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Because
Can music save you when your world comes crashing down around you?
Talented teen musician Rigby Raines is an extremely shy introvert who loves the Beatles and Beethoven. She wants only one thing in life: to follow in her mother's footsteps as drum major of her high school marching band.
Still reeling from the unexpected loss of her mom to cancer last year, she is torn between her anxiety and stage fright and the desire to honor her mom.
Bullied for years by Taura Jacobs, self-proclaimed band queen and trumpet section leader, an unexpected discovery allows Rigby to face the past and experience a musical adventure of a lifetime.
Does Rigby have what it takes to conquer her fears, stand up for herself, and win the drum major tryouts?
Talented teen musician Rigby Raines is an extremely shy introvert who loves the Beatles and Beethoven. She wants only one thing in life: to follow in her mother's footsteps as drum major of her high school marching band.
Still reeling from the unexpected loss of her mom to cancer last year, she is torn between her anxiety and stage fright and the desire to honor her mom.
Bullied for years by Taura Jacobs, self-proclaimed band queen and trumpet section leader, an unexpected discovery allows Rigby to face the past and experience a musical adventure of a lifetime.
Does Rigby have what it takes to conquer her fears, stand up for herself, and win the drum major tryouts?
370 pages, Paperback
Published June 17, 2016
5 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 6, 2016
Absolutely loved the intertwining of music, action, and emotion. Amazingly well written...This is legitimately my new favorite book, I absolutely loved it! Can't wait to read the next two! --Early reader
It was amazing, truly breathtaking! As a marching band nerd myself, I feel that this book really speaks for all of us band geeks and it really draws you in on a musical journey. The book is captivating and it leaves you feeling hungry for more just wanting to know what happened. This book is truly a work of art and I truly enjoyed it. --Early Reader
I sat and read it for at least 6 hours straight! The ending left me speechless and I can't wait to read the sequel! I would most definitely recommend this to my band friends. It is such a good book. --Early reader
It was amazing, truly breathtaking! As a marching band nerd myself, I feel that this book really speaks for all of us band geeks and it really draws you in on a musical journey. The book is captivating and it leaves you feeling hungry for more just wanting to know what happened. This book is truly a work of art and I truly enjoyed it. --Early Reader
I sat and read it for at least 6 hours straight! The ending left me speechless and I can't wait to read the sequel! I would most definitely recommend this to my band friends. It is such a good book. --Early reader
October 31, 2017
Originally, I chose to read this book because as a “band kid” myself, I thought it would be very easy for me to relate to the protagonist, a high school junior named Rigby Raines. However, even if you didn’t have the pleasure of being a part of a marching band in high school, R. K. Slade did an excellent job of making his protagonist memorable and understandable, but still giving the protagonist adequate character development and enough problems for a whole group of high schoolers to tackle. The novel takes a turn towards the unexpected by introducing a relic, a magic metronome that transports Rigby back to the late seventeen hundreds From there, in my opinion, the novel dips in quality and left with a predictable ending that left a sour taste in my mouth. R. K. Slade weaves allusion throughout the novel, making superb references to not only the aforementioned seventeenth century and modern day teen culture, but also some intriguing references to many bands of the more recent past (ex. the Beatles). Another piece of figurative language to note is the presence of allegory throughout the novel, but more on that in a moment. Finally, while I believe that Slade did a stupendous job of developing Rigby’s character, as almost all of the other supporting/side characters fell into incredibly obvious archetypes.
In the beginning of the novel, as characters are introduced, we begin to understand the struggle our protagonist faces: she is grieving over the loss of her mother to cancer, and the stress of marching band season isn’t doing her any favours. One of the first allusions we learn about our protagonist, interestingly, is her name. The name Rigby alludes to her mother's favourite song, “Eleanor Rigby” by the Beatles. This is the first of many Beatle allusions. Furthermore, we learn that the marching band that Rigby is a part of is performing a mixture of Beatles tunes, including “Because” (the namesake of the novel) and of course, “Eleanor Rigby”. Another set of allusions are made when Rigby travels back into the seventeenth century, meeting the legendary composer Ludwig van Beethoven. Every detail about Beethoven is portrayed correctly in the novel, such as including minute details on how he became deaf. Allusion plays an integral part of the plot by not only giving it a sense of irony, but also a driving force for Rigby to come back to the future and make her mother proud.
The allegory in Slade’s novel is a compelling one as he introduces a topic that I, along with many other people my age, will be able to identify with: anxiety and depression. As a musician who struggles with the same fear, I was more than able to relate with Rigby’s anxiety of performing, and she continues to grieve over the loss of her mother. She struggles to cope with these throughout the novel, often with sudden outbursts of emotion in true teenage fashion. However, ultimately it is how she conquers her fears that brings the story together. Rigby recognizes that holding onto the memories she shared with her mother won’t bring her back, and all Rigby can do for her is to make her proud by being the best musician she can. Only through this release does Rigby find the strength inside her to beat her anxiety, and she realizes just that: she had the strength inside her the whole time, she just needed to let go. This allegory compares teaches that we don’t need some time-traveling experience to change our lives, we can just as easily find that strength inside ourselves.
While archetypes are present everywhere today, they were painfully obvious in this novel. Take Chewie for example, a supporting character introduced at the beginning of the novel and then just… left behind. He fits the archetype of a lovable goof who provides nothing other to the plot than being one of the people Rigby wants to come home to. This is more understandably shown in Beethoven himself, as he truly represents the idea of a renaissance man. While I can understand the necessity of establishing Beethoven’s intellect and his unique presence, I feel as if Slade missed a big opportunity here, as he could have made Ludwig’s personality shine. However, these archetypes are vital for the progression of the plot as both of these characters and their respective archetypes teach Rigby of her own self-worth and inspire her to be confident in herself again.
In conclusion, R.K. Slade seeks to teach readers that the real strength lies inside yourself, and it is up to you to get past whatever blocks you and that strength. Besides the obvious band kid recommendation, I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of time travelling and would like to learn more about the life of Ludwig van Beethoven. If you ever liked Doctor Who, The Travelers or even the Back to the Future trilogy I would recommend reading Because by R.K. Slade!
In the beginning of the novel, as characters are introduced, we begin to understand the struggle our protagonist faces: she is grieving over the loss of her mother to cancer, and the stress of marching band season isn’t doing her any favours. One of the first allusions we learn about our protagonist, interestingly, is her name. The name Rigby alludes to her mother's favourite song, “Eleanor Rigby” by the Beatles. This is the first of many Beatle allusions. Furthermore, we learn that the marching band that Rigby is a part of is performing a mixture of Beatles tunes, including “Because” (the namesake of the novel) and of course, “Eleanor Rigby”. Another set of allusions are made when Rigby travels back into the seventeenth century, meeting the legendary composer Ludwig van Beethoven. Every detail about Beethoven is portrayed correctly in the novel, such as including minute details on how he became deaf. Allusion plays an integral part of the plot by not only giving it a sense of irony, but also a driving force for Rigby to come back to the future and make her mother proud.
The allegory in Slade’s novel is a compelling one as he introduces a topic that I, along with many other people my age, will be able to identify with: anxiety and depression. As a musician who struggles with the same fear, I was more than able to relate with Rigby’s anxiety of performing, and she continues to grieve over the loss of her mother. She struggles to cope with these throughout the novel, often with sudden outbursts of emotion in true teenage fashion. However, ultimately it is how she conquers her fears that brings the story together. Rigby recognizes that holding onto the memories she shared with her mother won’t bring her back, and all Rigby can do for her is to make her proud by being the best musician she can. Only through this release does Rigby find the strength inside her to beat her anxiety, and she realizes just that: she had the strength inside her the whole time, she just needed to let go. This allegory compares teaches that we don’t need some time-traveling experience to change our lives, we can just as easily find that strength inside ourselves.
While archetypes are present everywhere today, they were painfully obvious in this novel. Take Chewie for example, a supporting character introduced at the beginning of the novel and then just… left behind. He fits the archetype of a lovable goof who provides nothing other to the plot than being one of the people Rigby wants to come home to. This is more understandably shown in Beethoven himself, as he truly represents the idea of a renaissance man. While I can understand the necessity of establishing Beethoven’s intellect and his unique presence, I feel as if Slade missed a big opportunity here, as he could have made Ludwig’s personality shine. However, these archetypes are vital for the progression of the plot as both of these characters and their respective archetypes teach Rigby of her own self-worth and inspire her to be confident in herself again.
In conclusion, R.K. Slade seeks to teach readers that the real strength lies inside yourself, and it is up to you to get past whatever blocks you and that strength. Besides the obvious band kid recommendation, I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of time travelling and would like to learn more about the life of Ludwig van Beethoven. If you ever liked Doctor Who, The Travelers or even the Back to the Future trilogy I would recommend reading Because by R.K. Slade!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2018
“It’s the dark part of me that always seems to beat the part of me that knows I can do it” (161).
Rigby is trumpet player who loves the Beatles and Beethoven, dreams of being drum major, and finds herself back in time with all of her modern anxieties running from a mysterious time traveler with Ludwig Von Beethoven himself. It’s an adventure with references band geeks, Beatles fans, and Beethoven lovers will all appreciate and the start of musical series. It is a story about finding confidence, the emotional power of music, and finding the right place in a band family or any high school group.
Why this book?
This is a light read that may provide some fun smiles for band kids and musical high school students. Besides the music connections and time traveling adventure it handles the stress around bullies, auditions, and the importance of friends. It is a clean adventure tame enough for even middle schoolers.
Genre: Young adult fantasy
Themes: Bullying, the power of music, confidence, friends, disappointing auditions.
Cultures/Under-represented Groups: Band kids and those suffering from anxiety
Grade Level (Interest/Difficulty): The topic will most appeal to young adults connected with the marching band or musical community. The vocabulary is not difficult, and the romantic adventures and dialogue are tame enough even for middle schoolers. It may be too tame for upper classmen or those beyond high school, but it works best for grades 8 through 12.
Appropriateness: The vocabulary is not difficult, and the romantic adventures and dialogue are tame enough even for middle schoolers.
Instruction: This might make a fun independent reading choice for the classroom library, but it is not powerful or versatile enough to hold up as an instructional unit anchor piece.
Other: This is book one in the Time’s Song Series.
Reviewed by Susan Newman at Rock Ridge High School
Rigby is trumpet player who loves the Beatles and Beethoven, dreams of being drum major, and finds herself back in time with all of her modern anxieties running from a mysterious time traveler with Ludwig Von Beethoven himself. It’s an adventure with references band geeks, Beatles fans, and Beethoven lovers will all appreciate and the start of musical series. It is a story about finding confidence, the emotional power of music, and finding the right place in a band family or any high school group.
Why this book?
This is a light read that may provide some fun smiles for band kids and musical high school students. Besides the music connections and time traveling adventure it handles the stress around bullies, auditions, and the importance of friends. It is a clean adventure tame enough for even middle schoolers.
Genre: Young adult fantasy
Themes: Bullying, the power of music, confidence, friends, disappointing auditions.
Cultures/Under-represented Groups: Band kids and those suffering from anxiety
Grade Level (Interest/Difficulty): The topic will most appeal to young adults connected with the marching band or musical community. The vocabulary is not difficult, and the romantic adventures and dialogue are tame enough even for middle schoolers. It may be too tame for upper classmen or those beyond high school, but it works best for grades 8 through 12.
Appropriateness: The vocabulary is not difficult, and the romantic adventures and dialogue are tame enough even for middle schoolers.
Instruction: This might make a fun independent reading choice for the classroom library, but it is not powerful or versatile enough to hold up as an instructional unit anchor piece.
Other: This is book one in the Time’s Song Series.
Reviewed by Susan Newman at Rock Ridge High School
August 28, 2017
Cheesy, but oddly entertaining. Maybe I liked it because I, too, am a marching band geek!
May 30, 2018
Interesting
It was a good book but it took an interesting turn near the middle. R.K. Slate you gotta write the next book soon!!
It was a good book but it took an interesting turn near the middle. R.K. Slate you gotta write the next book soon!!
June 26, 2016
I really enjoyed the overall concept of this book but some of the ideas and themes that were trying to be placed seemed scattered. I'm excited to see what comes next in the series and I look forward to seeing his writing evolve
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews