She Loves You

by Ann Hood

Best-selling author Ann Hood tells the story of a girl swept up in the heart of 1960s Beatlemania. Written in her signature prose, Hood weaves a tale of four misfit friends who set off to see the Beatles' final world tour, each harboring a secret hope. What emerges is a sincere and funny story of growing up, making unexpected connections, and following your dreams even as the world in front of you--and the world at large--is changing too fast.

The year is 1966. The Vietnam War rages overseas, the Beatles have catapulted into stardom, and twelve-year-old Rhode Island native Trudy Mixer is not thrilled with life. Her best friend, Michelle, has decided to become a cheerleader, everyone at school is now calling her Gertrude (her hated real name), and the gem of her middle school career, the Beatles fan club, has dwindled down to only three other members--the least popular kids at school. And at home, her workaholic father has become even more distant.

Determined to regain her social status and prove herself to her father, Trudy looks toward the biggest thing happening worldwide: the Beatles. She is set on seeing their final world tour in Boston at the end of the summer--and meeting her beloved Paul McCartney. So on a hot August day, unknown to their families, Trudy and crew set off on their journey, each of them with soaring hopes for what lies ahead.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Music, Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Friendship

256 pages, Hardcover

First published June 6, 2018

About the author

Ann Hood is the editor of Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting and the bestselling author of The Book That Matters Most, The Knitting Circle, The Red Thread, Comfort, and An Italian Wife, among other works. She is the recipient of two Pushcart Prizes, a Best American Spiritual Writing Award, a Best American Food Writing Award, a Best American Travel Writing Award, and the Paul Bowles Prize for Short Fiction. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

Reviews

[Kelly Hager · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am currently enjoying quite a slew of great books. This one is no surprise because everything I've read by Ann Hood has been completely amazing.  This is middlegrade, though (everything else I've read by her has been adult fiction or nonfiction) and I know that's a different skill set. 

Can I just say that this book is complete magic? I'm too young to have experienced the Beatles live, but this book was so evocative, I actually felt like I was there. (Should it ever come up on Jeopardy!, John is my favorite Beatle.)

There are a lot of other things going on here. Trudy feels like she's losing her best friend (to popular girls) and her father (because she's not interesting enough) and so the quest to see the Beatles in concert and to meet Paul McCartney becomes a bit of magical thinking (if she can make this happen, her life will go back to what she wants it to be---especially where her dad is concerned because this really is the one thing they have in common). Her fellow fan club members have similar hopes. 

You don't have to know who the Beatles are to love this book, but I'd be willing to bet that this book will get the Fab Four some new fans.

Highly recommended.

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a pure joy to read! I had watched “Yesterday” the night before and loved it; Beatle’s songs were still running in my head! The author brought this story to life with wonderful details of the 60’s time period, including very interesting trivia about the Fab Four.

Memorable Quotes:
(Pg.105)-“A perfect Saturday was to walk around the mall, touch everything at Spencer’s Gifts, pretend to look at Waldenbooks, but really look at the cute boy that worked there, pretend to look at records but really look at the cute boy who worked at RecordLand, eat cheeseburgers at Newport Creamery, and go to the movies.”
(Pg.232)- “Imagine if a character you loved in a book, like Jo March or Nancy Drew, suddenly appeared right in front of you, a living, breathing person? That’s kind of how seeing the Beatles felt, like I’d conjured them up and Poof! here they were!”

[Lisa Leone-campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s 1966 and middle schooler Trudy Mixer who had been on top of the world now seems to be fighting a losing battle. Last year she had started the first ever Beatles Fan Club in Rhode Island. She and her best friend Michelle did everything together and her fan club was the top rated after school club at their school! Along with this she and her dad had bonded over the Beatles! Her father who was a workaholic was always so preoccupied that sometimes Trudy felt he did not even remember her. But not when it came to the Beatles (her favorite is Paul)! They listened to their albums together, sang their songs together and even stood in line waiting to buy their current records together!

This year, her best friend has decided to join the Cheerleading Club and seems to be drifting away from Trudy. The Beatles Fan club which was so popular last year only has four members, including her and the other members are sort of odd. If they lose one more member the club will have to be disbanded, much to Trudy’s horror. And as for her name, a new teacher has decided to call her by her given name, Gertrude, much to her embarrassment and has caused teasing from the other students. Her homelife has been okay, but her father has been busier and has had no time to commiserate about the Beatles.

So, when her father comes home with four tickets to see the Beatles in Boston on their world tour at the end of August, she is ecstatic! She thinks by going to see the Beatles it will boost the fan club to where it belongs, Michelle will be her best friend again and she and her dad will have something to talk about all summer! But then Trudy gets devastating news! Her father needs to be out of the country and will be unable to take her to the concert. They tell her she just can’t go. Maybe the next time they come.

Trudy is determined to make this happen and decides to take the Beatles Fan Club group to the concert without their parents’ knowledge. Of course, this would not have been her first choice, but she doesn’t have Michelle anymore and she seems to be short on friends. As the excitement builds throughout the summer, they make a plan as to how to get to Boston from Rhode Island. Then one of them finds out which hotel the Beatles are staying at and since they are going to be there anyway, they decide it would be easy to just go and meet them!

Even with all the preparations that summer, they could not have foreseen what problems they would encounter, and how their dream of a perfect night begins to fade away and starts to turn into a disaster! But what they do learn that night is invaluable. This journey will not only change them but bond these four unlikely companions in ways no one could have ever imagined.

It was the summer of 1966, the Vietnam War was raging, Ed Sullivan and The Beverly Hillbillies were on television and a group named the Beatles were in America and all the girls were swooning…

This story is not just for middle schoolers. It is for anyone who has ever dealt with loss, teenage embarrassment, insecurities, crushes and so much more. She Loves You is the story of true friendship, persistence, love and hope. I hope it was really true!

[This Kooky Wildflower Loves a Little Tea and Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute coming of age about a girl's quest to meet Paul McCartney after a concert. Fast paced. Good dialogue. Sweet plot. Also, I enjoyed each chapter's name stemming from a Beatles tune.

4/5

[Cindi (Utah Mom’s Life) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review originally posted on my blog : http://utahmomslife.blogspot.com/2018...

I didn't know what I was in the mood for, so last night I sat down with a stack of books and the intent to read a few pages of each. I started with She Loves You (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah) by Ann Hood. Before I knew it, I was over halfway finished with this lovely and endearing novel. It's intended audience is middle grade children but this Beatles fan was immediately enraptured.

Trudy Mixer is the president of the Robert E. Quinn Junior High Fan Club. Until recently it has been the most popular club at the school with 24 members but suddenly the students and Trudy's best friend Michelle are flocking towards Future Cheerleader Club. Now there are only four members of the club, including Trudy. The other three members are the nerdiest, weirdest kids and Trudy is determined to win back her popularity and her best friend. When she hears that the Beatles are coming to Boston in concert, she cooks up a plan to meet Paul McCartney.

She Loves You place in 1966 when the world was changing. Stuck in the middle of the upheaval of the Vietnam War, the Hippie movement and Beatlemania, spunky sixth grader Trudy Mixer is dealing with the trauma of junior high. She's an adorable character with about as much charm as most sixth graders. She's been dumped by her best friend who has moved on to newer, cooler friends and more exciting pursuits than writing fan mail to John Lennon. Trudy's love for the Beatles is pure and will be recognized by any who has been a true fan of anything. You're going to cheer for her and her little group of fans.

Ann Hood is an excellent writer who strikes just the right note in her newest book for younger audiences. I was fully transported to the 60s even as I recalled my own middle school years in the 1980s. Middle school is middle school is middle school. That is one universal truth. I'm excited to share She Loves You with my middle school aged children when they finally wake up from their summer sleep ins.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great read! The Fab Four are coming to Boston and Trudy Mixer, president of her school fan club in Rhode Island, is determined to meet Paul McCartney. Her dad shares her passion for the Beatles and scores four tickets when they go on sale. But then things start going wrong and as the dominoes fall -- one by one -- Trudy concocts a very adventurous plan. Love the many cultural clues that are in the book and they would make great touchstones for discussing this era with middle grade students as well as the hints of things to come that we take for granted fifty years later.

I received a digital ARC of this book from Penguin and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Diane Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick read for adults, especially for those of us who remember watching "The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show." For middle school teachers, this could be a fun book to use in the classroom because 1) you get to expose them to The Beatles music; 2) learn about Vietnam War/President Johnson/Lady Bird; 3) discuss friendships/families/feeling left out/ working towards goals; 5) learn how to read bus and subway schedules, and 6) feminism and hippies. Fun book!

[Camille Maio · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun middle-grade (not YA) read that should easily connect with young readers while giving their parents and grandparents something to reminisce about. A book about dreams, friends, frustrations, and creative ways to make things happen.

[Anna Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two things to note: I went through a very long and intensive Beatles phase in middle school and I have just recently re-watched the movie Yesterday (if you haven't seen it, get on it because it is a FREAKING DELIGHT) so Beatles music was recently in my brain.

This book made me want to call my mom. It reminded me so much of all of her stories of Beatlemania, fashion in the 1960s, the things that they were eating, shows they were watching and the general old-fashioned names of people. I probably enjoyed this more than a contemporary middle-grade reader because of all of this secondhand nostalgia but it was a delight nonetheless. Now excuse me while I do another deep dive into the Beatles music for the duration of quarantine and impress the HECK out of my husband by my extensive lyrical knowledge. :)

[Melody · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too cute by half. This one didn't work for me. I found it facile, too predictable by half. The characters weren't terribly different from one another, and I found myself wondering which of the girls was which more than once.

[aga · Rating 4 out of 5]

"George wasn't anyone's favorite Beatle" ummm, he's my fave, but go off I guess.

A very cute book. I've read it in a day. You don't have to be a Beatles fan (I'm not, though I like them just fine) to enjoy it. If you've ever liked any band a lot, you'll get it.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well this sure is a book that exists. Please, don't buy all the 4-5 star reviews that this book has on here. I'm pretty sure they're all from adults who are just nostalgic for the 60s because they were probably around Trudy's age during that decade.

But ugh, this book is annoying. I like the premise, but I think it could have been executed way better. The book moves almost two fast, with huge text on the page and super large spacing between lines. I understand this is a book meant for kids, but I almost had to double check that I hadn't picked up a large print copy by mistake (I didn't). It was almost like it was printed with 7 year olds in mind rather than the target audience I assume is around 10-12 years old.

And even in looking at it as a book for middle grade readers, I just don't know if you'll be able to get a lot of that audience to pick up this book. For them, the 60s is even longer ago than it was for me (a good 30 years before I was even born), so they probably won't know much about it because they haven't gotten there yet in school. I'm lucky enough to have been raised on Beatles music, but have today's kids with their Gen X/Millennial parents experienced the same thing? I doubt it.

Granted, I don't think there's anything wrong with the author choosing to write a book about kids in the 60s who love the Beatles. But I just don't think targeting that book to kids who are so far removed from 60s culture is a good idea. Even I, who is aware of the conservatism of the time period, got a bit frustrated while reading this at the blatant misogynistic views on the world that Trudy had.

And ugh, Trudy. You know you don't like a book when you can't stand the main character. I don't think I've experienced that since I read the Hunger Games back in 7th grade. I just really hated Trudy, she was so annoying and barely changed throughout the book and her voice was just annoying and--ugh.

I think the book could have been better with two simple changes: more details, and multiple perspectives.

I understand that having just Trudy's view on the world makes for some reveals towards the end, but it made it hard for me to feel for the other members of the club when Trudy felt so negatively towards them. I mean, I did feel for them, way more than I did Trudy, but the last line on the book jacket, about each member of the club having a "secret hope for the night to come" really made me think we'd get to see their perspectives too. So those reveals didn't quite feel all that rewarding, especially when you can kinda predict most of them.

I'll say I liked the ending, which is why I plopped an extra star onto this review. But I'll also say it felt more like a climax than a resolution to me. I mean, I understand leaving that door open with hints of how their lives will change going forward, but an epilogue to include exactly what those changes are would have been nice. Not that I really wanted this book to keep going, but the end was only partially satisfying.

So, I guess you should pick up this book if you're on the older side and have a lot of nostalgia for the 60s or just the Beatles in general. But if you're someone like me, a younger, more casual Beatles fan, don't bother. It's not worth it.

(Oh, I feel like I should add, because I saw it come up in some of the other reviews here, that I didn't care for the film Yesterday either. Whoops!)

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

If not for the Litsy Markup Postal Book Club I would never have read this book. But I am glad that this book was chosen. It was a lot of fun. A little slow to start, but it made for great conversation in my library who lived through the British Invasion.

This book is all about one girl’s quest to meet the Beatles. While she thinks it’s just for Paul, there is so much going on in the background of not only her life, but her friends lives as well that seeing the Beatles becomes this goal that will make life better for whatever reason.

Part of what made this book so slow for me is the first half or so is all about Trudy hating her name Gertrude and how to change peoples minds about her “old lady” name. This just gets old and annoying. However, using that as a backdrop for seeing her father's affection, and that rollercoaster that her life is not on, makes a nice discussion topic.

Overall I did enjoy this book. There were things that were thoroughly predictable (like the end), and things not expected (like lucky items), but it was a pleasant experience. Will I ever read it again… probably not. Will I ever recommend it for someone else to read...maybe. This is a very niche book. It’s not one I could just hand to anyone and say “you’re gonna love it” because I don’t think it’s true. But pair it with the kid that needs to hear it’s message and you might just hit the jackpot.
#NancyDrewChallenge #horses

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really cute, fast read. I was pleasantly surprised when the main character was from my home state, as being from Rhode Island, we don’t often find our little state represented in fiction much. The Beatles being the main focus of the book was lovely. My only real, big complaint with the book was the main character was often a bit self absorbed, selfish and judgmental for me, but I did keep reminding myself that she was in junior high school so that I could get over that. This one is definitely worth a read on a day when you’re just lazing around, I started and finished it all within a few hours.

[katy shizuka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trudy is the president of the Robert E. Quinn Beatles fan club. It was the most popular club in the whole school, until her "friend" ditched her to be in the chearleading club, leaving her with only three of the most unpopular people in the grade remaining in the club. Through Trudy's journey through her school life of not keeping up with trends and family issues, she strives to accomplish her biggest dream: meeting Paul McCartney, her favorite Beatle. Facing challeneges at school and at home, she realizes that the people that cared for her the most were right in front of her.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, first of all, GEORGE IS MY FAVORITE BEATLE. The anti-George-ness of this book was killing me! Nice he finally got some respect at the end, but still! What's the deal, Ann Hood?!?!?

I have to admit, I was going to knock off a star for the anti-George-ness, but I just couldn't after that cute ending.

This is a book about friendship, growing up, growing apart, and yes, the Beatles.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming tale and a whole bunch of fun. Solidified my long-held belief that George is the best Beatle. As a "country bumpkin" who once upon a time long ago had to figure out the Boston T, I can attest to the accuracy of certain scenes in the book (hilarious!). If you need a pick me up in the dark times, this is a good one...simple and sweet. What a cool time period to set a story in for kids today.

[Josephine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really cute; I loved it!

[Florence Migga · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This story on some levels is my story of loving a boy band so so much, and I loved the feeling that I got when reading this book because of it. Exhilarated and nostalgic."

Read the full review on Book Nerds Across America: http://www.booknerdsacrossamerica.com....

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recently, my kids attended a special kids’ event at our local Barnes and Noble. During this event, a few books were being touted. One of the others, I also actually read and thoroughly enjoyed. The other that caught my attention was “She Loves, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah”.

Why?

Because it was set in the turbulent 1960s decade. Plus, it also centered around the extremely popular 1960s music group, The Beatles. Specifically my own favorite from The Beatles, Paul McCartney. What can I say? But that I am a sucker for anything to do with this time in history, as well as The Beatles.

So, I bought a copy and couldn’t be happier that I did. While this is a middle grade book, I still definitely found it worthy to read. See the story of The Beatles number one fan and middle school fan club was pure delight. As a former middle school teacher, middle school can be particularly cruel time for many. Trudy is no exception to this. Her once highly attended Beatles Fan Club now only has 3 other members. All of these kids are a bit quirky and definitely not popular. Her once best friend, Michelle dropped her for a group of popular cheerleaders. Trudy’s dad is much too busy with work to enjoy their once shared love of The Beatles. And Trudy’s mom ends up taking a bit of a fall only to be left in a cast for the summer months due to a broken leg. Plus, all the kids at school started referring to her by Gertrude (her given name) instead of Trudy.

Therefore what is Trudy to do? Well, she plans to go to the upcoming Beatles concert with her few remaining fan club members. Not only does she want to see The Beatles in concert sing, but she also wants to meet Paul McCartney in person. Her reasoning is simple. She feels that this clandescendant meeting will fix all of her problems.

I honestly loved how persistent Trudy was in getting to meet Paul McCartney. Plus her admiration and love for The Beatles shined through even when they released their album, Revolver, which was dubbed by many at the time to be a flop. Plus, the big pay off was the ending. I don’t want to give it away. But let’s just say Trudy gets more than she could have imagined and learns a lesson or two along the way.

[saroyami ˚₊۶ৎ˙⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was such a cute book but trudy is so blind tho like how did she not realize peter’s feelings for her 😭

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in 1966 amidst the Vietnam War, the rise of feminism, and Beatlemania, 12 year old Trudy Mixer feels lost. Her best friend has drifted into the popular crowd, her dad got a promotion and is too busy for her, and her Beatles fan club at school has dwindled down to 3 other kids. When Trudy finds out that the Beatles will be playing a concert in Boston, just 60 miles from her, she is determined to meet Paul McCartney (in her opinion, the best Beatle) and elevate herself to cool status again, with her dad and at school. Along the way she learns a lot of lessons about friendship and the things that really matter.
This book is an absolute delight. Trudy is a typical 12 year old girl, just dying to be cool. She wants to feel close to her dad again, and she wants the cool kids at school to like her, especially her friend Michelle, who has suddenly dropped her for the cheerleaders. This book is full of pre-teen angst, as well as really fun 1960's pop culture. This story was fast paced and charming and fun, and if I wasn't already a Beatles fan, this book would have certainly made me one. I definitely want to spend the rest of the day listening to their greatest hits.

[Elizabeth Majka · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet middle-grade novel about a girl named Trudy Mixer that has big dreams - and loves The Beatles. I enjoyed this book, which brings the reader back to 1966, a time when the world was changing and uncertain. But the Fab Four made their mark on society, pop culture, and the hearts of many a music lover. This book had characters you'll wish were your middle school friends, and I rooted for a happy ending for all of them.

[MBenzz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great middle grade book! I'm not sure how kids today will identify with it, but at 37 years old, I really enjoyed it. I was born in 1980, so I completely missed Beatle-Mania, however I loved all the references to the 60's, and the author does an amazing job of setting the scene. When you pick up this book, you feel as though you're right there in Warwick, RI in 1966 during one of the worst heat waves since the 40's.

Trudy Mixer is in that rough in-between age of 12. Things around her are changing at frightening speed...her once best friend is moving on to other things and other friends without her, her father has a new job that keeps him distant and distracted, her favorite teacher has been replaced with a new one who has ruined her life on her very first day and her mother is down for the count for the entire summer.

One thing that never changes though, is Trudy's love for the Beatles. Paul, John, Ringo and George are the center of her whole life, and as the President or her schools Beatles Fan Club, Trudy takes her devotion VERY seriously.

While I really enjoyed the book, I was not a fan of the ending. I loved the concert experience, but the very end was a little too over-the-top for me. And then, nothing. It ends so abruptly that it's a bit jarring. An epilogue would have been nice. I get why the author did what she did...to continue on or to include an epilogue would have taken the reader away from Trudy's amazing experience on August 18/19, 1966, but I personally like to know what happens to everyone when I finish a book. Jessica's brother, Nora's mother, Michelle and Trudy....how did it all go?

Oh well.

In the end though, I absolutely recommend this book. Especially for those who lived through Beatle-Mania. As I said, not sure today's kids will really connect with Trudy and her love of the Beatles, but I'm glad I picked this one up.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twelve-year-old Trudy is proud to be the president of the Beatles fan club (the most popular club) at her school, but as time goes on, most members drop out, including her best friend. Only three members remain, and they're weird.

Her dad buys four tickets to a Beatles concert in Boston (an hour away), and then can't take her. Her mother breaks her leg and can't take her. She decides she and the three remaining club members will secretly go by themselves. Cue them each having a reason to go and finding out that they are all worthwhile people. Very formulaic. Reminds me a bit of The Wizard of Oz in the end.

But, I still like Trudy, and I very much appreciate and identify with being passionate about something and having to figure out how to experience it for yourself, and feeling grown up and proud and excited.

It's awesome how Trudy has to call and find out the transit schedule, etc. Right away I'm thinking--is this a matinee concert? How's she going to make it all the way back home? So much detail is put in to her planning the trip, that the left-out return trip is glaring. And its fix is waaaaay too pat and perfect.

Ah well. Cute. I usually dislike cute. Too formulaic. But I found enough to like about it.

I love the Beatles. Are there any 12-year-olds out there now who would enjoy this book?

[Sue Seligman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an adorable book! I took this book out of the library thinking it would be an adult trip down memory lane during the 1960s when the Beatles ruled the airwaves but the country was in turmoil. What I found is a book geared towards tweens and teens but with so many references of this time period that those of us who grew up during this time period would have a hard time casting it aside. I love the story of Trudy’s struggles with popular cliques and the outcasts, similar to my own back in the day. The references of tv shows such as The Monroes and other bands
Such as the Crykle made me smile with nostalgia. The determination to see a concert and meet the Beatles shows the pluck of four not such close friends who will learn an important lesson about kindness. I think this lesson about acceptance and love is a reason that this book should be an option for reading among tweens and early teens! A fun read!

[Jean Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

No one does period detail like Anne Hood. Her new children’s-to-adult novel, She Loves You (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah), presents a first-person narrator, plucky middle-schooler, Trudy (teasingly referred to as Gertrude, to her dismay) Mixer, who is steeped in the innocence of the early 60s. The book is a virtual compendium of mid-60s popular culture references from The Ed Sullivan show to the Ronettes to “female” consciousness raising to tuna in cream sauce. While the young protagonist and her Beatles fan club sidekicks suffer from the angst of the day, some issues more serious than others, there is a delightful playfulness as these youngsters undertake the mass transit trip from Providence to Boston to hear the mop-headed ones in concert and possibly to meet Trudy’s one true love, Paul.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful story that reminded me, in its optimism and emphasis on the bonds of friendship, of the books of author Joan Bauer. In 1966, a girl named Trudy Mixer is in her last year of middle school and the president of the local chapter of the Beatles Fan Club. When it's announced that the Beatles will have a concert in Boston, she has lessons to learn about who her real friends are as well as about the (sometimes difficult) process of growing up. A feel-good read that really shines, with lots of strong period detail that really sets the book in its time and place. 4 1/2 stars.

[Carli · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. It took me awhile to really get into this audiobook, but by the end I really loved it. It takes place in 1966 Rhode Island, where twelve-year-old Trudy is swept up in Beatlemania. But when her formerly popular Beatles fan club starts dwindling in numbers, her best friend starts ignoring her, and her father bails on their concert plans for a trip to Japan, she is convinced that she is cursed. The only thing that can save her is to meet Paul McCartney, which can’t be that hard, right? Readers will end up rooting for Trudy.

[Mum · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. The portrayal of the sixties, Beatlemania, the Vietnam War were all surprisingly accurate. Having ridden the T, the confusion, grumpy token booth attendants were spot on based on my experience. Having a sibling immeshed in the Beatles, I can attest to their magical thinking. I think it is a very good middle grade book. The interplay of middle school angst and life at home(which no one truly shares) was brilliant.