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It Sounds Like This
A sweet and nerdy contemporary YA novel set in the world of marching band perfect for fans of Late to the Party and Kate in Waiting.
Yasmín Treviño didn’t have much of a freshman year thanks to Hurricane Humphrey, but she’s ready to take sophomore year by storm. That means mastering the marching side of marching band—fast!—so she can outshine her BFF Sofia as top of the flute section, earn first chair, and impress both her future college admission boards and her comfortably unattainable drum major crush Gilberto Reyes.
But Yasmín steps off on the wrong foot when she reports an anonymous gossip Instagram account harassing new band members and accidentally gets the entire low brass section suspended from extracurriculars. With no low brass section, the band is doomed, so Yasmín decides to take things into her own hands, learn to play the tuba, and lead a gaggle of rowdy freshman boys who are just as green to marching and playing as she is. She’ll happily wrestle an ancient school tuba if it means fixing the mess she might have caused.
But when the secret gossip Instagram escalates their campaign of harassment and the end-of-semester band competition grows near, things at school might be too hard to bear. Luckily, the support of Yasmín’s new section—especially new section leader Bloom, a sweet and shy ace boy who might be a better match for her than Gilberto—might just turn things around.
Yasmín Treviño didn’t have much of a freshman year thanks to Hurricane Humphrey, but she’s ready to take sophomore year by storm. That means mastering the marching side of marching band—fast!—so she can outshine her BFF Sofia as top of the flute section, earn first chair, and impress both her future college admission boards and her comfortably unattainable drum major crush Gilberto Reyes.
But Yasmín steps off on the wrong foot when she reports an anonymous gossip Instagram account harassing new band members and accidentally gets the entire low brass section suspended from extracurriculars. With no low brass section, the band is doomed, so Yasmín decides to take things into her own hands, learn to play the tuba, and lead a gaggle of rowdy freshman boys who are just as green to marching and playing as she is. She’ll happily wrestle an ancient school tuba if it means fixing the mess she might have caused.
But when the secret gossip Instagram escalates their campaign of harassment and the end-of-semester band competition grows near, things at school might be too hard to bear. Luckily, the support of Yasmín’s new section—especially new section leader Bloom, a sweet and shy ace boy who might be a better match for her than Gilberto—might just turn things around.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published August 2, 2022
10 people are currently reading
4758 people want to read
About the author
Anna Meriano
14 books164 followersI grew up in Houston with an older brother and a younger brother and a large but close-knit network of aunts, uncles, and cousins spreading across the state of Texas. I graduated from Rice University with a degree in English, and earned my MFA in creative writing with an emphasis in writing for children from the New School in New York. There I was lucky to meet CAKE Literary founders Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra, who started me on the Love Sugar Magic journey.
I live in Houston with my dog Cisco. I have taught creative writing and high school English and currently work as a tutor for students of all ages across Houston. In my free time I love knitting, playing full-contact quidditch, and singing along to songs in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language.
I live in Houston with my dog Cisco. I have taught creative writing and high school English and currently work as a tutor for students of all ages across Houston. In my free time I love knitting, playing full-contact quidditch, and singing along to songs in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
October 18, 2022
thank you penguin teen for sending me a finished copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
overall this book was a really cute coming of age book. It was really different for me to relate to some of the characters though so this book was a bit of a drag for me. I really liked all the rep in this book though! i also loved the marching band aspects. Overall this book was really cute and I wish I liked it more but it was honestly just a bore. this book is definitely for the younger reader (yes I know it’s YA, I read YA a decent amount of the time) but I just felt a little too old for this one
overall this book was a really cute coming of age book. It was really different for me to relate to some of the characters though so this book was a bit of a drag for me. I really liked all the rep in this book though! i also loved the marching band aspects. Overall this book was really cute and I wish I liked it more but it was honestly just a bore. this book is definitely for the younger reader (yes I know it’s YA, I read YA a decent amount of the time) but I just felt a little too old for this one
February 2, 2022
This book was one of the sweetest things I've ever read! As a band nerd and flute player myself, this book felt like the representation I sorely needed. The way that the book describes being in band and playing flute and marching on the field during halftime all struck a chord (hah) within me. This book perfectly captures what it means to be a band kid. Other than the representation of band kids, the casual queer representation in this book was so amazing to read. The main character, Yasmin, is on the aroace spectrum, her love interest is aroace, her other love interest is queer of some sort, her sibling is nonbinary, and there is a smattering of identities represented in the rest of the low brass section (including a transmasc character!!).
The story focuses more on the main character's personal journey and relationships with her friends and family than any potential romances, which I thought were very well explored and defined. The main interpersonal relationships were between Yasmin, her childhood best friend Sofia, her mother, and her sibling Ellen. The broader relationships, such as Yasmin and the band and Yasmin and her section, were also well done and captured the spirit of being a band kid very well. I went into this story thinking it would be more romance-heavy, which it wasn’t, but the subtle moments between Yasmin and her love interest were so cute! I also loved the treatment of anxiety and social media in this book, plus the toxicity in band. People might think that band is a harmless activity where we just play instruments and make cool shapes on a football field, but there is so much drama and tension in band. I thought that this book captured the toxic parts of band just as well as the exhilarating parts.
The main thing I loved about this book is that Yasmin’s character arc is really defined. She starts out as a goody-two-shoes who is dependent on her best friend and bottles up all her emotions (as a gifted child in a nontraditional household does). She finishes the book as, well. Still a goody two shoes, but with an understanding that just because you’ve been friends for a long time doesn’t mean that who will always be friends, and with a realization that she doesn’t have to be perfect all the time. If you like smaller stories about personal growth and overcoming obstacles, I would highly recommend this book!!
Arc was provided by NetGalley and Penguin Teen in exchange for an honest review!
The story focuses more on the main character's personal journey and relationships with her friends and family than any potential romances, which I thought were very well explored and defined. The main interpersonal relationships were between Yasmin, her childhood best friend Sofia, her mother, and her sibling Ellen. The broader relationships, such as Yasmin and the band and Yasmin and her section, were also well done and captured the spirit of being a band kid very well. I went into this story thinking it would be more romance-heavy, which it wasn’t, but the subtle moments between Yasmin and her love interest were so cute! I also loved the treatment of anxiety and social media in this book, plus the toxicity in band. People might think that band is a harmless activity where we just play instruments and make cool shapes on a football field, but there is so much drama and tension in band. I thought that this book captured the toxic parts of band just as well as the exhilarating parts.
The main thing I loved about this book is that Yasmin’s character arc is really defined. She starts out as a goody-two-shoes who is dependent on her best friend and bottles up all her emotions (as a gifted child in a nontraditional household does). She finishes the book as, well. Still a goody two shoes, but with an understanding that just because you’ve been friends for a long time doesn’t mean that who will always be friends, and with a realization that she doesn’t have to be perfect all the time. If you like smaller stories about personal growth and overcoming obstacles, I would highly recommend this book!!
Arc was provided by NetGalley and Penguin Teen in exchange for an honest review!
March 16, 2022
Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
There are two Quidditch mentions in the beginning third of this. Unfortunate.
It Sounds like This is a YA contemporary that follows Yasmín Treviño who is ready for sophomore year after her first year was mostly cancelled thanks to Hurricane Humphrey. Yasmín is hoping to learn how to march fast so she can earn first chair in her section, even though her BFF Sofia has always been flute section leader. But when Yasmín reports an anonymous Instagram account for harassing new members, the entire low brass section is kicked out.
Yasmín can't let the year be destroyed by this so she switches to tuba along with several freshman boys in order to fill out the band. Not only must she learn a new instrument, but the Instagram account seems to be out for Yasmín's blood. Along with her deteriorating relationship with Sofia, Yasmín isn't sure how to pull everything back together.
I really enjoyed this contemporary! The exploration of friendship and sexuality was so well done. I loved that friendship break ups are given the emotional weight they deserve. Sofia and Yasmín have been best friends for as long as they can remember, but as their relationship grows increasing toxic, they must decide if they should keep trying or let it go. It can be so hard to let go of a friendship, especially one that has lasted so long. I liked that this book had the message of it's okay to do that, even if it is really hard to do that.
I loved seeing Yasmín learn more about the boys who joined Low Brass. It took a while to get to know everyone but omg it was such a fun group! I really loved Bloom. He was so sweet and soft. My little cinnamon roll who must be protected at all costs. I'm so glad this section never gave up on each other!
Yasmín was a relatable and realistic character. She's a very driven young girl, but she also makes mistakes throughout the book. I loved seeing her continue to grow as a character and learn to do and be better. I loved seeing her family relationships, her faith and more about her outside of band. She reminds me a lot of myself in high school, I was also a constant busybody in like all the things.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. Could've done without the Quidditch references though.
Rep: Biracial Latina fat asexual-questioning cis female MC, Jewish gray-aromantic gray-asexual male side character with ADHD and APD, side MLM pairing, Latino cishet male side character, Black cishet male side character, white trans male side character, nonbinary side characters, Latina cishet female side character, BIPOC queer male side character.
CWs: Toxic friendship, bullying (online harassment), emotional abuse. Moderate: misgendering, religious bigotry, discussions of sexual content, sexism, misogyny.
There are two Quidditch mentions in the beginning third of this. Unfortunate.
It Sounds like This is a YA contemporary that follows Yasmín Treviño who is ready for sophomore year after her first year was mostly cancelled thanks to Hurricane Humphrey. Yasmín is hoping to learn how to march fast so she can earn first chair in her section, even though her BFF Sofia has always been flute section leader. But when Yasmín reports an anonymous Instagram account for harassing new members, the entire low brass section is kicked out.
Yasmín can't let the year be destroyed by this so she switches to tuba along with several freshman boys in order to fill out the band. Not only must she learn a new instrument, but the Instagram account seems to be out for Yasmín's blood. Along with her deteriorating relationship with Sofia, Yasmín isn't sure how to pull everything back together.
I really enjoyed this contemporary! The exploration of friendship and sexuality was so well done. I loved that friendship break ups are given the emotional weight they deserve. Sofia and Yasmín have been best friends for as long as they can remember, but as their relationship grows increasing toxic, they must decide if they should keep trying or let it go. It can be so hard to let go of a friendship, especially one that has lasted so long. I liked that this book had the message of it's okay to do that, even if it is really hard to do that.
I loved seeing Yasmín learn more about the boys who joined Low Brass. It took a while to get to know everyone but omg it was such a fun group! I really loved Bloom. He was so sweet and soft. My little cinnamon roll who must be protected at all costs. I'm so glad this section never gave up on each other!
Yasmín was a relatable and realistic character. She's a very driven young girl, but she also makes mistakes throughout the book. I loved seeing her continue to grow as a character and learn to do and be better. I loved seeing her family relationships, her faith and more about her outside of band. She reminds me a lot of myself in high school, I was also a constant busybody in like all the things.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. Could've done without the Quidditch references though.
Rep: Biracial Latina fat asexual-questioning cis female MC, Jewish gray-aromantic gray-asexual male side character with ADHD and APD, side MLM pairing, Latino cishet male side character, Black cishet male side character, white trans male side character, nonbinary side characters, Latina cishet female side character, BIPOC queer male side character.
CWs: Toxic friendship, bullying (online harassment), emotional abuse. Moderate: misgendering, religious bigotry, discussions of sexual content, sexism, misogyny.
July 27, 2022
I received an ARC from Edelweiss
TW: cyberbullying & harassment, toxic friendship, misgendering
4.5
Yasmin has been waiting all year to start marching band, and finally steal away first chair flute from her best friend and rival, Sofia. But when Yasmin reports some of the band kids for bullying a freshman at their party, it has the unexpected consequence of getting the entire brass section kicked out. Which means no competition level band, and everybody hating Yasmin. The only solution is to cobble together a volunteer brass section, obviously including the cause of this whole mess- which means waving all hopes of first chair flute goodbye. The new section is a joke, their section leader- the very bullied freshman she'd reported the brass guys for- is out of his depth, and an anonymous gossip site is determined to never let Yasmin live another second in peace.
I lost all my notes for this when I got a new phone, so bear with me please 😅
I loved Anna Meriano's first book, This is How We Fly, so much, for the Muggle Quidditch aspect, and the community aspect, but especially for Ellen herself, and her casual gender-questioning representation. So I knew I'd love this book, just because it's Meriano, but I had no idea that the Yasmin of this book is the same Yasmin, Ellen's little sister, from This is How We Fly! Which meant seeing the family again, getting updates on Ellen's journey, and coming into this story with a main character I sort of feel like I saw grow up. All in all, a dream!
And that energy from This is How We Fly really does continue in this book. There's something about the way Meriano writes that makes me feel so validated, and her messy, just trying to get through intact, characters with their strained friendships and self doubt are just incredible to see. I loved Yasmin and her imperfections, and I loved the way she represented band kids everywhere.
Speaking of representation- the a-spec representation is fantastic! Not only is it still rare to see any rep of the kind, particularly the aromantic part of things, but it managed to avoid so many of the casual pitfalls others always hit.
Yasmin and Bloom both felt so real. Their romance, too, was incredibly sweet, very nicely paced, and just complicated enough to sink your teeth into. I would gladly read more about the both of them.
Though I can say the same about most of the characters in this book! The characters are all wonderfully rendered, and so fun. The brass section in particular was great, and I am very ready for the trend of interconnected books to continue so I can get myself a Lee-centric story.
While I can see moments that some other readers may not always love, I thought this book was great, and will most likely be adding it into my rereading collection, right next to This is How We Fly.
Pre-review comments below
Anna Meriano already wrote a book close to my heart but the fact that this has an ace love interest and is giving off massive Brass and Sass vibes? I don't think I'm emotionally ready but I want it
Update
LEE BOOK WHEN??
TW: cyberbullying & harassment, toxic friendship, misgendering
4.5
Yasmin has been waiting all year to start marching band, and finally steal away first chair flute from her best friend and rival, Sofia. But when Yasmin reports some of the band kids for bullying a freshman at their party, it has the unexpected consequence of getting the entire brass section kicked out. Which means no competition level band, and everybody hating Yasmin. The only solution is to cobble together a volunteer brass section, obviously including the cause of this whole mess- which means waving all hopes of first chair flute goodbye. The new section is a joke, their section leader- the very bullied freshman she'd reported the brass guys for- is out of his depth, and an anonymous gossip site is determined to never let Yasmin live another second in peace.
I lost all my notes for this when I got a new phone, so bear with me please 😅
I loved Anna Meriano's first book, This is How We Fly, so much, for the Muggle Quidditch aspect, and the community aspect, but especially for Ellen herself, and her casual gender-questioning representation. So I knew I'd love this book, just because it's Meriano, but I had no idea that the Yasmin of this book is the same Yasmin, Ellen's little sister, from This is How We Fly! Which meant seeing the family again, getting updates on Ellen's journey, and coming into this story with a main character I sort of feel like I saw grow up. All in all, a dream!
And that energy from This is How We Fly really does continue in this book. There's something about the way Meriano writes that makes me feel so validated, and her messy, just trying to get through intact, characters with their strained friendships and self doubt are just incredible to see. I loved Yasmin and her imperfections, and I loved the way she represented band kids everywhere.
Speaking of representation- the a-spec representation is fantastic! Not only is it still rare to see any rep of the kind, particularly the aromantic part of things, but it managed to avoid so many of the casual pitfalls others always hit.
Yasmin and Bloom both felt so real. Their romance, too, was incredibly sweet, very nicely paced, and just complicated enough to sink your teeth into. I would gladly read more about the both of them.
Though I can say the same about most of the characters in this book! The characters are all wonderfully rendered, and so fun. The brass section in particular was great, and I am very ready for the trend of interconnected books to continue so I can get myself a Lee-centric story.
While I can see moments that some other readers may not always love, I thought this book was great, and will most likely be adding it into my rereading collection, right next to This is How We Fly.
Pre-review comments below
Anna Meriano already wrote a book close to my heart but the fact that this has an ace love interest and is giving off massive Brass and Sass vibes? I don't think I'm emotionally ready but I want it
Update
LEE BOOK WHEN??
September 22, 2022
I just finished It Sounds Like This and I am SO SAD to be done! It was a total joy to read. I graduated high school ten years ago, and every year at this time, I get sad and nostalgic because I miss the field. I miss hitting my spot, snipping the tips off my gloves, lacing up those black marching shoes, fastening collars. I miss the lights shining down on the field and the way you block everything out as you go through the show. I miss the third quarter breaks and goofing off with my friends while we had our snacks, and being called to attention. I miss memorizing the music, practicing scales, sectionals. I miss the drum major calling us to attention.
I miss the posture checks. I miss making sure that I’m stepping off on the correct count - and always with the left foot on the odd numbers (I still count my steps as I walk, and to this day it’s always left foot first). I miss making sure I had black socks and keeping an extra pair in my backpack just in case.
I miss all the commands: as you were, at ease, at rest, atten-hut, backwards…march, forwards…March, by the numbers, cover down, cut off, dress left/center/right…dress, ready - front, fall in, fall out, mark time…march, etc.
I miss that tingle of anticipation as we lined up, hearing the announcer at a showcase or competition ask the drum major if the band is ready to perform and after their salute, “You may take the field.”
Band was a major part of my life during high school and I honestly wouldn’t be the person I am today without it. Major kudos to Kris Smith and Mark Bailey, the best band directors I could have ever hoped for.
There is a disappointing lack of reading material on marching band in particular, so I was overjoyed to run across this book. ❤️
Signed,
a forever band nerd.
I miss the posture checks. I miss making sure that I’m stepping off on the correct count - and always with the left foot on the odd numbers (I still count my steps as I walk, and to this day it’s always left foot first). I miss making sure I had black socks and keeping an extra pair in my backpack just in case.
I miss all the commands: as you were, at ease, at rest, atten-hut, backwards…march, forwards…March, by the numbers, cover down, cut off, dress left/center/right…dress, ready - front, fall in, fall out, mark time…march, etc.
I miss that tingle of anticipation as we lined up, hearing the announcer at a showcase or competition ask the drum major if the band is ready to perform and after their salute, “You may take the field.”
Band was a major part of my life during high school and I honestly wouldn’t be the person I am today without it. Major kudos to Kris Smith and Mark Bailey, the best band directors I could have ever hoped for.
There is a disappointing lack of reading material on marching band in particular, so I was overjoyed to run across this book. ❤️
Signed,
a forever band nerd.
January 31, 2024
this was adorable! obviously would have enjoyed it more when i was in Yasmín’s place but alas we all got to grow up at some point. solid 3.25 stars. i was not a band kid but it seems nice to have a talent not gonna lie.
December 29, 2023
3.5/4 stars
Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for the e-arc of this. All opinions are my own.
CW: cyberbullying and harassment, misgendering, ableism, acephobia
Rep: Biracial Latina Questioning mc (a-spec), Jewish gray aro/ace sc with ADHD and ADP, trans rep, sapphic wlw couple, mlm couple, nonbinary rep, in general 90% of the characters are queer.
I thought this was a really sweet book. I absolutely loved getting to know the characters and Bloom has my entire heart. Yasmín was a little annoying at times, but i mostly related to her. I liked seeing how she became friends with everyone and took charge of her new section.
A lot of the LGBT rep was super casual and I really enjoyed that. There was a lot of diversity in this, which I really loved.
I did think the pacing was a bit off in the beginning and I didn’t really start getting into it until 25% in. I honestly almost dnf’d it, but i’m glad I didn’t. Another thing that rubbed me the wrong way was the multiple Quidditch mentions. I purposely have not bought or read the authors other book because I truly want nothing to do with Quidditch or any other references to Harry Potter.
Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for the e-arc of this. All opinions are my own.
CW: cyberbullying and harassment, misgendering, ableism, acephobia
Rep: Biracial Latina Questioning mc (a-spec), Jewish gray aro/ace sc with ADHD and ADP, trans rep, sapphic wlw couple, mlm couple, nonbinary rep, in general 90% of the characters are queer.
I thought this was a really sweet book. I absolutely loved getting to know the characters and Bloom has my entire heart. Yasmín was a little annoying at times, but i mostly related to her. I liked seeing how she became friends with everyone and took charge of her new section.
A lot of the LGBT rep was super casual and I really enjoyed that. There was a lot of diversity in this, which I really loved.
I did think the pacing was a bit off in the beginning and I didn’t really start getting into it until 25% in. I honestly almost dnf’d it, but i’m glad I didn’t. Another thing that rubbed me the wrong way was the multiple Quidditch mentions. I purposely have not bought or read the authors other book because I truly want nothing to do with Quidditch or any other references to Harry Potter.
December 12, 2022
This was just as fabulous, complex, and full of heart as I've come to expect from Meriano's previous work. And so queer! I did not expect that!
I adooored the depiction of the otherwise-all-boys low bass section the MC ends up having to join. The way she's wary about being the only girl at first, and they do make missteps, but they also really have her back, care for her, listen to who she really is, and are so fun to be around! Yay for the emotional lives of boys!
I also loved that one of the arcs of the book was a slow, drawn out friend breakup for the MC. It's portrayed as so intense and consequential, and the MC's feelings about it are given a ton of space.
ALSO there was such an interesting exploration of how tricky navigating an aspec identity can be when the expression of it can outwardly be mistaken for being a "good girl" who is doing "all the right things" by staying away from dating and sex. Until, of course, you tip over that sudden line when suddenly you're supposed to be married with kids, and you better get on that chop chop! It was just... so so cool how deep this went.
I adooored the depiction of the otherwise-all-boys low bass section the MC ends up having to join. The way she's wary about being the only girl at first, and they do make missteps, but they also really have her back, care for her, listen to who she really is, and are so fun to be around! Yay for the emotional lives of boys!
I also loved that one of the arcs of the book was a slow, drawn out friend breakup for the MC. It's portrayed as so intense and consequential, and the MC's feelings about it are given a ton of space.
ALSO there was such an interesting exploration of how tricky navigating an aspec identity can be when the expression of it can outwardly be mistaken for being a "good girl" who is doing "all the right things" by staying away from dating and sex. Until, of course, you tip over that sudden line when suddenly you're supposed to be married with kids, and you better get on that chop chop! It was just... so so cool how deep this went.
August 14, 2023
TW: bullying
Anna Meriano’s It Sounds Like This captures tumultuous band politics, cyberbullying, and toxic friendships in this quiet but impactful YA contemporary. Yasmin has her whole sophomore year figured out. She’s going to make first chair and finally beat her best friend Sofia. Things don’t exactly go according to plan when Yasmin gets the entire brass section kicked out of band. She agrees to play tuba in hopes that it will make up for her mistakes, but everyone including her best friend, seem bent on freezing her out and her new section is full of boys whom she wouldn’t exactly call competent. Yasmin is desperate to salvage her year, but the more she tries, the more things start to fall apart. I really enjoyed Yasmin as a character. She’s ambitious, driven, and snarky. She is also an overthinker who is guilty of doing too much and sometimes her ambition gives her tunnel vision. I loved that Meriano seemed very aware of her lead character’s flaws which is an important in order to see real growth. It Sounds Like This centers friendship in a multitude of ways. Yasmin has entered a rocky period in her relationship with her best friend Sofia. What used to be playful banter between the two feels precarious, full of tension and passive aggressiveness. Toxic friendships are hard to recognize, especially if the parties have years of history. Growing apart can sometimes happen when you are growing into different people. As one friendship begins to wane, Yasmin finds kinship with a group of unlikely individuals in the new brass section. While Yasmin would prefer a group of driven people like herself, their playfulness is actually beneficial to her. Yasmin learns important lessons throughout the novel including that great leaders aren’t just organized, they also need to be flexible. Anna Meriano’s It Sounds Like This is an ode to marching band, building new friendships, and personal growth.
Anna Meriano’s It Sounds Like This captures tumultuous band politics, cyberbullying, and toxic friendships in this quiet but impactful YA contemporary. Yasmin has her whole sophomore year figured out. She’s going to make first chair and finally beat her best friend Sofia. Things don’t exactly go according to plan when Yasmin gets the entire brass section kicked out of band. She agrees to play tuba in hopes that it will make up for her mistakes, but everyone including her best friend, seem bent on freezing her out and her new section is full of boys whom she wouldn’t exactly call competent. Yasmin is desperate to salvage her year, but the more she tries, the more things start to fall apart. I really enjoyed Yasmin as a character. She’s ambitious, driven, and snarky. She is also an overthinker who is guilty of doing too much and sometimes her ambition gives her tunnel vision. I loved that Meriano seemed very aware of her lead character’s flaws which is an important in order to see real growth. It Sounds Like This centers friendship in a multitude of ways. Yasmin has entered a rocky period in her relationship with her best friend Sofia. What used to be playful banter between the two feels precarious, full of tension and passive aggressiveness. Toxic friendships are hard to recognize, especially if the parties have years of history. Growing apart can sometimes happen when you are growing into different people. As one friendship begins to wane, Yasmin finds kinship with a group of unlikely individuals in the new brass section. While Yasmin would prefer a group of driven people like herself, their playfulness is actually beneficial to her. Yasmin learns important lessons throughout the novel including that great leaders aren’t just organized, they also need to be flexible. Anna Meriano’s It Sounds Like This is an ode to marching band, building new friendships, and personal growth.
August 4, 2022
Fair warning: this book starts off reaaaaaaallllllyyyy slowly.
I almost put it down about 25% in because I couldn’t get into it. I didn’t give up because I felt like I was failing my fellow band kids if I did. I’m glad I didn’t put it down. It picked up and really started to flow after that initial slowness.
I think part of the problem is the internal dialogue. There is a TON of it. In a way, it reminded me of Crime and Punishment: lots of internal dialogue, not a lot of outer dialogue that can get the plot moving along.
I also didn’t like Sofia (Yasmín’s best friend) from the start. Their friendship seemed really weird, mean, and manipulative. She was giving off bad vibes from the get-go and I couldnt understand why they were friends. It also took some time before Yasmín started warming up to her new brass section.
I did love the representation. There is a ton of it in this book. Latinx rep, mixed families rep, Asian rep, Black rep, LGBTQ+ rep, and more! I really enjoyed the convo on ace spec identities and relationships. I loved that it was said that the core of relationships (whether they’re romantic or platonic) is about caring about another person.
I loved the band aspect of it. If you’re a band kid (or were a band kid), this will bring you BACK. With that, when Yasmín finally starts bonding with her section, it brings all sorts of good feelings to the story. It made me sooo nostalgic.
Overall, a 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. It’s a good YA contemporary that I think most readers will enjoy. If you’re looking to diversify your shelf, this is also a great read for that! Thank you PenguinTeen for the ARC!
I almost put it down about 25% in because I couldn’t get into it. I didn’t give up because I felt like I was failing my fellow band kids if I did. I’m glad I didn’t put it down. It picked up and really started to flow after that initial slowness.
I think part of the problem is the internal dialogue. There is a TON of it. In a way, it reminded me of Crime and Punishment: lots of internal dialogue, not a lot of outer dialogue that can get the plot moving along.
I also didn’t like Sofia (Yasmín’s best friend) from the start. Their friendship seemed really weird, mean, and manipulative. She was giving off bad vibes from the get-go and I couldnt understand why they were friends. It also took some time before Yasmín started warming up to her new brass section.
I did love the representation. There is a ton of it in this book. Latinx rep, mixed families rep, Asian rep, Black rep, LGBTQ+ rep, and more! I really enjoyed the convo on ace spec identities and relationships. I loved that it was said that the core of relationships (whether they’re romantic or platonic) is about caring about another person.
I loved the band aspect of it. If you’re a band kid (or were a band kid), this will bring you BACK. With that, when Yasmín finally starts bonding with her section, it brings all sorts of good feelings to the story. It made me sooo nostalgic.
Overall, a 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. It’s a good YA contemporary that I think most readers will enjoy. If you’re looking to diversify your shelf, this is also a great read for that! Thank you PenguinTeen for the ARC!
September 21, 2022
Love!!! Give me ALL the band books!!!
May 18, 2025
Every time I read anything about playing brass or woodwinds and someone says something about pouring the spit out of them, I am glad I play piano
July 5, 2023
WHEN WILL ANNA MERIANO'S CONTEMPORARIES GET THE LOVE THEY DESERVE.
CW: Bullying and online harassment, sexism
CW: Bullying and online harassment, sexism
August 4, 2022
4 stars for nostalgia and an incredibly accurate depiction of what high school marching band is like. also very sweet ace rep. but would I like this book this much if it followed any other group of people besides the marching band.. probably not
Read
March 23, 2022
Trigger & Content Warnings
Misgendering
Sexism
Toxic friendship
Cyberbullying & online harassment
Misgendering
Sexism
Toxic friendship
Cyberbullying & online harassment
Want to read
July 10, 2022THIS IS EVERYTHING IVE EVER WANTED HELP
July 28, 2022
Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book to read and review. Honestly this book was a struggle. I loved the band background because I know band is a really special place for people. However instead of feeling special, this felt catty and juvenile. Yasmin was an insufferable main character and her friends and other side characters at the beginning of the book were not much better. This book was great on the diversity levels. There was a lot of LGBTQIA+ rep in the side characters and I liked learning a bit more about Ace rep! There also was Jewish rep in Bloom and he honestly became my favorite character. I liked where this was trying to go with the community aspect, but it really was hard to enjoy at points because of the characters. It also felt so young and I couldn't get past that too even with knowing it was a YA book.
December 14, 2022
I have been waiting a great band book to come into our library for years. This almost does it. I really enjoyed this book on the whole, but it was really slow to start. I have a hard time handing a book to a student and saying "it gets a lot better after the first 75 pages."
This book includes a lot of diverse characters and really addresses a lot of issues that teens deal with in school these days. It had friend drama, boyfriend drama, section drama, interesting family dynamics and even managed to throw religion in there. By the end, I was fully invested and wanted to see how things played out, but first I had to get past the too-long introduction to the main character. She just went on and on and I wanted to be rid of her seeming narcissism, and could see why maybe Sophia did, too.
I'm really looking forward to a student checking it out and comparing their experience with this book to mine. I'm a few decades older than the target audience, but I still found this one to be a fun read in the end.
This book includes a lot of diverse characters and really addresses a lot of issues that teens deal with in school these days. It had friend drama, boyfriend drama, section drama, interesting family dynamics and even managed to throw religion in there. By the end, I was fully invested and wanted to see how things played out, but first I had to get past the too-long introduction to the main character. She just went on and on and I wanted to be rid of her seeming narcissism, and could see why maybe Sophia did, too.
I'm really looking forward to a student checking it out and comparing their experience with this book to mine. I'm a few decades older than the target audience, but I still found this one to be a fun read in the end.
August 15, 2022
Thank you so much to Penguinteen for giving me a finished copy of this book!
I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. I felt so nostalgic reading it, as it constantly reminded me of my time in band. While there were great points of band life, this book also showed the toxicity around it and being a high school kid in general having to deal with bullying and terrible friends. But I think that I loved the resolution that Yasmin was able to achieve and that she was able to speak her mind the way she wanted to after holding so much. I loved all of the different rep in this book! I really appreciated seeing how diverse this school band was, as my band experience was not filled with diverse people at all. I thought that this was such a fun and easy read, especially if you are a band nerd who wants to remember their time in band.
I would recommend this to anyone who wants to read a good book about band stuff and being able to stand up for oneself.
Content Warning: This book does contain cyberbullying and toxic friendships
I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. I felt so nostalgic reading it, as it constantly reminded me of my time in band. While there were great points of band life, this book also showed the toxicity around it and being a high school kid in general having to deal with bullying and terrible friends. But I think that I loved the resolution that Yasmin was able to achieve and that she was able to speak her mind the way she wanted to after holding so much. I loved all of the different rep in this book! I really appreciated seeing how diverse this school band was, as my band experience was not filled with diverse people at all. I thought that this was such a fun and easy read, especially if you are a band nerd who wants to remember their time in band.
I would recommend this to anyone who wants to read a good book about band stuff and being able to stand up for oneself.
Content Warning: This book does contain cyberbullying and toxic friendships
October 30, 2022
This was a very entertaining listen! I didn't expect to enjoy it so much. I loved it, especially the friendship dynamics, band, and ace rep!
July 13, 2022
3/5
This was such a cute coming of age!
I really liked the backdrop of using band since marching band does foster enough angst and drama in one week to last you the entire year. I thought that it gave Yasmin the chance to grow and challenged herself to grow out of what she was comfortable with.
The book does touch on quite a bit of things that a 15 year old would start struggling with: outgrowing friends, gaining new friends, getting out of your comfort zone, figuring out your sexuality, and struggling with fitting in this image that your parents built for you, versus who you find yourself becoming.
The one thing that really kept me from giving the book a 4 or even a 5, but I felt like Yasmin didn’t grow a ton in the book. She still felt the same as she did in the beginning.
This was such a cute coming of age!
I really liked the backdrop of using band since marching band does foster enough angst and drama in one week to last you the entire year. I thought that it gave Yasmin the chance to grow and challenged herself to grow out of what she was comfortable with.
The book does touch on quite a bit of things that a 15 year old would start struggling with: outgrowing friends, gaining new friends, getting out of your comfort zone, figuring out your sexuality, and struggling with fitting in this image that your parents built for you, versus who you find yourself becoming.
The one thing that really kept me from giving the book a 4 or even a 5, but I felt like Yasmin didn’t grow a ton in the book. She still felt the same as she did in the beginning.
January 27, 2023
4.5 Stars
CWs: allusions to a past natural disaster; instances of misogyny and sexual objectification; some underage drinking; explorations of toxic friendship; online harassment; vomit; anxiety attacks; one indirect HP reference
Representation : Yasmín is Mexican-American, aro/ace questioning, and coded as dyslexic; Bloom is demiromantic and demisexual, has ADHD, and is also Jewish
This book feels like it was practically written for me. A story about a queer Mexican-American flautist in marching band going through their catholic confirmation process in the background? The likeness is uncanny, to say the least.
If you know anything about me, it is this simple truth: if a book is about marching band, I will read it. I am constantly looking for stories that authentically and accurately capture the fullness of the marching band experience. Very few books are able to, but this book does it so incredibly well. It really took me back to those band camp days in a very visceral way that almost activated my fight-or-flight instincts in a few cases.
For me, adding that aspect of artistic performance to a YA contemporary story brings a sense of complexity to it, because it brings in another layer of stress on top of the "typical" high school experience. There’s so much pressure put on young artistic students that I think we often take for granted, because we assume that when you have a passion or a talent for something, you just do it, and everything works itself out. But actually there’s a ton of training, discipline, energy, time, and stress that Yasmín is contending with as she goes into her first marching season. Then layer on the fact that she’s also an overachiever who always wants to go the extra mile, and that brings in even more stress.
So the underlying conflict is not even just about the music. It becomes about how Yasmín navigates high school politics, how does she relate or not relate to her fellow band kids, is she doing her part to make this group performance a success, is she doing enough? And then it’s even more complicated because Yasmín is having to hold all of those things while also learning a completely new instrument with a completely new section. Overall, I think the story does a great job of capturing what it’s like to put all those hours into a marching band performance and then what it feels like when you actually execute that performance.
Speaking of toxic friendships and friendship break-ups, this one features a doozy. But I think it's so well-done, because it shows how toxic relationships don’t just effect yourself, but they also effect the way that you relate to and connect with other people. The toxicity doesn’t just stop at how it impacts you on personal or emotional level, but in really bad cases it can warp the way you understand how other people should treat you and vice versa. To see Yasmín having to navigate that and learn what healthy friendship actually looks like is really quite beautiful, and something I think a lot of young readers need to see.
That ties into my favorite thing about the story, which is that it’s such a beautiful celebration of platonic relationships and friendships. Yasmín is aro/ace questioning, so she’s realizing that the way she thinks about bodies, attraction, and intimacy is very different than her peers. But she finds that same deep sense of satisfaction, love, belonging, and affection when she finds her true friends. The low brass section are some of my favorite supporting characters I’ve read about in quite a long time. They’re funny, they’re ridiculous, they’re absolutely chaotic, but they’re also so full of love and kindness that shows up in really surprising ways, and it was fulfilling to see that genuine connection between them and Yasmín.
The only thing that detracted ever-so-slightly from my experience was the side exploration of Catholicism—a critique that is very specific to me, personally. Intellectually, I understand and appreciate what it adds to this story, because religion is so often tied up with purity culture, and that definitely factors into why Yasmín feels the way she feels about romance and sex. It’s an important piece of the conversation, but I personally could have done without it, especially because it’s not consistently threaded through the entire story.
That aside, I still absolutely loved reading this. It’s definitely a new favorite book that I sincerely hope makes its way into the hands and hearts of so many young folks who most need it, because it has so much to offer!
CWs: allusions to a past natural disaster; instances of misogyny and sexual objectification; some underage drinking; explorations of toxic friendship; online harassment; vomit; anxiety attacks; one indirect HP reference
Representation : Yasmín is Mexican-American, aro/ace questioning, and coded as dyslexic; Bloom is demiromantic and demisexual, has ADHD, and is also Jewish
This book feels like it was practically written for me. A story about a queer Mexican-American flautist in marching band going through their catholic confirmation process in the background? The likeness is uncanny, to say the least.
If you know anything about me, it is this simple truth: if a book is about marching band, I will read it. I am constantly looking for stories that authentically and accurately capture the fullness of the marching band experience. Very few books are able to, but this book does it so incredibly well. It really took me back to those band camp days in a very visceral way that almost activated my fight-or-flight instincts in a few cases.
For me, adding that aspect of artistic performance to a YA contemporary story brings a sense of complexity to it, because it brings in another layer of stress on top of the "typical" high school experience. There’s so much pressure put on young artistic students that I think we often take for granted, because we assume that when you have a passion or a talent for something, you just do it, and everything works itself out. But actually there’s a ton of training, discipline, energy, time, and stress that Yasmín is contending with as she goes into her first marching season. Then layer on the fact that she’s also an overachiever who always wants to go the extra mile, and that brings in even more stress.
So the underlying conflict is not even just about the music. It becomes about how Yasmín navigates high school politics, how does she relate or not relate to her fellow band kids, is she doing her part to make this group performance a success, is she doing enough? And then it’s even more complicated because Yasmín is having to hold all of those things while also learning a completely new instrument with a completely new section. Overall, I think the story does a great job of capturing what it’s like to put all those hours into a marching band performance and then what it feels like when you actually execute that performance.
Speaking of toxic friendships and friendship break-ups, this one features a doozy. But I think it's so well-done, because it shows how toxic relationships don’t just effect yourself, but they also effect the way that you relate to and connect with other people. The toxicity doesn’t just stop at how it impacts you on personal or emotional level, but in really bad cases it can warp the way you understand how other people should treat you and vice versa. To see Yasmín having to navigate that and learn what healthy friendship actually looks like is really quite beautiful, and something I think a lot of young readers need to see.
That ties into my favorite thing about the story, which is that it’s such a beautiful celebration of platonic relationships and friendships. Yasmín is aro/ace questioning, so she’s realizing that the way she thinks about bodies, attraction, and intimacy is very different than her peers. But she finds that same deep sense of satisfaction, love, belonging, and affection when she finds her true friends. The low brass section are some of my favorite supporting characters I’ve read about in quite a long time. They’re funny, they’re ridiculous, they’re absolutely chaotic, but they’re also so full of love and kindness that shows up in really surprising ways, and it was fulfilling to see that genuine connection between them and Yasmín.
The only thing that detracted ever-so-slightly from my experience was the side exploration of Catholicism—a critique that is very specific to me, personally. Intellectually, I understand and appreciate what it adds to this story, because religion is so often tied up with purity culture, and that definitely factors into why Yasmín feels the way she feels about romance and sex. It’s an important piece of the conversation, but I personally could have done without it, especially because it’s not consistently threaded through the entire story.
That aside, I still absolutely loved reading this. It’s definitely a new favorite book that I sincerely hope makes its way into the hands and hearts of so many young folks who most need it, because it has so much to offer!
September 20, 2022
A strong 3 1/2 - I am very interested to read Meriano's This Is How We Fly, as I was really interested in Ellen's character!
September 11, 2022
This was a really cute YA story. I was in marching band in high school, so I totally understood a lot of the feelings and activities that were discussed in this book. There was a lot of great representation for young people to identify with. I enjoyed this book and was interested in where the story was going throughout. I liked the growth of some of the characters even though the overall plot wasn't particularly deep. I'd recommend it to high school age readers, especially those in band like I was!
November 28, 2023
3 stars.
i have a lot of mixed thoughts and feelings on this book. i was soooo excited to start reading this because it was such a dream come true. A LIL COMING OF AGE YA NOVEL ABOUT ON MARCHING BAND LIKE WTF. i had very high expectations, and unfortunately, this book didn't hit all those marks completely, but it was still a very enjoyable read.
things i enjoyed:
- representation of marching band and the commitment it takes
- Bloom and Yasmin's relationship
- the entire lowbrassholes section
- Yasmin's moral compass and inner monologue ( i thought she was so cute i loved her sm)
- GILBERTO REYESSSSSSS
things i did NOT enjoy:
- Sofia
- Yasmin's mom
- the flute section (sans Layla)
- the immaturity of the drama that was being caused
i want to elaborate on the things i didn't enjoy, just because i love ranting about things that i don't like. first off is Sofia. I really didn't like her character and i guess that was what the author intended for readers to feel, but i literally hated that frigid bitch from the moment she was introduced in the book, which was the first. fucking. page. She was jealous of her supposed "best friend's" success. She constantly was putting Yasmin down for being excited and criticizing constantly. Say what you want, but Sofia was never, EVER, a good friend to Yasmin.
Next, I want to talk about Yasmin's mother. This character, for supposedly being an adult, was the MOST immature and eratic adult character that i have ever come across. She would whine at her daughter, guilt her, manipulate her, and trash talk other adults to her daughter. She would take out her anger from her fights with Yasmin's older sibling Ellen, and redirect it at Yasmin, which is so completely unhealthy and fosters a negative relationship with her. Lastly, she was described as by Yasmin's inner monologue to get very upset when she didn't get her way and would often make a scene until she did. All in all, this character annoyed the fuck out of me.
the messages and themes that were coming through in this book were nice, but i feel that i don't necessarily agree with some of them. this topics in this book conflicted with some of my beliefs and ideals and opinions, although i feel that the overall message was a positive one and shone through the most. this was cute, and funny, and it was an entertaining read. idk if i would say it was the BEST representation of high school marching band (coming from a band kid), but i would say it was a 3 star read overall.
toodaloo :)
i have a lot of mixed thoughts and feelings on this book. i was soooo excited to start reading this because it was such a dream come true. A LIL COMING OF AGE YA NOVEL ABOUT ON MARCHING BAND LIKE WTF. i had very high expectations, and unfortunately, this book didn't hit all those marks completely, but it was still a very enjoyable read.
things i enjoyed:
- representation of marching band and the commitment it takes
- Bloom and Yasmin's relationship
- the entire lowbrassholes section
- Yasmin's moral compass and inner monologue ( i thought she was so cute i loved her sm)
- GILBERTO REYESSSSSSS
things i did NOT enjoy:
- Sofia
- Yasmin's mom
- the flute section (sans Layla)
- the immaturity of the drama that was being caused
i want to elaborate on the things i didn't enjoy, just because i love ranting about things that i don't like. first off is Sofia. I really didn't like her character and i guess that was what the author intended for readers to feel, but i literally hated that frigid bitch from the moment she was introduced in the book, which was the first. fucking. page. She was jealous of her supposed "best friend's" success. She constantly was putting Yasmin down for being excited and criticizing constantly. Say what you want, but Sofia was never, EVER, a good friend to Yasmin.
Next, I want to talk about Yasmin's mother. This character, for supposedly being an adult, was the MOST immature and eratic adult character that i have ever come across. She would whine at her daughter, guilt her, manipulate her, and trash talk other adults to her daughter. She would take out her anger from her fights with Yasmin's older sibling Ellen, and redirect it at Yasmin, which is so completely unhealthy and fosters a negative relationship with her. Lastly, she was described as by Yasmin's inner monologue to get very upset when she didn't get her way and would often make a scene until she did. All in all, this character annoyed the fuck out of me.
the messages and themes that were coming through in this book were nice, but i feel that i don't necessarily agree with some of them. this topics in this book conflicted with some of my beliefs and ideals and opinions, although i feel that the overall message was a positive one and shone through the most. this was cute, and funny, and it was an entertaining read. idk if i would say it was the BEST representation of high school marching band (coming from a band kid), but i would say it was a 3 star read overall.
toodaloo :)
September 25, 2023
It sounds like this by Anna Meriano YA
Wonderful novel for nerdy band people. Tackles complex questions about teens growing up with different cultures, religions, orientations/ identities, generations without completely throwing out everything and everyone.
After a hurricane and its destruction disrupts her freshman year of high school, Yasmin wants to make the most of her sophomore year, which means making up for lost time in band, competing for first chair flute, preparing for college exams and making decent grades on AP courses. When she reports an anonymous, gossip Instagram account for hazing of freshman band members, she gets the entire Lower section suspended from band. Yasmin actually has the chops to make first chair flute, beating her best friend Sofia, but when the band Director questions whether they can even have a band without the whole low base section and asks for volunteers to switch instruments. Yasmin feels so guilty about turning them in and causing so many problems that she volunteers. Yasmin is a peacemaker at home with their family post hurricane financial difficulties and mixed family conflicts. At school, she is trying to smooth things out with her best friend Sophia. To everyone surprise, she makes a go with the lower base section playing the tuba. She helps organize the flighty and inexperienced freshman guys Into a working unit. Along the way, she finds out the truth out about her supposed best friend Sofia – the person her mother most wants her to be like. She learns that appearances can be deceiving and how to make the best of the difficult situation, she never dreamed she would face with the help of unlikely Allies.
+ lots and lots about music, love of music, love of instruments, very different people coming together to make music; challenges of high school marching band
+ main characters are Hispanic showing the diversity and pride of cultures of people speaking Spanish
+ positive and challenging lgbtq characters finding the space to be themselves, figuring out what coming out means
+ teens questioning who they are and how they are separate from their parents
+ finding a non traditional space for themselves in traditional religions: Catholicism and Judaism- come from love
+ explores the nuances and complexity of bullying and the underlying vulnerable egos or entitlement behind it. Balancing soothing and tough love
64 Well, yeah, Ellen hasn’t shown up for organized religion much since her own confirmation. But also, she volunteers multiple times a week at a Catholic nonprofit, and isn't that more Jesus-like than attending services? Even if Ellen's not a perfect sponsor choice, the way my mom panics at the very idea is Not Great™. It's always been her fear that I'll follow in Ellens footsteps of being rebellious and sort of leftist and queer, which seems especially hypocritical considering Jesus’ whole entire lifestyle! Mom tries to teach Catholicism as tradition and social status quo; Ms. Palacios is a perfect sponsor to continue the same line of thought. The more I think about it. the less I like it.
158 descriptions of playing the flute
159After listening to nuns talk about vocation: the nuns and training, talked about vocation. The little voice that calls you to the thing you’re supposed to do in the world, the thing you were made, for they were all called to serve support, teach classes, spend their days in prayer, and other holy stuff like that. I always feel guilty because if I really listen to my little voice, I think I would just listen to music and play my flute all the time and become a hermit. Not a musician, not a performer. Just music and peace.
259 about being bullied by her former best friend Yasmin: on Friday, you said friendships could survive a lot. Ellen: and today I’m telling you that you don’t have to coddle bullies. Or make tea for people who get in silly fights that make you uncomfortable. Or put other peoples feelings above your own.
263 Yasmin to Ellen: I think you’re a great Catholic. I want to be more like you. Ellen: Ellen’s eyes widen the alarm. Oh God I don’t say that. Maybe just focus on being yourself. Seems easier.
285 Bloom about working around your brain working differently: I was almost failing all my classes in middle school, because my brain refuses to process audio that doesn’t provide an instant dopamine hit. So I record class lectures, and now I’m not feeling. It’s not cheating to work with what your brain gives you. The way I had explain to me, like, if you want to keep knocking down walls with your head, you’re welcome to, but it’s just a big unnecessary headache. The door is right there and you don’t get extra points for style. Yasmin to herself: everyone, kind of laughs at that, but I just have to blink. I have basically lived my whole life with deception that I do get extra points for trying harder than anyone else. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, but I also didn’t think I had a choice.
296-7 Bloom about aromantic relationships
My extremely personal experience is that all types of traction, have the same emotion center core. Maybe people want different things for different people, but if you care about someone, you don’t care about them, romantically tonically, or sexually, you just care. So I try not to stress out too much about what I’m feeling exactly I just hang out with people I want to hang out with. I guess that could be harder if you were like dying to kiss or confess to someone else.
301-2 Bloom about religion: reaching out in the dark it’s one of those arguments in favor of religion. I used to see it online when I was 13 and consider going through an atheist phase. I would look up talking points on both sides. So if anyone argues that religion is just made up as a tool to control others – which, unfortunately lots of evidence for that one – one of the counter arguments is that like humans everywhere across all cultures come up with their own forms of religion. It’s like basic instinct. We’re always reaching for a higher power way. We always reach out for a wall if the lights go out. And that’s supposed to prove that word exactly, but I didn’t end up becoming a full atheist.
Yasmin: but we didn’t reach for a wall[they reached out for each other] Bloom: I guess that fits better even better with how I see religion though. We’re always reaching out for connection.
314 Yasmin to her former best friend Sofia who has been bullying her: now I know the teacher, bitter, jealous, ugly person who’s done nothing but hold me back since middle school. But guess what? I have a lot more and better friends now than I ever did before you tried to dump me. Enjoy your rain terror over a section that doesn’t even like you and I hope you know you’re only on top because you don’t dare to compete with me.
346 her phone after Jazmin lost her temper: don’t be sorry it’s our job to worry. It’s not your job to keep us from it.
347 Yasmin says she wants to be like Ellen and fight the world: I keep telling you that no one wants that! Keep being the awesome, patient, caring, peacemaker that you are. Trust… Make sure nobody takes a vantage of that. You focus on keeping toxic people out of your circle, will you please? As a personal favor to the people who love you?
374 Yasmin: Sophia stopped being my friend the moment she started harassing me on social media. I get that. But it’s funny too, that she’s the only one who saw through me at the beginning of the year, when I was determined to deny how much I was struggling. I wish she had reacted differently. I wish she had tried to be my friend and help me through the hard time instead of wanting to show everyone else that I had at hard. None of her true choices were OK. But she saw me, with all my stress and loneliness and ridiculous priorities. She still sees me. And I still see her, she’s hurting as much as I am. We’re hurting each other. I’ve been stubborn we trying to stay on this painful destructive path, but maybe there’s a different path unless intense one maybe we can get closure.
So you don’t have to be sorry and we don’t have to be best friends don’t have to be hanging out all the time. But I’d like to be able to interact a band or a church or at Costco. So can we try to be on that level for a while? Not secret plot to humiliate me level?
Wonderful novel for nerdy band people. Tackles complex questions about teens growing up with different cultures, religions, orientations/ identities, generations without completely throwing out everything and everyone.
After a hurricane and its destruction disrupts her freshman year of high school, Yasmin wants to make the most of her sophomore year, which means making up for lost time in band, competing for first chair flute, preparing for college exams and making decent grades on AP courses. When she reports an anonymous, gossip Instagram account for hazing of freshman band members, she gets the entire Lower section suspended from band. Yasmin actually has the chops to make first chair flute, beating her best friend Sofia, but when the band Director questions whether they can even have a band without the whole low base section and asks for volunteers to switch instruments. Yasmin feels so guilty about turning them in and causing so many problems that she volunteers. Yasmin is a peacemaker at home with their family post hurricane financial difficulties and mixed family conflicts. At school, she is trying to smooth things out with her best friend Sophia. To everyone surprise, she makes a go with the lower base section playing the tuba. She helps organize the flighty and inexperienced freshman guys Into a working unit. Along the way, she finds out the truth out about her supposed best friend Sofia – the person her mother most wants her to be like. She learns that appearances can be deceiving and how to make the best of the difficult situation, she never dreamed she would face with the help of unlikely Allies.
+ lots and lots about music, love of music, love of instruments, very different people coming together to make music; challenges of high school marching band
+ main characters are Hispanic showing the diversity and pride of cultures of people speaking Spanish
+ positive and challenging lgbtq characters finding the space to be themselves, figuring out what coming out means
+ teens questioning who they are and how they are separate from their parents
+ finding a non traditional space for themselves in traditional religions: Catholicism and Judaism- come from love
+ explores the nuances and complexity of bullying and the underlying vulnerable egos or entitlement behind it. Balancing soothing and tough love
64 Well, yeah, Ellen hasn’t shown up for organized religion much since her own confirmation. But also, she volunteers multiple times a week at a Catholic nonprofit, and isn't that more Jesus-like than attending services? Even if Ellen's not a perfect sponsor choice, the way my mom panics at the very idea is Not Great™. It's always been her fear that I'll follow in Ellens footsteps of being rebellious and sort of leftist and queer, which seems especially hypocritical considering Jesus’ whole entire lifestyle! Mom tries to teach Catholicism as tradition and social status quo; Ms. Palacios is a perfect sponsor to continue the same line of thought. The more I think about it. the less I like it.
158 descriptions of playing the flute
159After listening to nuns talk about vocation: the nuns and training, talked about vocation. The little voice that calls you to the thing you’re supposed to do in the world, the thing you were made, for they were all called to serve support, teach classes, spend their days in prayer, and other holy stuff like that. I always feel guilty because if I really listen to my little voice, I think I would just listen to music and play my flute all the time and become a hermit. Not a musician, not a performer. Just music and peace.
259 about being bullied by her former best friend Yasmin: on Friday, you said friendships could survive a lot. Ellen: and today I’m telling you that you don’t have to coddle bullies. Or make tea for people who get in silly fights that make you uncomfortable. Or put other peoples feelings above your own.
263 Yasmin to Ellen: I think you’re a great Catholic. I want to be more like you. Ellen: Ellen’s eyes widen the alarm. Oh God I don’t say that. Maybe just focus on being yourself. Seems easier.
285 Bloom about working around your brain working differently: I was almost failing all my classes in middle school, because my brain refuses to process audio that doesn’t provide an instant dopamine hit. So I record class lectures, and now I’m not feeling. It’s not cheating to work with what your brain gives you. The way I had explain to me, like, if you want to keep knocking down walls with your head, you’re welcome to, but it’s just a big unnecessary headache. The door is right there and you don’t get extra points for style. Yasmin to herself: everyone, kind of laughs at that, but I just have to blink. I have basically lived my whole life with deception that I do get extra points for trying harder than anyone else. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, but I also didn’t think I had a choice.
296-7 Bloom about aromantic relationships
My extremely personal experience is that all types of traction, have the same emotion center core. Maybe people want different things for different people, but if you care about someone, you don’t care about them, romantically tonically, or sexually, you just care. So I try not to stress out too much about what I’m feeling exactly I just hang out with people I want to hang out with. I guess that could be harder if you were like dying to kiss or confess to someone else.
301-2 Bloom about religion: reaching out in the dark it’s one of those arguments in favor of religion. I used to see it online when I was 13 and consider going through an atheist phase. I would look up talking points on both sides. So if anyone argues that religion is just made up as a tool to control others – which, unfortunately lots of evidence for that one – one of the counter arguments is that like humans everywhere across all cultures come up with their own forms of religion. It’s like basic instinct. We’re always reaching for a higher power way. We always reach out for a wall if the lights go out. And that’s supposed to prove that word exactly, but I didn’t end up becoming a full atheist.
Yasmin: but we didn’t reach for a wall[they reached out for each other] Bloom: I guess that fits better even better with how I see religion though. We’re always reaching out for connection.
314 Yasmin to her former best friend Sofia who has been bullying her: now I know the teacher, bitter, jealous, ugly person who’s done nothing but hold me back since middle school. But guess what? I have a lot more and better friends now than I ever did before you tried to dump me. Enjoy your rain terror over a section that doesn’t even like you and I hope you know you’re only on top because you don’t dare to compete with me.
346 her phone after Jazmin lost her temper: don’t be sorry it’s our job to worry. It’s not your job to keep us from it.
347 Yasmin says she wants to be like Ellen and fight the world: I keep telling you that no one wants that! Keep being the awesome, patient, caring, peacemaker that you are. Trust… Make sure nobody takes a vantage of that. You focus on keeping toxic people out of your circle, will you please? As a personal favor to the people who love you?
374 Yasmin: Sophia stopped being my friend the moment she started harassing me on social media. I get that. But it’s funny too, that she’s the only one who saw through me at the beginning of the year, when I was determined to deny how much I was struggling. I wish she had reacted differently. I wish she had tried to be my friend and help me through the hard time instead of wanting to show everyone else that I had at hard. None of her true choices were OK. But she saw me, with all my stress and loneliness and ridiculous priorities. She still sees me. And I still see her, she’s hurting as much as I am. We’re hurting each other. I’ve been stubborn we trying to stay on this painful destructive path, but maybe there’s a different path unless intense one maybe we can get closure.
So you don’t have to be sorry and we don’t have to be best friends don’t have to be hanging out all the time. But I’d like to be able to interact a band or a church or at Costco. So can we try to be on that level for a while? Not secret plot to humiliate me level?
June 19, 2022
As a former marching band nerd myself, I was very excited about this book. While I did like it, it failed to meet my expectations.
I felt it was slow to get going, and I wasn't overly impressed with the way it was written. The author's overuse of parentheses and run-on sentences was a bit distracting. Jasmin is the main character who is always striving to be the best at everything. She is very much an overachiever. Her character was not very likable, even as she goes through her growth and development throughout the story. I was happy that she finally did learn who her friends really were in the end.
There was a lot of nice representation throughout the book, with BIPOC characters, and a variety of LGTBQ+ characters.
I received this digital ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.
I felt it was slow to get going, and I wasn't overly impressed with the way it was written. The author's overuse of parentheses and run-on sentences was a bit distracting. Jasmin is the main character who is always striving to be the best at everything. She is very much an overachiever. Her character was not very likable, even as she goes through her growth and development throughout the story. I was happy that she finally did learn who her friends really were in the end.
There was a lot of nice representation throughout the book, with BIPOC characters, and a variety of LGTBQ+ characters.
I received this digital ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.
July 22, 2025
A Latine marching band book that features a young girl exploring her sexuality while also trying to survive high school drama.
Yasmín Treviño is entering her sophomore year, and she's stoked to finally have the opportunity to become the flute section leader after the band season was cancelled last year due to Hurricane Humphrey. Not only will being first chair and section leader look great on college applications and appease her controlling mother, but it will also let her finally beat her best friend/rival, Sofia. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned for Yasmín after she reports an anonymous gossip social media account that showcases the low brass section throwing a party and serving alcohol to underage students. This results in the entire section being expelled from the band program and ruining the school's marching season. Forced to rectify her errors, Yasmín finds herself switching to the sousaphone and joining the brave souls who are willing to switch instruments for the betterment of the band. What Yasmín never could have guessed is that she feels more at home with the brass players than she ever could have with the woodwinds.
My thoughts are pretty mixed on this one, but I have plenty of positive notes, so I can still say that I enjoyed reading it somewhat, even if some aspects of it made me lose my mind at times.
Let's start with some positives. The best element of this book is definitely Yasmín finding solidarity among the low brass section. Bloom, Jonathan, Elias, Milo, Lee, Neeraj, Caleb, and Yasmín end up forming an unlikely found family, which was the thing I enjoyed most about this book. They are all learning to play a new instrument together, so that unites them from the start, but they eventually start finding other common ground. Also, the flute section is just awful to Yasmín, so it is nice to see her find a new band family to take her in.
Another thing I really dig is the exploration of sexuality in this one. In the low brass section alone, quite a few queer identities are present. Bloom, the section leader, is grey aroace and the viewpoints he has to share with Yasmín and the rest of the group are very astute. I wasn't expecting ace rep in this one, so I was pleasantly surprised to see Yasmín exploring her own sexual identity amidst all of the schoolgirl drama that was going down. Not only does Bloom help Yasmín with her sexuality, he also helps her become more understanding towards people with different learning styles than her. I feel that people rarely give the light of day to the fact that every individual learns differently, so I enjoyed the discussion that this book opens up on this front.
The way that this book addressed harassment and cyberbullying is also very prevalent in the world we live in. Young adults can truly be awful to one another, especially in the freshmen/sophomore age range that most of the characters in this book dwell in. Yasmín is constantly made fun of for her good girl attitudes, suck-up mannerisms, and overall goody-two-shoes-ness. She definitely isn't the most likable person ever, but that is no reason to harass her both in person and over social media. The way that the bullying situation is handled isn't great, but it poses a stellar example of just how bad bullying can get when left to its own devices.
Now let's move onto the less great things. Yasmín is honestly such an annoying main character. She makes poor decisions, constantly bad mouths people, and is a notorious people pleaser. She frankly also thinks she's better than everyone else, which is troubling. Her friends are all so toxic at the beginning of this book which makes for an unpleasant reading experience. The way that she treats Sofia is honestly so cruel, it makes me wonder how their friendship hadn't imploded prior to the start of this book.
Another thing that bothered me was the writing style. For some reason, Meriano is addicted to parentheses, which is one of my biggest pet peeves ever. The narrator doesn't have to pull the reader aside every few paragraphs. They are personally telling the story, so they don't have to pull the reader aside to deliver information; they can just tell us! Beyond this, the writing is pretty plain, which makes for a rather dull reading experience at times.
Despite knowing that the drama is imperative to the bullying plot that this book encompasses, I was a little fed up with the overtness of the drama in this one. Kids constantly do things just to give a negative reaction out of others, which made me want to roll my eyes quite a few times.
Yasmín's older sister, Ellen, isn't a super important part of this book, but it turns out that the author actually wrote her story first in another book called "This is How We Fly." This one has Ellen playing on a real life Quidditch team, which I find intriguing. But I'm also sort of turned off from reading it due to Rowling being the way that she is. Maybe I'll get to reading it someday. We'll see.
Overall, "It Sounds Like This" certainly has its fair share of ups and downs. I haven't read a marching band book before this, so that was a ton of fun, but I wish I would have enjoyed the plot and the characters more. Also, I wouldn't consider this a romance, so that was a bit misleading, too. The exploration of sexuality and bullying were definitely the best parts of this book, but I've seen both of these topics explored in ways I liked more. This one wasn't a bad read, but it took me longer to get through than I would have preferred.
Yasmín Treviño is entering her sophomore year, and she's stoked to finally have the opportunity to become the flute section leader after the band season was cancelled last year due to Hurricane Humphrey. Not only will being first chair and section leader look great on college applications and appease her controlling mother, but it will also let her finally beat her best friend/rival, Sofia. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned for Yasmín after she reports an anonymous gossip social media account that showcases the low brass section throwing a party and serving alcohol to underage students. This results in the entire section being expelled from the band program and ruining the school's marching season. Forced to rectify her errors, Yasmín finds herself switching to the sousaphone and joining the brave souls who are willing to switch instruments for the betterment of the band. What Yasmín never could have guessed is that she feels more at home with the brass players than she ever could have with the woodwinds.
My thoughts are pretty mixed on this one, but I have plenty of positive notes, so I can still say that I enjoyed reading it somewhat, even if some aspects of it made me lose my mind at times.
Let's start with some positives. The best element of this book is definitely Yasmín finding solidarity among the low brass section. Bloom, Jonathan, Elias, Milo, Lee, Neeraj, Caleb, and Yasmín end up forming an unlikely found family, which was the thing I enjoyed most about this book. They are all learning to play a new instrument together, so that unites them from the start, but they eventually start finding other common ground. Also, the flute section is just awful to Yasmín, so it is nice to see her find a new band family to take her in.
Another thing I really dig is the exploration of sexuality in this one. In the low brass section alone, quite a few queer identities are present. Bloom, the section leader, is grey aroace and the viewpoints he has to share with Yasmín and the rest of the group are very astute. I wasn't expecting ace rep in this one, so I was pleasantly surprised to see Yasmín exploring her own sexual identity amidst all of the schoolgirl drama that was going down. Not only does Bloom help Yasmín with her sexuality, he also helps her become more understanding towards people with different learning styles than her. I feel that people rarely give the light of day to the fact that every individual learns differently, so I enjoyed the discussion that this book opens up on this front.
The way that this book addressed harassment and cyberbullying is also very prevalent in the world we live in. Young adults can truly be awful to one another, especially in the freshmen/sophomore age range that most of the characters in this book dwell in. Yasmín is constantly made fun of for her good girl attitudes, suck-up mannerisms, and overall goody-two-shoes-ness. She definitely isn't the most likable person ever, but that is no reason to harass her both in person and over social media. The way that the bullying situation is handled isn't great, but it poses a stellar example of just how bad bullying can get when left to its own devices.
Now let's move onto the less great things. Yasmín is honestly such an annoying main character. She makes poor decisions, constantly bad mouths people, and is a notorious people pleaser. She frankly also thinks she's better than everyone else, which is troubling. Her friends are all so toxic at the beginning of this book which makes for an unpleasant reading experience. The way that she treats Sofia is honestly so cruel, it makes me wonder how their friendship hadn't imploded prior to the start of this book.
Another thing that bothered me was the writing style. For some reason, Meriano is addicted to parentheses, which is one of my biggest pet peeves ever. The narrator doesn't have to pull the reader aside every few paragraphs. They are personally telling the story, so they don't have to pull the reader aside to deliver information; they can just tell us! Beyond this, the writing is pretty plain, which makes for a rather dull reading experience at times.
Despite knowing that the drama is imperative to the bullying plot that this book encompasses, I was a little fed up with the overtness of the drama in this one. Kids constantly do things just to give a negative reaction out of others, which made me want to roll my eyes quite a few times.
Yasmín's older sister, Ellen, isn't a super important part of this book, but it turns out that the author actually wrote her story first in another book called "This is How We Fly." This one has Ellen playing on a real life Quidditch team, which I find intriguing. But I'm also sort of turned off from reading it due to Rowling being the way that she is. Maybe I'll get to reading it someday. We'll see.
Overall, "It Sounds Like This" certainly has its fair share of ups and downs. I haven't read a marching band book before this, so that was a ton of fun, but I wish I would have enjoyed the plot and the characters more. Also, I wouldn't consider this a romance, so that was a bit misleading, too. The exploration of sexuality and bullying were definitely the best parts of this book, but I've seen both of these topics explored in ways I liked more. This one wasn't a bad read, but it took me longer to get through than I would have preferred.
September 2, 2022
This book was lame as hell, and I am not talking about the band culture. The main character was way too annoying. Eeesh. Fast, dumb listen for work.
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