw-dropping cliff-hanger. Overall,I would recommend this book to teenagers.
Read
November 2, 2017This was a very good first book and it was alot like cherub. i definately reccomend it.
August 6, 2021
Eu gostei muito deste livros, achei os personagens interessantes e a história prende-te para ver o que vai acontecer com eles. Estou muito ansiosa para ler o próximo ☺️
September 10, 2023
eeeehhhhhh
June 23, 2024
this author is such a freak its scaring me
August 9, 2018
If you are thinking of giving this book to someone without reading it your self first please read the long review and spoilers.
This was my first Robert Muchmore book, having heard much about his work aimed at creating stories for his nephew who couldn't find books that interested him and has subsequently inspired more reluctant readers to read, thus I was interested in reading his work.
My rating: 3 Stars
In a sentance:
I thought this was a slightly more edgy, contemporary novel which fun easy to read book with engaging characters that made me want to continue reading the series.
Recommend for:
Those who like music/bands, want something a little different (and slightly gritty) or are finding it hard to find more realistic fiction.
Definitely older teens up (if younger those with their heads screwed on or that will ask people rather than google if they have questions)
Long review:
Rock War is a fun read with a lot of different characters with varied backgrounds but focuses on three characters mainly Jay, Summer and Dylan and their bands. The characters are individual from each other but in someways feel a little formulated and stereo typical (especially the girls) however they make an amusing cast to follow.
The music theme was interesting as it showed the characters working hard to follow there dreams and didn't shy away from the character feelings when things get tough as Muchmore doesn't talk down to his readers and attempts to raise issues that some would shy away from or prefer their children were not exposed to such as; . However this is really where I have issues with Rock War.
Issues I had with the book:
I have put this in spoilers as I will discuss specifically what if I were going to give this book to someone without reading it I would have liked to have known about.
This was my first Robert Muchmore book, having heard much about his work aimed at creating stories for his nephew who couldn't find books that interested him and has subsequently inspired more reluctant readers to read, thus I was interested in reading his work.
My rating: 3 Stars
In a sentance:
I thought this was a slightly more edgy, contemporary novel which fun easy to read book with engaging characters that made me want to continue reading the series.
Recommend for:
Those who like music/bands, want something a little different (and slightly gritty) or are finding it hard to find more realistic fiction.
Definitely older teens up (if younger those with their heads screwed on or that will ask people rather than google if they have questions)
Long review:
Rock War is a fun read with a lot of different characters with varied backgrounds but focuses on three characters mainly Jay, Summer and Dylan and their bands. The characters are individual from each other but in someways feel a little formulated and stereo typical (especially the girls) however they make an amusing cast to follow.
The music theme was interesting as it showed the characters working hard to follow there dreams and didn't shy away from the character feelings when things get tough as Muchmore doesn't talk down to his readers and attempts to raise issues that some would shy away from or prefer their children were not exposed to such as; . However this is really where I have issues with Rock War.
Issues I had with the book:
I have put this in spoilers as I will discuss specifically what if I were going to give this book to someone without reading it I would have liked to have known about.
July 29, 2023
I love this series
January 23, 2017
I have read and enjoyed all of Muchamore's Cherub series and Henderson Boys and I recommend them to anyone in secondary education who will listen, sure to get reluctant boys writing.
I picked up 'Rock War' because it was by Muchamore but I didn't think I would enjoy it due to the content. The story follows a number of key characters and their 'rock bands' as they audition and successfully gain entry to 'Rock War' a new reality talent show.
The realistic characters, teenagers who could have stepped straight out of Cherub got me hooked. I found myself rooting for the under dog!
A good read... onto the next two in the trilogy!
I picked up 'Rock War' because it was by Muchamore but I didn't think I would enjoy it due to the content. The story follows a number of key characters and their 'rock bands' as they audition and successfully gain entry to 'Rock War' a new reality talent show.
The realistic characters, teenagers who could have stepped straight out of Cherub got me hooked. I found myself rooting for the under dog!
A good read... onto the next two in the trilogy!
December 18, 2013
A great introduction to the series!
March 2, 2016
I think it was really good but I think this book is mainly for teenagers.
March 9, 2016
4.25/5
January 11, 2017
Really enjoyed this book! Would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Robert muchamore or just likes to read comedy books! Uses dual narrative which I really like
March 10, 2015
may include swearing. a boy of the age of 12 is in the most famous rock band in the 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July 26, 2024
i literally made an account JUST to shit on this book. okay, that looks bad on paper—let me start over. Rock War takes you through a journey of three young teens exploring the world of music, joining or leaving bands and getting through their boring school days. only thing is, this whole book lacks direction. too many characters coming in and out of the picture, random senseless things that seem mushed into the script for the hell of it, and just.. shitty creative writing, really.
at page 155, one of the three alternating protagonists, summer, was put through yet only a couple of pages later, she magically gets over it and decides to "pay back" her classmate for saving her:
like another reviewer said, this whole scene feels whacked in, for the sake of it, maybe? i'm sorry, y'all, but putting in a scene does not make your book any more of an appealing YA book. speaking of which, who the hell is the target demographic for this? i mean, seriously—juvenilely written jokes that even for me, a teenager, came off as immature and unfunny, and "mature" themes like middle lower class (summer's situation) and . somehow, this book manages to screw up both of those things.
and what's with the criminality thing going on? look, i know the author was going for an edgy "nobody gives a shit, i'm so fuckin' badass", type of tone (especially the nissan crash-n-burn scene), but holy HELL even a toddler could do a more nuanced and actually entertaining rewrite on that topic. i'm on board with creative liberties and all, but for thirteen year old or so protagonists, none of this feels very realistic. oh, and the hot cousin scene was just not necessary. really, what's with the sudden incest? are we in an episode of American Dad right now? i'm pretty sure the description of "a turquoise bra and a belly button" isn't fit for a thirteen year old girl.
the "i'm the emo kid stereotype.. i " scene, too. God, that was stupid. and what's with the unprovoked objectification of women throughout the whole book, with some racism sprinkled in? this whole book feels like a byproduct of some teen's emo punk poser phase wattpad fic that yearns for being edgy, mature, and badass at the same time while failing to tick off any of those boxes.
at first, i was really intrigued by the summary and first couple chapters. the idea is promising, the start is pretty good, the characters are building up for something new in the next book. but it just.. keeps building up. nothing actually happens in this book, and it just feels like a huge pre-text to the sequel. about 3/4 into the book, it appears that the author was absent and a giant illiterate orangutan took his place of writing the book. like, seriously, everything was predictable and not at all intriguing. the only reason i even finished the book was 1. speeding through it, and 2. deciding to finish it so nobody could say "but you didn't even finish the whole book, how could you say it's bad?" the book feels like a long, unbearable fart that doesn't ever let go.
and to top this all off, a few quotes from the book that made me say "what the hell?" in a weirded out giggle:
i would give this a zero out of five stars, but the tiniest bit of effort to represent different backgrounds and living conditions barely saved it. thankfully, i borrowed this book from a library instead of wasting money on it. count your days, Robert Muchamore.
at page 155, one of the three alternating protagonists, summer, was put through yet only a couple of pages later, she magically gets over it and decides to "pay back" her classmate for saving her:
Summer wanted to do something for Kevin and felt she only had one thing to offer. She went up on tiptoes and kissed him quickly on the lips.
like another reviewer said, this whole scene feels whacked in, for the sake of it, maybe? i'm sorry, y'all, but putting in a scene does not make your book any more of an appealing YA book. speaking of which, who the hell is the target demographic for this? i mean, seriously—juvenilely written jokes that even for me, a teenager, came off as immature and unfunny, and "mature" themes like middle lower class (summer's situation) and . somehow, this book manages to screw up both of those things.
and what's with the criminality thing going on? look, i know the author was going for an edgy "nobody gives a shit, i'm so fuckin' badass", type of tone (especially the nissan crash-n-burn scene), but holy HELL even a toddler could do a more nuanced and actually entertaining rewrite on that topic. i'm on board with creative liberties and all, but for thirteen year old or so protagonists, none of this feels very realistic. oh, and the hot cousin scene was just not necessary. really, what's with the sudden incest? are we in an episode of American Dad right now? i'm pretty sure the description of "a turquoise bra and a belly button" isn't fit for a thirteen year old girl.
She was barefoot with orange varnished toenails. They looked dead slutty and Jay was ashamed to find himself getting turned on by his cousin.
As they started down the stairs Adam whispered awkwardly in Jay's ear. 'Is it just me, or is our little cousin looking seriously hot these days? Those legs!' Adam blew a kiss to emphasize his point. Jay felt much less depraved knowing that his brother had been thinking the same way as him,
the "i'm the emo kid stereotype.. i " scene, too. God, that was stupid. and what's with the unprovoked objectification of women throughout the whole book, with some racism sprinkled in? this whole book feels like a byproduct of some teen's emo punk poser phase wattpad fic that yearns for being edgy, mature, and badass at the same time while failing to tick off any of those boxes.
at first, i was really intrigued by the summary and first couple chapters. the idea is promising, the start is pretty good, the characters are building up for something new in the next book. but it just.. keeps building up. nothing actually happens in this book, and it just feels like a huge pre-text to the sequel. about 3/4 into the book, it appears that the author was absent and a giant illiterate orangutan took his place of writing the book. like, seriously, everything was predictable and not at all intriguing. the only reason i even finished the book was 1. speeding through it, and 2. deciding to finish it so nobody could say "but you didn't even finish the whole book, how could you say it's bad?" the book feels like a long, unbearable fart that doesn't ever let go.
and to top this all off, a few quotes from the book that made me say "what the hell?" in a weirded out giggle:
She'd been the happiest girl in all the pictures and Dylan felt sad, then felt very weird about having a bulge in his pants caused by a dead chick dressed as a cat.
'Mum would freak out if we bought a black guy round here anyway,' Alfie noted. 'She'd be hiding all the expensive ornaments and shit.'
Dylan could smell Eve's breath. It was warm and smelled slightly nasty, but the intimacy of it turned him on.
i would give this a zero out of five stars, but the tiniest bit of effort to represent different backgrounds and living conditions barely saved it. thankfully, i borrowed this book from a library instead of wasting money on it. count your days, Robert Muchamore.
December 28, 2016
This is the best book iv'e ever read. rock war is perfect for all ag- OK maybe not but if your, lets say 13 or up it is the most amazing book ever written. I hadn't read one book in the last 5 months and this book got me into reading again. i read the first one a few weeks ago and now i'm nearly on book 5, also its quite a big book. if your stuck for books to read then I guarantee this book wont let you down. Thank you Robert Muchamore for writing the best book ever written.
with as little spoilers as possible,(but if you dont like spoilers i suggest you skip this bit) as soon as you pick up the book you wont be able to put it down, every chapter changes to a different story in a different place all building up to book 2 where they all meet and become friends. in the first book you have jay, a young boy with not a lot of confidence. All he wants in life is to have confidence, strength and girls, just like his half brothers Theo and Adam.
The next character is a young girl named summer, summer has spent her whole life looking after her nan, she hasn't had time for friends in her life so as she meets lucy, michelle and coco her life changes for the better.
The final characters name is Dylan who doesn't come in till the middle of the book, he has had a great life up and till he joins bording school, with very little friends the only reason hes in the school quire is to miss rugby.
my favorite character is jay but this book is good as there starts with different story's and there are different characters you can relate to. Sorry if my grammar has annoyed you but it will all be worth it if you BUY THIS BOOK!!!
with as little spoilers as possible,(but if you dont like spoilers i suggest you skip this bit) as soon as you pick up the book you wont be able to put it down, every chapter changes to a different story in a different place all building up to book 2 where they all meet and become friends. in the first book you have jay, a young boy with not a lot of confidence. All he wants in life is to have confidence, strength and girls, just like his half brothers Theo and Adam.
The next character is a young girl named summer, summer has spent her whole life looking after her nan, she hasn't had time for friends in her life so as she meets lucy, michelle and coco her life changes for the better.
The final characters name is Dylan who doesn't come in till the middle of the book, he has had a great life up and till he joins bording school, with very little friends the only reason hes in the school quire is to miss rugby.
my favorite character is jay but this book is good as there starts with different story's and there are different characters you can relate to. Sorry if my grammar has annoyed you but it will all be worth it if you BUY THIS BOOK!!!
October 23, 2018
Written Text Type:extended text
Title:Rock War
Author:Robert Muchamore
In this book you meet Jay, Summer and Dylan. These teens all have a passion for creating and performing music, they are about to start one of the biggest adventures in their life and you’ll be right there the whole time. Watching there highs and lows in the start of their battle to the top, in Rock War.
An important event in the text is the when we are first introduced to Dylan and he is pressured to either stay at his school or go and enter the rock war to escape his first world problems. He chooses to enter the rock war even if it is a risk. This is important because it teaches you that following your dreams and passion leads to the reward of you pursuing what you like, and in Dylan’s case being happier. He even eases up on his bad habits and instead focuses on things that matter in his situation.
Another important event in the text is when Summer is introduced and accepted into a band and becomes friends. These friends and their parents support her situation as well. It eases her stress and she doesn’t have to be looking after her grandmother day and night. I think this is important because we learn that if you push through hard times you can always end on top and the author is trying to say that good people are rewarded with good things.
I would recommend this book to people who like books that are fast paced with a lot of action and drama. This book and the rest of the series always have something going on throughout the whole book as you switch perspectives of the main characters frequently so the you don’t miss out on anything.
Title:Rock War
Author:Robert Muchamore
In this book you meet Jay, Summer and Dylan. These teens all have a passion for creating and performing music, they are about to start one of the biggest adventures in their life and you’ll be right there the whole time. Watching there highs and lows in the start of their battle to the top, in Rock War.
An important event in the text is the when we are first introduced to Dylan and he is pressured to either stay at his school or go and enter the rock war to escape his first world problems. He chooses to enter the rock war even if it is a risk. This is important because it teaches you that following your dreams and passion leads to the reward of you pursuing what you like, and in Dylan’s case being happier. He even eases up on his bad habits and instead focuses on things that matter in his situation.
Another important event in the text is when Summer is introduced and accepted into a band and becomes friends. These friends and their parents support her situation as well. It eases her stress and she doesn’t have to be looking after her grandmother day and night. I think this is important because we learn that if you push through hard times you can always end on top and the author is trying to say that good people are rewarded with good things.
I would recommend this book to people who like books that are fast paced with a lot of action and drama. This book and the rest of the series always have something going on throughout the whole book as you switch perspectives of the main characters frequently so the you don’t miss out on anything.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 29, 2024
I've owned a copy of rock war for quite some time, I'm not sure if I've ever read it since owning it but hey, never hurts to read a book.
The way this story is written feels different to books I've read recently. It's almost like it's the audience telling the story, the clash between third person and outsider prospective. It seemed quite jarring.
The timeline is quite confusing. The boys at playing an school competition at night but I thought it was day. When were introduced to Summer, she's in class. I thought Summer and the boys all went to the same school.
My God, how many characters does a book need in the first 61 pages!? Why is everyone rude? Why are most characters written as some sort of cheap trick joke that has aged so badly!?
There's a hot for a cousin scene that when read is creepy and pervy AF.
The attempted rape scene feels like it's whacked in.
The sentence "mum came bursting into our room." And "I took nude photos of her while she was sleeping", shouldn't of been in the same paragraph. Like did the brother take nudes of their mother or was the other guy taking nudes of a different woman? It took me a moment to realise it's talking about the latter.
The closer I got to the end, the more lost I became. I lost count of how many characters come and go. I lost count of which ones we're supposed to focus on. I lost track of everyone. Too many characters are not always a good thing.
The self harm scene seemed out of place.
Rock war feels like it's all over the place with no set character to really give the audience a reason to care.
The way this story is written feels different to books I've read recently. It's almost like it's the audience telling the story, the clash between third person and outsider prospective. It seemed quite jarring.
The timeline is quite confusing. The boys at playing an school competition at night but I thought it was day. When were introduced to Summer, she's in class. I thought Summer and the boys all went to the same school.
My God, how many characters does a book need in the first 61 pages!? Why is everyone rude? Why are most characters written as some sort of cheap trick joke that has aged so badly!?
There's a hot for a cousin scene that when read is creepy and pervy AF.
The attempted rape scene feels like it's whacked in.
The sentence "mum came bursting into our room." And "I took nude photos of her while she was sleeping", shouldn't of been in the same paragraph. Like did the brother take nudes of their mother or was the other guy taking nudes of a different woman? It took me a moment to realise it's talking about the latter.
The closer I got to the end, the more lost I became. I lost count of how many characters come and go. I lost count of which ones we're supposed to focus on. I lost track of everyone. Too many characters are not always a good thing.
The self harm scene seemed out of place.
Rock war feels like it's all over the place with no set character to really give the audience a reason to care.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2014
"Rock War" ist der Auftakt zu einer Jugendbuch-Reihe, die sich um die Themen Musik und Castingshows dreht. Die Idee zu dieser Reihe kam Robert Muchamore nachdem die Fans in einem Onlineforum irgendwann häufiger und expliziter über Castingshows als über seine Bücher diskutierten. Sehr gut für mich als Leser, denn so komme ich in den Genuss einer Jugendbuchreihe, die ich auf jeden Fall weiter verfolgen werde.
Aber von vorne. Was mich als Erstes ansprach war hier ganz klar das Cover, das einem ja quasi schon vermittelt, das es hier um "Rockmusik" oder zumindest irgendwie um etwas Rebellisches geht. Skulls sind immer gut, die Farben sind auffällig und der Klappentext hörte sich für mich sehr vielversprechend an.
Als ich begann zu lesen, wurde meinem euphorischen Hochgefühl erstmal ein kleiner Dämpfer verpasst, denn eigentlich lese ich sehr selten und ehrlicherweise auch ungern Jugendbücher, in denen die Protagonisten unter, sagen wir mal, 16 Jahren sind. Das liegt daran, das man sich, je jünger die Protagonisten werden, umso schwerer tut, sich in sie hineinzuversetzen, weil die Pubertät bei mir dann doch einfach schon ne ganze Ecke zurückliegt.
Erstaunlicherweise hat mich das in "Rock War" nicht gestört und die anfängliche Skepsis war ganz schnell verflogen, denn die Charaktere wirken doch ziemlich reif, auch wenn sie sich an der ein oder anderen Stelle dann doch mal ihrem Alter entsprechend naiv oder kindlich verhalten. Ich hatte im Großen und Ganzen nur selten das Gefühl, das sich hier alles um 13 - 15-jährige dreht.
Erzählt wird die Geschichte aus Sicht einer außenstehenden Person, also quasi aus Sicht eines Erzählers, der zwischen den drei Hauptprotagonisten Jay, Summer und Dylan hin- und her schwenkt.
Der Schreibstil ist jugendlich leicht gehalten und liest sich sehr flüssig. Robert Muchamore verzichtet zwar auf unerträgliche Spannung, schafft es aber trotzdem mich zu fesseln und dafür zu sorgen, das ich nur so durchs Buch fliege. Ich glaube ich hab vor "Rock War" schon lange kein Buch mehr in weniger als zwei Tagen gelesen.
Das Augenmerk in "Rock War" liegt hauptsächlich auf den drei Jugendlichen und ihrem Umfeld. Wir bekommen erstmal einen Einblick in deren komplett unterschiedliche Leben und lernen sie besser kennen.
Jay ist das mittlere von acht Kindern einer unkonventionellen Großfamilie, mit jeder Menge Problemen. Geld ist hier meistens knapp, seine Mutter schuftet rund um die Uhr, seine älteren Brüder machen gerne Ärger. Doch Jay's wirkliches Problem liegt eher darin, das er für die Musik lebt und mit seiner Band etwas höher hinaus will, was ihm ganz sicher nicht gelingt, solange er seinen Freund Tristan als Drummer an der Backe hat. Nach einem Wettbewerb bei dem die Band verliert, hat Jay die Nase voll und bringt das Thema "Drummer" zur Sprache, was zur Folge hat, das ihm seine Freunde den Rücken kehren, ihn aus der Band werfen und er von vorne beginnen muss...
Summer ist ein sehr zurückhaltendes, unauffälliges Mädchen, das sich aufopfernd um ihre schwer kranke Großmutter kümmert. Als der Lift in ihrem Haus mal wieder nicht funktioniert und der so nötige Sauerstoff für ihre Oma nicht angeliefert werden kann, weil der Lieferdienst nicht gewillt ist die schweren Flaschen in den vierten Stock zu schleppen, braucht Summer dringend Hilfe. Die bekommt sie auch und zwar in Gestalt der hyperaktiven Michelle Wei. Doch die stellt eine Bedinung: Summer bekommt Hilfe, wenn sie im Gegenzug Mitglied ihrer Band "Industrial Scale Slaughter" wird. Denn der Band fehlt schon seit langer Zeit eine Sängerin und Michelle weiß, das Summer eine unglaubliche Stimme hat...
Nachdem man Dylan aufgrund seines unmöglichen Verhaltens aus dem Orchester des Yellowcote Internats geworfen hat, verbringt er seine "Freistunden" faulenzend in seinem Zimmer, bis ihm der Coach des Rugbyteams einen Strich durch die Rechnung macht. Denn wer in Yellowcote kein musikalisches Fach belegt, der muss sich sportlich betätigen. Obwohl Dylan Talent hat, hasst er Rugby wie die Pest. Um nicht spielen zu müssen, provoziert der Eigenbrötler einen Streit, der dafür sorgt, das man ihn des Teams verweist und ihn wieder zum Orchester schickt, doch die Lehrerin will ihn dort auch nicht haben und stellt ihm einen nicht genutzten Musikraum zur Verfügung in dem er machen kann was er will. Hier trifft er auf Leo, der Dylans Hilfe gerade mehr als gut gebrauchen kann, denn Dylan hat, unbestritten, ein Talent für Musik und ist genau der Mann, der Leo's Band zum großen Durchbruch fehlt.
Unabhängig voneinander bewerben sich Jay's und Summer's Band auf einen Wettbewerb in London, bei dem sie aufeinander treffen, sich kennenlernen und auf die bevorstehende Castingshow "Rock War" aufmerksam werden.
Auch Dylan und seine Band werden auf "Rock War" aufmerksam und bewerben sich um einen Platz.
Wie oben ja schon erwähnt steht hier das Kennenlernen der Figuren im Vordergrund. Jeder Protagonist, auch die Nebencharaktere, trägt irgendwo ein Problempäckchen mit sich herum, das er bewältigen muss. Das Ganze ist jedoch in den meisten Fällen nicht überzogen dargestellt, sondern authentisch und somit auch nachvollziehbar. Die Charaktere sind alle sehr gut ausgearbeitet, man findet eine schnelle Verbindung zu jedem Einzelnen.
Das Ende bekommt definitiv einen Punkt Abzug. Nicht etwa weil es schlecht gewesen wäre, sondern weil es so plötzlich daher kommt und ich den Punkt an dem das Buch endet persönlich jetzt nicht so gut gewählt fand. Es blieben viele Fragen offen, was für die Folgebände natürlich sehr förderlich ist, da werden die sich sicher alle in Luft auflösen, aber für mich war das Ende hier einfach nicht rund und somit nicht perfekt gelöst.
Fazit:
"Rock War - Unter Strom" ist ein verdammt rockiger Einstieg in eine neue Jugendbuchreihe des Autors Robert Muchamore. Ein leichter jugendlicher Schreibstil, authentische Charaktere und eine Menge Musik sorgen hier für ordentlich Lesespaß !
©Ina's Little Bakery
Aber von vorne. Was mich als Erstes ansprach war hier ganz klar das Cover, das einem ja quasi schon vermittelt, das es hier um "Rockmusik" oder zumindest irgendwie um etwas Rebellisches geht. Skulls sind immer gut, die Farben sind auffällig und der Klappentext hörte sich für mich sehr vielversprechend an.
Als ich begann zu lesen, wurde meinem euphorischen Hochgefühl erstmal ein kleiner Dämpfer verpasst, denn eigentlich lese ich sehr selten und ehrlicherweise auch ungern Jugendbücher, in denen die Protagonisten unter, sagen wir mal, 16 Jahren sind. Das liegt daran, das man sich, je jünger die Protagonisten werden, umso schwerer tut, sich in sie hineinzuversetzen, weil die Pubertät bei mir dann doch einfach schon ne ganze Ecke zurückliegt.
Erstaunlicherweise hat mich das in "Rock War" nicht gestört und die anfängliche Skepsis war ganz schnell verflogen, denn die Charaktere wirken doch ziemlich reif, auch wenn sie sich an der ein oder anderen Stelle dann doch mal ihrem Alter entsprechend naiv oder kindlich verhalten. Ich hatte im Großen und Ganzen nur selten das Gefühl, das sich hier alles um 13 - 15-jährige dreht.
Erzählt wird die Geschichte aus Sicht einer außenstehenden Person, also quasi aus Sicht eines Erzählers, der zwischen den drei Hauptprotagonisten Jay, Summer und Dylan hin- und her schwenkt.
Der Schreibstil ist jugendlich leicht gehalten und liest sich sehr flüssig. Robert Muchamore verzichtet zwar auf unerträgliche Spannung, schafft es aber trotzdem mich zu fesseln und dafür zu sorgen, das ich nur so durchs Buch fliege. Ich glaube ich hab vor "Rock War" schon lange kein Buch mehr in weniger als zwei Tagen gelesen.
Das Augenmerk in "Rock War" liegt hauptsächlich auf den drei Jugendlichen und ihrem Umfeld. Wir bekommen erstmal einen Einblick in deren komplett unterschiedliche Leben und lernen sie besser kennen.
Jay ist das mittlere von acht Kindern einer unkonventionellen Großfamilie, mit jeder Menge Problemen. Geld ist hier meistens knapp, seine Mutter schuftet rund um die Uhr, seine älteren Brüder machen gerne Ärger. Doch Jay's wirkliches Problem liegt eher darin, das er für die Musik lebt und mit seiner Band etwas höher hinaus will, was ihm ganz sicher nicht gelingt, solange er seinen Freund Tristan als Drummer an der Backe hat. Nach einem Wettbewerb bei dem die Band verliert, hat Jay die Nase voll und bringt das Thema "Drummer" zur Sprache, was zur Folge hat, das ihm seine Freunde den Rücken kehren, ihn aus der Band werfen und er von vorne beginnen muss...
Summer ist ein sehr zurückhaltendes, unauffälliges Mädchen, das sich aufopfernd um ihre schwer kranke Großmutter kümmert. Als der Lift in ihrem Haus mal wieder nicht funktioniert und der so nötige Sauerstoff für ihre Oma nicht angeliefert werden kann, weil der Lieferdienst nicht gewillt ist die schweren Flaschen in den vierten Stock zu schleppen, braucht Summer dringend Hilfe. Die bekommt sie auch und zwar in Gestalt der hyperaktiven Michelle Wei. Doch die stellt eine Bedinung: Summer bekommt Hilfe, wenn sie im Gegenzug Mitglied ihrer Band "Industrial Scale Slaughter" wird. Denn der Band fehlt schon seit langer Zeit eine Sängerin und Michelle weiß, das Summer eine unglaubliche Stimme hat...
Nachdem man Dylan aufgrund seines unmöglichen Verhaltens aus dem Orchester des Yellowcote Internats geworfen hat, verbringt er seine "Freistunden" faulenzend in seinem Zimmer, bis ihm der Coach des Rugbyteams einen Strich durch die Rechnung macht. Denn wer in Yellowcote kein musikalisches Fach belegt, der muss sich sportlich betätigen. Obwohl Dylan Talent hat, hasst er Rugby wie die Pest. Um nicht spielen zu müssen, provoziert der Eigenbrötler einen Streit, der dafür sorgt, das man ihn des Teams verweist und ihn wieder zum Orchester schickt, doch die Lehrerin will ihn dort auch nicht haben und stellt ihm einen nicht genutzten Musikraum zur Verfügung in dem er machen kann was er will. Hier trifft er auf Leo, der Dylans Hilfe gerade mehr als gut gebrauchen kann, denn Dylan hat, unbestritten, ein Talent für Musik und ist genau der Mann, der Leo's Band zum großen Durchbruch fehlt.
Unabhängig voneinander bewerben sich Jay's und Summer's Band auf einen Wettbewerb in London, bei dem sie aufeinander treffen, sich kennenlernen und auf die bevorstehende Castingshow "Rock War" aufmerksam werden.
Auch Dylan und seine Band werden auf "Rock War" aufmerksam und bewerben sich um einen Platz.
Wie oben ja schon erwähnt steht hier das Kennenlernen der Figuren im Vordergrund. Jeder Protagonist, auch die Nebencharaktere, trägt irgendwo ein Problempäckchen mit sich herum, das er bewältigen muss. Das Ganze ist jedoch in den meisten Fällen nicht überzogen dargestellt, sondern authentisch und somit auch nachvollziehbar. Die Charaktere sind alle sehr gut ausgearbeitet, man findet eine schnelle Verbindung zu jedem Einzelnen.
Das Ende bekommt definitiv einen Punkt Abzug. Nicht etwa weil es schlecht gewesen wäre, sondern weil es so plötzlich daher kommt und ich den Punkt an dem das Buch endet persönlich jetzt nicht so gut gewählt fand. Es blieben viele Fragen offen, was für die Folgebände natürlich sehr förderlich ist, da werden die sich sicher alle in Luft auflösen, aber für mich war das Ende hier einfach nicht rund und somit nicht perfekt gelöst.
Fazit:
"Rock War - Unter Strom" ist ein verdammt rockiger Einstieg in eine neue Jugendbuchreihe des Autors Robert Muchamore. Ein leichter jugendlicher Schreibstil, authentische Charaktere und eine Menge Musik sorgen hier für ordentlich Lesespaß !
©Ina's Little Bakery
September 29, 2017
This was a weird book, i'm telling you. The premise is good: It's a book about different characters forming different bands, very much a prequel to THE rock war. While most of the book reads as if it's made for 10-12 year olds, there are certain things that don't add up ...
Such as vibrant mentions and descriptions of self harm, potential rape, sex, and drugs, for one thing. While it's a book that you don't necessarily find yourself longing to read, you don't mind reading it when you get to it. Its alright, short chapters, cool characters. I might continue to read this series, but the fact that Robert Muchamore seems to spew out five of these books a year kind of puts me off it. Three stars because i didn't hate it as much as i hated the books i've given two stars.
Such as vibrant mentions and descriptions of self harm, potential rape, sex, and drugs, for one thing. While it's a book that you don't necessarily find yourself longing to read, you don't mind reading it when you get to it. Its alright, short chapters, cool characters. I might continue to read this series, but the fact that Robert Muchamore seems to spew out five of these books a year kind of puts me off it. Three stars because i didn't hate it as much as i hated the books i've given two stars.
June 18, 2019
This book was amazing. The way the characters storylines weave into each other's is really fun, watching each person progress, before having your attention snatched back to someone else. The way the author described the events, the emotions was really good. Not for kids younger than 12, it has a few naughty references, but the overall product is entertaining, fun and a nice change of pace from books about spys and things blowing up.
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