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Radio Free Texas
Not yet published
Expected 6 Oct 26Win a free print copy of this book!
4 days and 17:13:14
5 copies available
U.S. only
From beloved bestselling author Libba Bray, a story of love, rock n' roll, and sex (in that order) in 1980s Texas.Bowie (pronounced "boo-eee") is a little bit lost in his small Texas town. As he starts his senior year, the only thing he's pretty sure of is that he has a crush on Comet Jensen, a girl who's such a firecracker that she actually sets a firecracker off on the first day of school.Since Comet's one wrong move away from getting expelled, Bowie steps in and takes the blame for the firecracker stunt. His punishment? Community service at a local radio station run by an anti-social, anti-establishment anti-hero named Marlon. Suddenly Bowie finds he not only has something to do, but he also has something to say. And, possibly, a future with Comet.In the tradition of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Eleanor & Park, Dazed & Confused, and The Last Picture Show, this is a funny, touching story about how coming-of-age, like love, is never a solo project.
400 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication October 6, 2026
About the author
Libba Bray
47 books15.6k followersWhat is it about writing an author bio that gives me that deer-in-headlights feeling? It's not exactly like I'm going to say "I was born in Alabama…" and somebody's going to jump up and snarl, "Oh yeah? Prove it!" At least I hope not.
I think what gets me feeling itchy is all that emphasis on the facts of a life, while all the juicy, relevant, human oddity stuff gets left on the cutting room floor. I could tell you the facts–I lived in Texas for most of my life; I live in New York City with my husband and six-year-old son now; I have freckles and a lopsided smile; I'm allergic to penicillin.
But that doesn't really give you much insight into me. That doesn't tell you that I stuck a bead up my nose while watching TV when I was four and thought I'd have to go to the ER and have it cut out. Or that I once sang a punk version of "Que Sera Sera" onstage in New York City. Or that I made everyone call me "Bert" in ninth grade for no reason that I can think of. See what I mean?
God is in the details. So with that in mind, here is my bio. Sort of.
TEN THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME by Libba Bray
1. I lived in Texas until I was 26 years old, then I moved to New York City with $600.00 in my shoe ('cause muggers won't take it out of your shoe, y'know . . . riiiiight . . .) and a punchbowl (my grandmother's gift) under my arm. I ended up using the punchbowl box as an end table for two years.
2. My dad was a Presbyterian minister. Yes, I am one of those dreaded P.K.s–Preacher's Kids. Be afraid. Be very afraid . . .
3. The first story I ever wrote, in Mrs. McBee's 6th grade English class, was about a girl whose family is kidnapped and held hostage by a murderous lot of bank robbers who intend to kill the whole family–including the dog–until the 12-year-old heroine foils the plot and saves the day. It included colored pencil illustrations of manly-looking, bearded criminals smoking, and, oblivious to the fact that The Beatles had already sort of laid claim to the title, I called my novel, HELP. My mom still has a copy. And when I do something she doesn't like, she threatens to find it.
4. My favorite word is "redemption." I like both its meaning and the sound. My least favorite word is "maybe." "Maybe" is almost always a "no" drawn out in cruel fashion.
5. My three worst habits are overeating, self-doubt, and the frequent use of the "f" word.
6. The three things I like best about myself are my sense of humor, my ability to listen, and my imagination.
7. I have an artificial left eye. I lost my real eye in a car accident when I was eighteen. In fact, I had to have my entire face rebuilt because I smashed it up pretty good. It took six years and thirteen surgeries. However, I did have the pleasure of freezing a plastic eyeball in an ice cube, putting it in a friend's drink, ("Eyeball in your highball?") and watching him freak completely. Okay, so maybe that's not going down on my good karma record. But it sure was fun.
8. In 7th grade, my three best friends and I dressed up as KISS and walked around our neighborhood on Halloween. Man, we were such dorks.
9. I once spent New Year's Eve in a wetsuit. I'd gone to the party in a black dress that was a little too tight (too many holiday cookies) and when I went to sit down, the dress ripped up the back completely. Can we all say, mortified? The problem was, my friends were moving out of their house–everything was packed and on a truck–and there was nothing I could put on . . . but a wetsuit that they still had tacked to the wall. I spent the rest of the party maneuvering through throngs of people feeling like a giant squid.
10. I got married in Florence, Italy. My husband and I were in love but totally broke, so we eloped and got married in Italy, where he was going on a business trip. We had to pull a guy off the street to be our witness. It was incredibly romantic.
I think what gets me feeling itchy is all that emphasis on the facts of a life, while all the juicy, relevant, human oddity stuff gets left on the cutting room floor. I could tell you the facts–I lived in Texas for most of my life; I live in New York City with my husband and six-year-old son now; I have freckles and a lopsided smile; I'm allergic to penicillin.
But that doesn't really give you much insight into me. That doesn't tell you that I stuck a bead up my nose while watching TV when I was four and thought I'd have to go to the ER and have it cut out. Or that I once sang a punk version of "Que Sera Sera" onstage in New York City. Or that I made everyone call me "Bert" in ninth grade for no reason that I can think of. See what I mean?
God is in the details. So with that in mind, here is my bio. Sort of.
TEN THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME by Libba Bray
1. I lived in Texas until I was 26 years old, then I moved to New York City with $600.00 in my shoe ('cause muggers won't take it out of your shoe, y'know . . . riiiiight . . .) and a punchbowl (my grandmother's gift) under my arm. I ended up using the punchbowl box as an end table for two years.
2. My dad was a Presbyterian minister. Yes, I am one of those dreaded P.K.s–Preacher's Kids. Be afraid. Be very afraid . . .
3. The first story I ever wrote, in Mrs. McBee's 6th grade English class, was about a girl whose family is kidnapped and held hostage by a murderous lot of bank robbers who intend to kill the whole family–including the dog–until the 12-year-old heroine foils the plot and saves the day. It included colored pencil illustrations of manly-looking, bearded criminals smoking, and, oblivious to the fact that The Beatles had already sort of laid claim to the title, I called my novel, HELP. My mom still has a copy. And when I do something she doesn't like, she threatens to find it.
4. My favorite word is "redemption." I like both its meaning and the sound. My least favorite word is "maybe." "Maybe" is almost always a "no" drawn out in cruel fashion.
5. My three worst habits are overeating, self-doubt, and the frequent use of the "f" word.
6. The three things I like best about myself are my sense of humor, my ability to listen, and my imagination.
7. I have an artificial left eye. I lost my real eye in a car accident when I was eighteen. In fact, I had to have my entire face rebuilt because I smashed it up pretty good. It took six years and thirteen surgeries. However, I did have the pleasure of freezing a plastic eyeball in an ice cube, putting it in a friend's drink, ("Eyeball in your highball?") and watching him freak completely. Okay, so maybe that's not going down on my good karma record. But it sure was fun.
8. In 7th grade, my three best friends and I dressed up as KISS and walked around our neighborhood on Halloween. Man, we were such dorks.
9. I once spent New Year's Eve in a wetsuit. I'd gone to the party in a black dress that was a little too tight (too many holiday cookies) and when I went to sit down, the dress ripped up the back completely. Can we all say, mortified? The problem was, my friends were moving out of their house–everything was packed and on a truck–and there was nothing I could put on . . . but a wetsuit that they still had tacked to the wall. I spent the rest of the party maneuvering through throngs of people feeling like a giant squid.
10. I got married in Florence, Italy. My husband and I were in love but totally broke, so we eloped and got married in Italy, where he was going on a business trip. We had to pull a guy off the street to be our witness. It was incredibly romantic.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Want to Read
August 2, 2026girl, i love your books but why do they have to be 400+ pages long?
sincerely,
a texas high school librarian that is constantly trying to rec your books but the kids' eyes glaze over when they see how thickkkkk they are.
sincerely,
a texas high school librarian that is constantly trying to rec your books but the kids' eyes glaze over when they see how thickkkkk they are.
Read
December 11, 2025i am going to be hand selling this one in the streets
Want to Read
April 12, 2026see y'all in the pre-pre-pre-order line
Review of advance copy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you to the publisher and Knight's Nook for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
"Was that what being an adult was? Constantly chasing after this idea of a better you always just out of reach? If so, it wasn't much better than being a teenager."
Radio Free Texas by Libba Bray is a young adult, coming-of-age story that follows Bowie (Boo-eee) through his senior year of high school set in Crockett, Texas in 1980. When Bowie's crush, Comet, sets off a firecracker on the first day of school, Bowie takes the fall for her and ends up with community service. Out of the several not-so-ideal options presented to him for his community service, Bowie settles on working at the local radio station under Marlon who can only be described as nonconformist.
During his time working at the radio station, Bowie finds his voice and learns that what he has to say matters. When Bowie learns Marlon owes taxes that must be paid or the radio station will be shut down, Bowie inlists the help of an unlikely crew: Omar, Jim-Bob, Pharaoh, Steffi, H, and the Farrelly Twins to help bring in money and save the radio station.
I absolutely loved this book! Each chapter is titled as a popular 80s song. Music lovers will really appreciate all the nods to these timeless favorites.
This book also gave me major Breakfast Club vibes with the different personalities coming together for a common goal.
Lastly, this book really captures the heart of being young. First love, being unsure of your future, friendships, the pressure of college and life after high school were all present and relatable in this book.
I highly recommend this book for music lovers, fans of the young adult/coming-of-age genre and anyone who can relate to the pressures and uncertainty of senior year.
Thank you to the publisher and Knight's Nook for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
"Was that what being an adult was? Constantly chasing after this idea of a better you always just out of reach? If so, it wasn't much better than being a teenager."
Radio Free Texas by Libba Bray is a young adult, coming-of-age story that follows Bowie (Boo-eee) through his senior year of high school set in Crockett, Texas in 1980. When Bowie's crush, Comet, sets off a firecracker on the first day of school, Bowie takes the fall for her and ends up with community service. Out of the several not-so-ideal options presented to him for his community service, Bowie settles on working at the local radio station under Marlon who can only be described as nonconformist.
During his time working at the radio station, Bowie finds his voice and learns that what he has to say matters. When Bowie learns Marlon owes taxes that must be paid or the radio station will be shut down, Bowie inlists the help of an unlikely crew: Omar, Jim-Bob, Pharaoh, Steffi, H, and the Farrelly Twins to help bring in money and save the radio station.
I absolutely loved this book! Each chapter is titled as a popular 80s song. Music lovers will really appreciate all the nods to these timeless favorites.
This book also gave me major Breakfast Club vibes with the different personalities coming together for a common goal.
Lastly, this book really captures the heart of being young. First love, being unsure of your future, friendships, the pressure of college and life after high school were all present and relatable in this book.
I highly recommend this book for music lovers, fans of the young adult/coming-of-age genre and anyone who can relate to the pressures and uncertainty of senior year.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you Scholastics and Libba Bray herself for this ARC from BookCon! As a born and raised Texan, so much of this book was a love letter to our Texas high school days of late night Sonic runs, the Friday night lights of football season and the biggest mums you ever saw at homecoming.
If you're a fan of Almost Famous and Perks of Being A Wallflower, this book will be for you.
Set in a small town in 1980-1981 Texas, "Radio Free Texas" follows Bowie James Jones as he enters his senior year of high school. After taking the blame for a lit firecracker on the first day of school (set by his crush Comet Jensen), Bowie enters the world of community service through volunteering at the local radio station. From day one at the station, Bowie discovers a lot about himself and others through the work and the music and power of rock and roll.
A major element of this book I loved was the way we learn so much about the ensemble of characters around Bowie without over explanation and exposition. You feel as if you know them all personally. This goes with the adults in the book as well. For a YA book, I was happy to see the adults had just as flushed out back stories as Bowie's friends. I want to shout out specifically his mother, Johnette, his English teacher Mr. Chao as well as the radio station manager, Marlon, who shares a story in the New Years Eve chapter that really stuck with me.
Another aspect I loved about the book were the chapter titles being songs from the 70s/80s. I can't wait to make a killer Playlist with them.
Overall, I really did love this book and the story we went on as readers following Bowie. I won't consider this my final review until the book comes out to see what changes will be made. I hope you add this to your TBR in October!
If you're a fan of Almost Famous and Perks of Being A Wallflower, this book will be for you.
Set in a small town in 1980-1981 Texas, "Radio Free Texas" follows Bowie James Jones as he enters his senior year of high school. After taking the blame for a lit firecracker on the first day of school (set by his crush Comet Jensen), Bowie enters the world of community service through volunteering at the local radio station. From day one at the station, Bowie discovers a lot about himself and others through the work and the music and power of rock and roll.
A major element of this book I loved was the way we learn so much about the ensemble of characters around Bowie without over explanation and exposition. You feel as if you know them all personally. This goes with the adults in the book as well. For a YA book, I was happy to see the adults had just as flushed out back stories as Bowie's friends. I want to shout out specifically his mother, Johnette, his English teacher Mr. Chao as well as the radio station manager, Marlon, who shares a story in the New Years Eve chapter that really stuck with me.
Another aspect I loved about the book were the chapter titles being songs from the 70s/80s. I can't wait to make a killer Playlist with them.
Overall, I really did love this book and the story we went on as readers following Bowie. I won't consider this my final review until the book comes out to see what changes will be made. I hope you add this to your TBR in October!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
4.5 ⭐️
he took the blame for a girl he barely knows. ended up finding himself instead. 🧨💛
bowie (pronounced "boo-eee"): senior year. small texas town. one massive crush on comet jensen. 🤠
comet: firecracker energy. literally. sets one off on day one. 🎆
bowie: takes the blame without thinking twice. 😅
punishment: community service at a local radio station. run by marlon — anti-social, anti-establishment, absolutely iconic. 📻
and suddenly bowie has somewhere to be. something to say. and maybe someone to say it for. 💛
small town boy finds his voice through radio and a girl who runs toward chaos — we are soft about this one. 📚✨
If you are an 80s girl, like me, you will love this book. Every chapter is named for a song that was popular during this time period, along with hinting to the reader what was going to happen in the chapter. Bowie (pronounced "boo-eee") is one of those male characters that come along who the reader wants to root for: be it for standing up for what he believes in or fighting for a first love that may or may not last. This cast of characters, from Comet to Omar to Steffie to H and beyond all found a place in this story. Without them, the story would have been lacking. If you remember the show WKRP in Cincinnati, then you will relate to this cast of characters. A solid coming of age story with an amazing soundtrack!
Thank you @scholastic for the arc!
he took the blame for a girl he barely knows. ended up finding himself instead. 🧨💛
bowie (pronounced "boo-eee"): senior year. small texas town. one massive crush on comet jensen. 🤠
comet: firecracker energy. literally. sets one off on day one. 🎆
bowie: takes the blame without thinking twice. 😅
punishment: community service at a local radio station. run by marlon — anti-social, anti-establishment, absolutely iconic. 📻
and suddenly bowie has somewhere to be. something to say. and maybe someone to say it for. 💛
small town boy finds his voice through radio and a girl who runs toward chaos — we are soft about this one. 📚✨
If you are an 80s girl, like me, you will love this book. Every chapter is named for a song that was popular during this time period, along with hinting to the reader what was going to happen in the chapter. Bowie (pronounced "boo-eee") is one of those male characters that come along who the reader wants to root for: be it for standing up for what he believes in or fighting for a first love that may or may not last. This cast of characters, from Comet to Omar to Steffie to H and beyond all found a place in this story. Without them, the story would have been lacking. If you remember the show WKRP in Cincinnati, then you will relate to this cast of characters. A solid coming of age story with an amazing soundtrack!
Thank you @scholastic for the arc!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an arc of this book. For the first third(ish) of this book I really did not care for it. It did pick up a bit after that. It has been a very long time since I was in high school, but I still felt this was a pretty true accounting. You spend all this time trying to find yourself and your people. And Bowie (who no matter how hard I tried I always read it like David not like the knife) did find himself and his people. It may have all started with Comet but, even if he could t see it, it went so much deeper than that. I dont know that I would recommend this to my peers, but possibly to their kids who are in or getting ready to go into high school.
August 8, 2026
Thank you, Scholastic | Scholastic Press, for providing the copy of Radio Free Texas by Libba Bray. If you’re a fan of music, you’ll love this story of teens learning about music and life from a Vietnam vet in a small town in Texas. I loved the various characters, and how different the kids were. I appreciated having the adults also have actual backstories and lives, uncommon in most YA books. The book was very long, and would have felt better paced if it had been shorter, especially the first 40%. The rest of the book proceeded at a good clip that kept me totally engaged. The ending was anticlimactic, probably because I really loved the characters and had hoped for a blockbuster finale for all of them. 4 stars
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
As a former college radio DJ, this book was a perfect depiction of the energy and importance of small town radio. I loved the weaving of music throughout the chapter and titles. Someone make a Spotify playlist—quick! Absolutely loved the relationships between Bowie and Comet & the other high schoolers. In captured first love in such a realistic way! Thank you to Scholastic for the review copy!
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June 6, 2026I got an advanced copy of this book, so maybe there will still be some big changes but was pretty disappointed. I don’t want to leave a terrible rating as one of the first ones on here but this isn’t what I expected from Libba bray
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Scholastic for the ARC! This was a fun book that follows Bowie during his senior of high school. He starts recording and documenting his experience and we are along for the ride. Bowie does community service at a local radio station where he learns the power of standing up for your beliefs and sticking with your friends. The chapter headers were a nice nod to eighties music and would be a fun playlist to listen to while reading.
Review of advance copy
I feel i little wary already becuz she is comparing her book to PERKS and eleanor and park..... TWO MODERN DAY CLASSICS MIND YOU so.... yeh this could be AMAZING or just meh and disappointing
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews