Forward March

by Carey Anne Farrell

"FORWARD MARCH made me snort with laughter even as my heart was aching. Meghan's journey from newbie to seasoned band nerd is worthy of a standing ovation." —Lisa Jenn Bigelow (author of DRUM ROLL, PLEASE)

Love, loss, and the surprising aphrodisiacs of the band locker room. That’s what the Dulaney High marching band has in store for Meghan Riggins. Like her Gram, who’s been her biggest fan since that first trombone lesson, Meghan’s always loved making music. So marching band should be easy, right? Wrong. It’s hard enough staying upright during the halftime show, avoiding the worst of the upperclassmen, or remembering the difference between a cummerbund and a dickie. But then she falls for Jonah, an adorkable fellow trombone nerd who just happens to be her best friend’s brother. Meghan may need to rethink everything she knows about herself, in and out of band, with and without her family and friends, and in and out of love. Both witty and poignant, Forward March will have you laughing, swooning, and cheering from the stands.

227 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 30, 2018

About the author

Carey Anne Farrell writes, teaches, makes music, and co-hosts the podcast Go Your Own YA. Originally from Maryland, she now lives outside Chicago with her husband, their dog, and her ever-expanding collections of books, records, musical instruments, and creepy dolls.

Reviews

[Jennine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really nice call back to the kind of classic YA novels that I haven't read in a long time, but remember fondly. It has a believably teenaged cast of characters working their way through the challenges of high school, with all of the giddiness and awkwardness of adolescence. Farrell handles her characters with empathy and respect, and focusing the story on the kids in the marching band is an interesting angle that allows for a broad range of characters without falling back on the familiar preps/jocks/nerds/burnouts cliques for narrative tension. It makes for an enjoyable slice-of-high-school life story.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet and cute coming of age story/romance about a girl in a marching band. I really enjoyed this book. :)

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit that I was in marching band (four years, people), so I had an immediate connection to these wonderful kids. You don't need to have marched with other high school misfits to enjoy this book, though--it's not really about marching band. It's really about those years when you are trying to figure out who your people are, the people who will help you navigate the move from kid to tween toa adult.

Oh, and it's funny and touching, a very hard combination to pull off.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming, engaging, funny, and full of details of "band nerd" life. Farrell does a wonderful job capturing the voice of a teenager, and the frustrating gap between the complexity of one's internal dialogue vs. what actually comes out of one's mouth.

I'd recommend this without hesitation.