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The Songs You've Never Heard
Dual-written by K-pop hit writer Becky Jerams and BAFTA-winning children’s composer Ellie Wyatt,The Songs You've Never Heard is a debut YA novel that champions sisterhood, musical talent and body positivity. Perfect for fans of Estelle Maskame, Chris Russell and Taylor Swift.
How can two lost girls find their voices in a world that's determined to keep them silent?
Meg McCarthy seems to be everything Alana Howard is not: rich, glamorous and - thanks to Caspar, her world-famous pop star brother - a social media influencer that every brand wants to sponsor.
While Meg is feeling trapped by the squeaky-clean McCarthy brand, plagued by online haters and too terrified to share her own talent with the world, songwriter Alana doesn’t seem to be scared of standing out.
But when Meg and Alana’s worlds collide, they learn that appearances can be deceiving.
How can two lost girls find their voices in a world that's determined to keep them silent?
Meg McCarthy seems to be everything Alana Howard is not: rich, glamorous and - thanks to Caspar, her world-famous pop star brother - a social media influencer that every brand wants to sponsor.
While Meg is feeling trapped by the squeaky-clean McCarthy brand, plagued by online haters and too terrified to share her own talent with the world, songwriter Alana doesn’t seem to be scared of standing out.
But when Meg and Alana’s worlds collide, they learn that appearances can be deceiving.
368 pages, Paperback
Published June 16, 2022
16 people are currently reading
520 people want to read
About the author
Becky Jerams
6 books95 followersBecky Jerams is a writer and musician from Portsmouth, UK. Her first published novel The Songs You've Never Heard, co-written with Ellie Wyatt, blends story and real-life music into a unique 'booksical'. It was shortlisted for The YA Book Prize 2023, and featured in World Book Night and The Big Eurovision Reads campaigns.
Her 2015 self-published novel Reasons To Love A Nerd Like Me found a loyal following on Wattpad with over two million reads. It later became a multi-book series for Kindle, and is now re-releasing in a special 10th anniversary edition.
Becky lives by the sea with her husband and splits her time between fiction writing, songwriting, acoustic gigs, and working in a student art shop. Her songs have been featured internationally on TV and by artists around the world, and her stories have connected with thousands of young readers from the UK, US, Spain, the Philippines, Nigeria, France, Egypt, Jamaica, Australia, India and beyond.
She writes romantic, emotional, and uplifting YA fiction for the dreamers, the underdogs, and those who’ve never quite played by the rules.
Her 2015 self-published novel Reasons To Love A Nerd Like Me found a loyal following on Wattpad with over two million reads. It later became a multi-book series for Kindle, and is now re-releasing in a special 10th anniversary edition.
Becky lives by the sea with her husband and splits her time between fiction writing, songwriting, acoustic gigs, and working in a student art shop. Her songs have been featured internationally on TV and by artists around the world, and her stories have connected with thousands of young readers from the UK, US, Spain, the Philippines, Nigeria, France, Egypt, Jamaica, Australia, India and beyond.
She writes romantic, emotional, and uplifting YA fiction for the dreamers, the underdogs, and those who’ve never quite played by the rules.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
January 29, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"Songs are funny like that. Sometimes they come into your life at the perfect moment. Just when you need to hear them the most"
Meg McCarthy hates her life. She's always being followed by her brother's fans and feels stuck. It seems like everyone who spoke to her just wanted a bit of her brother. She feels trapped in her brother's shadow, she feels hidden as if nobody notices her, and feels like she can never be enough.
That is until she meets Alana, her coworker, who also turns out to be a singer-songwriter and encourages her to share her talent with the world. Even though Alana seems confident at first, she has her own insecurities too: she hates her chubby body.
But together Meg and Alana will be able to find their voices in a world that's determined to keep them silent!
As someone who loves singing and songwriting, this story inspired me a lot! I write whatever comes up to my mind at any given moment, it's like there is no process, the ideas just flow into my mind. And "The Songs You've Never Heard" managed to describe that feeling perfectly! It also made me more confident to actually show my songs to others! + The book has its own playlist, how cool is that?!
"Here’s the thing. When I’m writing alone, my ideas flow so naturally that I hardly have to think about what I’m doing. It’s like a sudden rush of creativity takes over my body and I have no choice but to pour everything out via the piano or a guitar or my voice into a microphone. I don’t have to explain why I’m
writing what I’m writing. It just happens. I’m a lightning rod that conducts melodies and I have no control over how fast they strike. I don’t think the songs into existence. They simply
exist. Through me."
Overall a great story to share the joyous (and sometimes painful) world of singing, songwriting and fame with everyone!
"Songs are funny like that. Sometimes they come into your life at the perfect moment. Just when you need to hear them the most"
Meg McCarthy hates her life. She's always being followed by her brother's fans and feels stuck. It seems like everyone who spoke to her just wanted a bit of her brother. She feels trapped in her brother's shadow, she feels hidden as if nobody notices her, and feels like she can never be enough.
That is until she meets Alana, her coworker, who also turns out to be a singer-songwriter and encourages her to share her talent with the world. Even though Alana seems confident at first, she has her own insecurities too: she hates her chubby body.
But together Meg and Alana will be able to find their voices in a world that's determined to keep them silent!
As someone who loves singing and songwriting, this story inspired me a lot! I write whatever comes up to my mind at any given moment, it's like there is no process, the ideas just flow into my mind. And "The Songs You've Never Heard" managed to describe that feeling perfectly! It also made me more confident to actually show my songs to others! + The book has its own playlist, how cool is that?!
"Here’s the thing. When I’m writing alone, my ideas flow so naturally that I hardly have to think about what I’m doing. It’s like a sudden rush of creativity takes over my body and I have no choice but to pour everything out via the piano or a guitar or my voice into a microphone. I don’t have to explain why I’m
writing what I’m writing. It just happens. I’m a lightning rod that conducts melodies and I have no control over how fast they strike. I don’t think the songs into existence. They simply
exist. Through me."
Overall a great story to share the joyous (and sometimes painful) world of singing, songwriting and fame with everyone!
June 20, 2022
edit:
okay, if you check youtube, the songs are literally published like
https://www.youtube.com/results?searc...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VLWZ...
its crazy
now that it's out, you have to listen to the songs while you read it!!
----
oh my gosh I’m actually crying
CRYING.
at 11:45 pm
this is probably one of my new favorite books of ALL TIME???
more thoughts and review in the morning!
(ps. this book is honestly such an epic vibe while listening to harry styles. literally all the feels.)
okay, if you check youtube, the songs are literally published like
https://www.youtube.com/results?searc...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VLWZ...
its crazy
now that it's out, you have to listen to the songs while you read it!!
----
oh my gosh I’m actually crying
CRYING.
at 11:45 pm
this is probably one of my new favorite books of ALL TIME???
more thoughts and review in the morning!
(ps. this book is honestly such an epic vibe while listening to harry styles. literally all the feels.)
July 1, 2022
Thanks to Netgalley and Sweet Cherry Publishing for the ARC of this!
Wow! This gave me all the feels in a way that I was not expecting at all. I loved the main characters, the online persona versus real life, and the enemies to lovers subplot. The song writing and being able to actually hear pieces of the songs on YouTube was super cool, I don’t know what I was expecting when the book was described as a “booksical” and it was so neat! I wish there was a way to actively hear it while reading and I’m curious if the audio will include the music tracks where the characters sing them. Recommend this for anyone who needs a good crying contemporary, loves reading about singer/songwriters, or who loves the “I can’t let him find out he’s talking to *me* online” persona trope.
Wow! This gave me all the feels in a way that I was not expecting at all. I loved the main characters, the online persona versus real life, and the enemies to lovers subplot. The song writing and being able to actually hear pieces of the songs on YouTube was super cool, I don’t know what I was expecting when the book was described as a “booksical” and it was so neat! I wish there was a way to actively hear it while reading and I’m curious if the audio will include the music tracks where the characters sing them. Recommend this for anyone who needs a good crying contemporary, loves reading about singer/songwriters, or who loves the “I can’t let him find out he’s talking to *me* online” persona trope.
March 18, 2022
THE SONGS YOU'VE NEVER HEARD is my first professionally published 'booksical' co-written with Ellie Wyatt - we have worked on this story for MANY years and I am so unbelievably excited to see it out in the world!
The book tackles many different themes including finding your own voice, navigating the ups and downs of social media, body positivity, the challenges of the music industry, female friendship and of course, love.
There is also a companion album of real songs written by myself and Ellie that you can listen to alongside the story! (And I sing as Meg!)
I really hope you will enjoy meeting Meg, Alana, Caspar, Matty and the floofball himself Maximoo. It has been a dream come true to bring so many pieces of my life together into one project and I can't wait to share it with you all. :)
The book tackles many different themes including finding your own voice, navigating the ups and downs of social media, body positivity, the challenges of the music industry, female friendship and of course, love.
There is also a companion album of real songs written by myself and Ellie that you can listen to alongside the story! (And I sing as Meg!)
I really hope you will enjoy meeting Meg, Alana, Caspar, Matty and the floofball himself Maximoo. It has been a dream come true to bring so many pieces of my life together into one project and I can't wait to share it with you all. :)
April 7, 2022
thank you Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review
The Song's You've Never Heard was a joy to read! This book follows Meg, a girl in the shadow of her brother's fame. She's a singer too, but she feels invisible to her family and the world except for her online best friend. Her online bestie is also the guy she has a crush on in real life that she can't help being horrible to face-to-face. Meg gets a job at a yogurt shop and befriends Alana, a plus-size sunshine personality singer! Alana helps Meg find her voice.
Things I loved in this book: the pop culture in this book and seeing singers like Halsey and Oh Wonder mentioned! The plus-size rep in this book! The identity reveal! I am such a sucker for identity reveals. And the song lyrics of course! The friendship between Alana and Meg was so healthy and refreshing. Would recommend to anyone who likes music, has been bullied or gotten down by the internet, and likes female friendships.
tw for fatphobia & overdose mention
The Song's You've Never Heard was a joy to read! This book follows Meg, a girl in the shadow of her brother's fame. She's a singer too, but she feels invisible to her family and the world except for her online best friend. Her online bestie is also the guy she has a crush on in real life that she can't help being horrible to face-to-face. Meg gets a job at a yogurt shop and befriends Alana, a plus-size sunshine personality singer! Alana helps Meg find her voice.
Things I loved in this book: the pop culture in this book and seeing singers like Halsey and Oh Wonder mentioned! The plus-size rep in this book! The identity reveal! I am such a sucker for identity reveals. And the song lyrics of course! The friendship between Alana and Meg was so healthy and refreshing. Would recommend to anyone who likes music, has been bullied or gotten down by the internet, and likes female friendships.
tw for fatphobia & overdose mention
May 9, 2023
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Songs You've Never Heard was a pretty cute book to dive into. Though, I will admit that sometimes these characters just down-right annoyed me. Especially when it came to Caspar being a complete douche canoe and thinking the world revolved around him. It didn't help that his parents were sort of helping with this little diva act either. Then there's Meg, and I get that she's just annoyed her summer was ruined in order to help out her older brother. Trust me.
As for her friendship with Alana? I completely fell in love with it. These two were completely cute and I liked how she didn't use her for her older brother. Their friendship felt genuine, and they definitely bonded over their love of music. Which, sure, the internet has some trolls and people can be very harsh. I felt so mad when Alana was attacked based off of her body image and Meg was always attacked by people who were jealous based on her family.
Either way, they felt trapped in some way, and it hurt to see. Luckily, they ended up working things out and still sticking to who they truly were. Music wise and friendship wise. Eventually things ended up working out for almost everyone involved in this book. Not sure what is exactly going to happen romance wise down the road. but maybe these two will find love along with way. Whether it's Meg with Matty or with someone else. Alana definitely needs someone to lift her up and treat her way differently than her ex.
In the end, I really enjoyed this book and will definitely look into the next book that Becky writes.
The Songs You've Never Heard was a pretty cute book to dive into. Though, I will admit that sometimes these characters just down-right annoyed me. Especially when it came to Caspar being a complete douche canoe and thinking the world revolved around him. It didn't help that his parents were sort of helping with this little diva act either. Then there's Meg, and I get that she's just annoyed her summer was ruined in order to help out her older brother. Trust me.
As for her friendship with Alana? I completely fell in love with it. These two were completely cute and I liked how she didn't use her for her older brother. Their friendship felt genuine, and they definitely bonded over their love of music. Which, sure, the internet has some trolls and people can be very harsh. I felt so mad when Alana was attacked based off of her body image and Meg was always attacked by people who were jealous based on her family.
Either way, they felt trapped in some way, and it hurt to see. Luckily, they ended up working things out and still sticking to who they truly were. Music wise and friendship wise. Eventually things ended up working out for almost everyone involved in this book. Not sure what is exactly going to happen romance wise down the road. but maybe these two will find love along with way. Whether it's Meg with Matty or with someone else. Alana definitely needs someone to lift her up and treat her way differently than her ex.
In the end, I really enjoyed this book and will definitely look into the next book that Becky writes.
July 9, 2022
I think I just found my new all-time favorite book!!
Well, if you love watching teen movies about music, I am sure you will love this book. It's so light but not that light, and so much enjoyable to read. I think it's a wholesome book. It's about family, friendships, and also about love. I cried at some parts of this book. It felt like watching a movie while reading it. And I just found out that all pieces of music in this book were already published on YouTube!! OMG!!
I honestly can't talk about it without spoiling everything ... so, yeah ... please read it!!
Thank you NetGalley and Sweet Cherry Publishing for the ARC of this book. Really wish to have a physical copy so I can hug it, annotate it, and reading it again.
Well, if you love watching teen movies about music, I am sure you will love this book. It's so light but not that light, and so much enjoyable to read. I think it's a wholesome book. It's about family, friendships, and also about love. I cried at some parts of this book. It felt like watching a movie while reading it. And I just found out that all pieces of music in this book were already published on YouTube!! OMG!!
I honestly can't talk about it without spoiling everything ... so, yeah ... please read it!!
Thank you NetGalley and Sweet Cherry Publishing for the ARC of this book. Really wish to have a physical copy so I can hug it, annotate it, and reading it again.
June 8, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley, Sweet Cherry Publishing, and the authors for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review💛
You don’t need anyone’s approval to keep doing what you love. There are no right or wrong paths. No happy-ever-afters. Only moments.
The one good thing about this story is that it’s quick and easy to read, because everything else falls short. Which is really disappointing, because the premise of it and the book cover had appeared very intriguing to me.
Right off the bat I know this likely wasn’t the book for me due to the main character being dishonest and continuing choosing to be deceptive about her identity for a very long period of time to another character, who supposedly (in bold, underling format) she cares for. I am not a fan of any narrative that romanticises such behaviours, especially when the story is clearly targeted towards young adults.
That aside, and recognising that that might be subjective on my behalf, the thing that made reading this story a displeasing journey was the main character herself. She is ill mannered, snobbish, rude, and deceiving. So much so that the supposed character growth we witness her going through feels out of character and doesn’t strike as genuine. Nothing surrounding Meg reads genuine, in fact.
The writing, the plot (we’re told Meg is a popular influencer but we don’t really see this except for being oh so annoyed with the fame), the characters; “the songs you’ve never heard” is very juvenile on all these aspects. Which, yes, it could very much be so due to the younger audience this is probably targeted towards. But writing a story of coming of age, coming of character, and hoping to reach teens who are very likely to relate, there is a responsibility that needs to be exercised. And this book fails miserably at setting a good example. Don’t even get me started on the overwhelming amount of fat phobia expressed by the main character and her peers.
This might be someone’s favourite book, but it certainly wasn’t mine. Despite this, I still am grateful for being given the chance to read it!
You don’t need anyone’s approval to keep doing what you love. There are no right or wrong paths. No happy-ever-afters. Only moments.
The one good thing about this story is that it’s quick and easy to read, because everything else falls short. Which is really disappointing, because the premise of it and the book cover had appeared very intriguing to me.
Right off the bat I know this likely wasn’t the book for me due to the main character being dishonest and continuing choosing to be deceptive about her identity for a very long period of time to another character, who supposedly (in bold, underling format) she cares for. I am not a fan of any narrative that romanticises such behaviours, especially when the story is clearly targeted towards young adults.
That aside, and recognising that that might be subjective on my behalf, the thing that made reading this story a displeasing journey was the main character herself. She is ill mannered, snobbish, rude, and deceiving. So much so that the supposed character growth we witness her going through feels out of character and doesn’t strike as genuine. Nothing surrounding Meg reads genuine, in fact.
The writing, the plot (we’re told Meg is a popular influencer but we don’t really see this except for being oh so annoyed with the fame), the characters; “the songs you’ve never heard” is very juvenile on all these aspects. Which, yes, it could very much be so due to the younger audience this is probably targeted towards. But writing a story of coming of age, coming of character, and hoping to reach teens who are very likely to relate, there is a responsibility that needs to be exercised. And this book fails miserably at setting a good example. Don’t even get me started on the overwhelming amount of fat phobia expressed by the main character and her peers.
This might be someone’s favourite book, but it certainly wasn’t mine. Despite this, I still am grateful for being given the chance to read it!
September 11, 2022
This was out of this world. Wow.
I've never read or heard anything within this concept of having real songs embedded in a novel, but I need more!! Everything about this book was stunning. The cover art, the song lyrics, the humour and the characters. The rawness and honesty. The realism.
Such a beautiful story about friendship, family and siblinghood. Flawed characters you grow to love with all their annoying quirks. To do it in the style of the book:
My top 5 things I loved about "The Songs You've Never Heard"
1. The songs. The lyrics, everything. This book is a love letter to music and I enjoyed every second of it.
2. The humour. I haven't laughed that much reading a book in a long time, but for me it was never over the top.
3. The layout. All those text messages, the lists, the cover art. It felt like home.
4. The characters. Just deadly real and relatable, I got caught in 4k multiple times.
5. The inspiration and hope it gives. I feel like I can do anything right now. I feel like my creative work will find its place in the world some day as long as I don't forget why I create.
Thank you for that 💕
✨✨✨
(Just two things I need to add at the end: First, I know some readers don't like the mentioning of social media platforms or present-day celebrities. Just warning you, the book is full of that. (I absolutely adored it but I know some people don't.) Secondly, trigger warning for mental health problems, alcohol and drug abuse, and fat shaming.)
I've never read or heard anything within this concept of having real songs embedded in a novel, but I need more!! Everything about this book was stunning. The cover art, the song lyrics, the humour and the characters. The rawness and honesty. The realism.
Such a beautiful story about friendship, family and siblinghood. Flawed characters you grow to love with all their annoying quirks. To do it in the style of the book:
My top 5 things I loved about "The Songs You've Never Heard"
1. The songs. The lyrics, everything. This book is a love letter to music and I enjoyed every second of it.
2. The humour. I haven't laughed that much reading a book in a long time, but for me it was never over the top.
3. The layout. All those text messages, the lists, the cover art. It felt like home.
4. The characters. Just deadly real and relatable, I got caught in 4k multiple times.
5. The inspiration and hope it gives. I feel like I can do anything right now. I feel like my creative work will find its place in the world some day as long as I don't forget why I create.
Thank you for that 💕
✨✨✨
(Just two things I need to add at the end: First, I know some readers don't like the mentioning of social media platforms or present-day celebrities. Just warning you, the book is full of that. (I absolutely adored it but I know some people don't.) Secondly, trigger warning for mental health problems, alcohol and drug abuse, and fat shaming.)
July 8, 2022
DNF at 40%. As much as I wanted to love this book I just couldn’t. Getting through these 40% was much harder than it should have been all thanks to the main character, who was absolutely insufferable. Her selfishness, complete lack of empathy to anyone but herself, unnecessary rudeness and straight up catfishing made it really hard to feel bad for her.
The promise of the book was interesting and exciting but the execution fell flat. None of the characters were likeable and the storyline took way too long to develop ( it pretty much didn’t if we don’t count unnecessary romantic subplot). Don’t get me wrong, maybe someone younger than me would find themselves in Meg and understand her reasoning better than me, thus enjoy this book more. I unfortunately didn’t and no matter how bad I feel about dnfing this book, I can’t spend any more time getting annoyed and probably getting myself into a reading slump in the end. Nope.
I’m still grateful to NetGalley and the authors for allowing me to give this book a chance♥️
5/10⭐️
The promise of the book was interesting and exciting but the execution fell flat. None of the characters were likeable and the storyline took way too long to develop ( it pretty much didn’t if we don’t count unnecessary romantic subplot). Don’t get me wrong, maybe someone younger than me would find themselves in Meg and understand her reasoning better than me, thus enjoy this book more. I unfortunately didn’t and no matter how bad I feel about dnfing this book, I can’t spend any more time getting annoyed and probably getting myself into a reading slump in the end. Nope.
I’m still grateful to NetGalley and the authors for allowing me to give this book a chance♥️
5/10⭐️
July 20, 2022
I just finished reading this book and I thought it was SO CUTE!! Love stories about female friendship and Meg and Alana are the perfect pair. Loved the romantic subplot with Matty and the storyline with the crusty older brother who redeems himself. Plus the songs that you can listen to while you read are AMAZING. Truly so catchy. I cant get the song "One Day At A Time" out of my head.
I recommend this book for any music lovers out there or artists who are too shy to share your art. This book will inspire you!
Loved it. 5 stars.
I recommend this book for any music lovers out there or artists who are too shy to share your art. This book will inspire you!
Loved it. 5 stars.
August 17, 2022
This book comes from the heart and takes a lot from experience of the music industry in the story, and you can tell. Meg's personality and hurt really comes through, with wit and sarcasm (A LOT), and you see her grow through the book, which is really nice to see. The song lyrics add a whole other dimension to the book - music is a powerful story-telling mechanism, and they really add to the book. And even better when you can listen to them being sung! Great little story :)
July 20, 2022
I loved this. I really enjoyed the story and it's great to have an album of the actual music to go along with it.
April 27, 2022
Such a cute, sweet story. RTC.
April 4, 2023
this will be my obsession for the next two months. i’ve only read two books this year including this one but i’m already convinced that i won’t read anything better. this was amazing. pulled me out of the worst reading slump ever. the characters??? relatable to the point i had to cry, i’m sooo in love and all of the music oh my god i have to reread this book asap.
February 4, 2023
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!
The Songs You’ve Never Heard is the story of two lost girls from Brighton that are trying to have their voices heard – their medium is their music, their songwriting – in a world that wants them to remain silent. Co-written by British songwriters and composers, Becky Jerams and Ellie Wyatt, The Songs You’ve Never Heard is a booksical about friendship, family, songwriting, the music business, and body positivity.
Meg McCarthy is a 17-year-old girl who loves making lists. She has a famous pop star brother, and her family is all about promoting the picture-perfect “McCarthy brand”. Her social media influencer persona shows a rich, confident and glamorous girl who has the perfect life and family, but this doesn’t reflect her true self. Behind the facade, she deals with a family that makes her feel unheard and invisible; her brother and his career being her parents' sole focus. Furthermore, she experiences cyberbullying by trolls and jealous fans every time she posts or tweets anything. She hides her passion for songwriting, for producing her own music, thinking that she could never be good enough, never be as successful as her older brother. Only her online best friend and real-life crush Matty knows the truth about her music and has been her biggest supporter for the past years, not knowing that “LostGirl” (Meg’s username) and his enemy Meg are one and the same. When her mom gets her a job at a Frozen Yoghurt shop, Meg meets Alana Howard. Alana is loud, confident, fat, and a passionate singer-songwriter. She wants to make it in the music world, has been playing many gigs and open mic nights in Brighton, writing and performing her original songs. With Alana’s well-intended pushiness, Meg slowly opens up more about her musical talent, letting Alana into her world and sharing her songs with her. They become friends and form a deep connection, realising that even though their lives and personalities seem opposite, they share the same passion for songwriting and music.
I had a good time while reading this book; it’s a quick and enjoyable YA story. What I liked most about this was the growth both Alana and Meg go through in the course of the book. They open up, let people in, gain confidence in themselves and their music, form connections, and follow their dreams. The book also includes parts of their song lyrics, which I liked a lot and makes me look forward to listening to the album that will be released with this book. I also liked the insight we got into the workings of the music business, how stress and obligations can create writer’s block, and how cyberbullying and body-shaming can make a person want to hide in their comfort zone, never showing the world what they’re proud of or good at in fear of rejection.
3.75⭐
The Songs You’ve Never Heard is the story of two lost girls from Brighton that are trying to have their voices heard – their medium is their music, their songwriting – in a world that wants them to remain silent. Co-written by British songwriters and composers, Becky Jerams and Ellie Wyatt, The Songs You’ve Never Heard is a booksical about friendship, family, songwriting, the music business, and body positivity.
Meg McCarthy is a 17-year-old girl who loves making lists. She has a famous pop star brother, and her family is all about promoting the picture-perfect “McCarthy brand”. Her social media influencer persona shows a rich, confident and glamorous girl who has the perfect life and family, but this doesn’t reflect her true self. Behind the facade, she deals with a family that makes her feel unheard and invisible; her brother and his career being her parents' sole focus. Furthermore, she experiences cyberbullying by trolls and jealous fans every time she posts or tweets anything. She hides her passion for songwriting, for producing her own music, thinking that she could never be good enough, never be as successful as her older brother. Only her online best friend and real-life crush Matty knows the truth about her music and has been her biggest supporter for the past years, not knowing that “LostGirl” (Meg’s username) and his enemy Meg are one and the same. When her mom gets her a job at a Frozen Yoghurt shop, Meg meets Alana Howard. Alana is loud, confident, fat, and a passionate singer-songwriter. She wants to make it in the music world, has been playing many gigs and open mic nights in Brighton, writing and performing her original songs. With Alana’s well-intended pushiness, Meg slowly opens up more about her musical talent, letting Alana into her world and sharing her songs with her. They become friends and form a deep connection, realising that even though their lives and personalities seem opposite, they share the same passion for songwriting and music.
I had a good time while reading this book; it’s a quick and enjoyable YA story. What I liked most about this was the growth both Alana and Meg go through in the course of the book. They open up, let people in, gain confidence in themselves and their music, form connections, and follow their dreams. The book also includes parts of their song lyrics, which I liked a lot and makes me look forward to listening to the album that will be released with this book. I also liked the insight we got into the workings of the music business, how stress and obligations can create writer’s block, and how cyberbullying and body-shaming can make a person want to hide in their comfort zone, never showing the world what they’re proud of or good at in fear of rejection.
3.75⭐
May 12, 2022
First of all I wanted to thank netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to discover this book !
"The songs You've Never Heard" is about Meg, a girl who lives in the shadow of her famous brother ! Everything in her home is about her brother... even people around her seems interested in her only for her brother ! In the shadow Meg writes and produces their own songs but she keeps that in secret. However everything changes when Meg starts working at a yogurt shop where she meets Alana who writes and sings her songs in public. Alana will help Meg to find her voice and a friendship quickly starts between the two girls !
I really liked this book and the characters ! The lyrics that we can find in the story were amazing and also I really liked the pop culture we can find in this story ! I loved the friendship between Meg and Alana and how they support each other ! It was a good reading and if you like story about music, this book is for you !
"The songs You've Never Heard" is about Meg, a girl who lives in the shadow of her famous brother ! Everything in her home is about her brother... even people around her seems interested in her only for her brother ! In the shadow Meg writes and produces their own songs but she keeps that in secret. However everything changes when Meg starts working at a yogurt shop where she meets Alana who writes and sings her songs in public. Alana will help Meg to find her voice and a friendship quickly starts between the two girls !
I really liked this book and the characters ! The lyrics that we can find in the story were amazing and also I really liked the pop culture we can find in this story ! I loved the friendship between Meg and Alana and how they support each other ! It was a good reading and if you like story about music, this book is for you !
April 22, 2022
I received a free copy through Netgalley, this in no way affected this review.
The Songs You’ve Never heard follows Meg and her love for music and songwriting as she is shadowed by her pop star brother. Meg doesn’t let anyone hear her songs safe for Matty, who’s her internet best friend (and real life crush). That is, until Meg meets Alana.
I really enjoyed this book. It was fun reading about how living with a pop star might be like and I loved the sarcasm between the two siblings. Their bond definitely changed and grew throughout the book.
I loved Alana and she needs to be protected. She puts herself out there and lets her voice be heard and she takes up the space she deserves. I also liked how she dealt with her insecurities.
The plot wasn’t THAT innovating or new, but this was a fun read and I definitely liked it.
The Songs You’ve Never heard follows Meg and her love for music and songwriting as she is shadowed by her pop star brother. Meg doesn’t let anyone hear her songs safe for Matty, who’s her internet best friend (and real life crush). That is, until Meg meets Alana.
I really enjoyed this book. It was fun reading about how living with a pop star might be like and I loved the sarcasm between the two siblings. Their bond definitely changed and grew throughout the book.
I loved Alana and she needs to be protected. She puts herself out there and lets her voice be heard and she takes up the space she deserves. I also liked how she dealt with her insecurities.
The plot wasn’t THAT innovating or new, but this was a fun read and I definitely liked it.
July 3, 2023
the songs you've never heard is one of those books that absolutely does what it says on the tin. I picked up this book expecting to find a YA novel about two girls who find their voices through making music, and that is exactly what i got. throw in a commentary about the pressures of social media, some messages about self-esteem, and some typically teenage comments, and you've got this book. some heavy topics were discussed throughout, but by the end pretty much everything was neatly tied up in a bow, and it's clear that the authors have succeeded in their goal of writing a YA novel about making music which showcases important messages about confidence and female solidarity.
listen, i love music, i'm all for a novel that focuses on the power of female friendship, and i'm a sucker for a happy ending, but unfortunately, this novel will only be getting a 3 star rating from me, and here's why:
firstly, the writing. ok, i understand that this novel is meant for a young adult audience. it's possible, now that i'm 20, that i've outgrown the genre (i think if i was younger i definitely would have liked this a lot more) but to me the writing felt very simplistic, and graphic details were avoided when discussing heavy topics. (for example, issues of confidence and low-self esteem were discussed, but long-term mental health issues as a result of this were not mentioned) this might be perfectly in line with the intended audience (e.g., 12 year olds) however the swearing throughout seemed unneccessary and therefore left me confused as to who the intended audience actually is, as it didn't seem to match up with the level of writing throughout. there were also comments made by some of the teenage characters that were a little bit cringe - i don't think any teenager goes around calling their boss Laura "L-dog"!
secondly, the main character. i completely understand that meg is meant to be playing the hard done by younger sister of a social media influencer, but wow, she was annoying! for the first half of the book, she is so selfish and self-contained that it's actually a little bit hard to read at times. as the book progresses, she becomes more likeable, but her behaviour throughout is odd. i know you feel lonely and sick of living in your brother's shadow Meg, but if you actually started being nice to people you might not hate your life so much. just a tip!
finally, (and this might just be me) the two girls on the cover and the vague blurb about appearances being deceiving made me feel like i was heading into a sapphic romance. i kept waiting for meg and alana to develop feelings for each other, and i was so disappointed that that never happened. i may be biased, but i think that would've made the connection between meg and alana seem more genuine. i think if a sequel is written, this should definitely be explored.
one thing that i did think was really cool and unique about this book was that it's a self-proclaimed "booksical" (a book musical) and all the songs in the book are actually available to listen to on spotify!
overall, this was a wholesome story which would appeal to younger readers. 3 stars.
listen, i love music, i'm all for a novel that focuses on the power of female friendship, and i'm a sucker for a happy ending, but unfortunately, this novel will only be getting a 3 star rating from me, and here's why:
firstly, the writing. ok, i understand that this novel is meant for a young adult audience. it's possible, now that i'm 20, that i've outgrown the genre (i think if i was younger i definitely would have liked this a lot more) but to me the writing felt very simplistic, and graphic details were avoided when discussing heavy topics. (for example, issues of confidence and low-self esteem were discussed, but long-term mental health issues as a result of this were not mentioned) this might be perfectly in line with the intended audience (e.g., 12 year olds) however the swearing throughout seemed unneccessary and therefore left me confused as to who the intended audience actually is, as it didn't seem to match up with the level of writing throughout. there were also comments made by some of the teenage characters that were a little bit cringe - i don't think any teenager goes around calling their boss Laura "L-dog"!
secondly, the main character. i completely understand that meg is meant to be playing the hard done by younger sister of a social media influencer, but wow, she was annoying! for the first half of the book, she is so selfish and self-contained that it's actually a little bit hard to read at times. as the book progresses, she becomes more likeable, but her behaviour throughout is odd. i know you feel lonely and sick of living in your brother's shadow Meg, but if you actually started being nice to people you might not hate your life so much. just a tip!
finally, (and this might just be me) the two girls on the cover and the vague blurb about appearances being deceiving made me feel like i was heading into a sapphic romance. i kept waiting for meg and alana to develop feelings for each other, and i was so disappointed that that never happened. i may be biased, but i think that would've made the connection between meg and alana seem more genuine. i think if a sequel is written, this should definitely be explored.
one thing that i did think was really cool and unique about this book was that it's a self-proclaimed "booksical" (a book musical) and all the songs in the book are actually available to listen to on spotify!
overall, this was a wholesome story which would appeal to younger readers. 3 stars.
April 12, 2022
Thank you NetGalley, Clock Tower Publishing and Sweet Cherry Publishing for the E-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Meg McCarthy is the younger sister of mega pop star Caspar McCarthy but Meg secretly writes songs too, although she’s told no one, until she meets Alana Howard at her job at a local Fro-Yo shop.
Alana is the true star of this novel. A passionate, loud, exuberant plus size woman writing songs and performing her originals at open mic nights all around Brighton. Her enthusiasm is contagious and she quickly gets to Meg and becomes Megs only real, true friend as they begin song writing together.
Alongside Meg and Alana’s blossoming friendship is Meg’s online relationship with Matty Chester, except Matty doesn’t know it’s Meg and in real life Meg is a jerk to Matty. I didn’t love that Meg chased Matty down online to begin this relationship based on deceit, it felt really unauthentic and made me question her.
Caspar McCarthy, Meg’s pop star brother, is insufferable through this entire novel even in his redemption arc where he’s showing some humanity I still couldn’t forgive him for all his awful behavior and cruel, fat-phobic comments to Alana. I wanted to scream multiple times while reading this due to his flat out terrible and vile behavior. I wanted more humility and character growth from him.
There are some really beautiful original lyrics in here that flowed perfectly with the story, which I throughly enjoyed as a music lover (plus all the T. Swift mentions had me so excited).
The thing I most enjoyed was the friendship between Meg and Alana. It was a truly lovely thing to read about blossoming.
I wanted a bit more from the ending of this novel, where it was left up a little bit more to interpretation and open possibility.
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️💫
3.5 stars.
Meg McCarthy is the younger sister of mega pop star Caspar McCarthy but Meg secretly writes songs too, although she’s told no one, until she meets Alana Howard at her job at a local Fro-Yo shop.
Alana is the true star of this novel. A passionate, loud, exuberant plus size woman writing songs and performing her originals at open mic nights all around Brighton. Her enthusiasm is contagious and she quickly gets to Meg and becomes Megs only real, true friend as they begin song writing together.
Alongside Meg and Alana’s blossoming friendship is Meg’s online relationship with Matty Chester, except Matty doesn’t know it’s Meg and in real life Meg is a jerk to Matty. I didn’t love that Meg chased Matty down online to begin this relationship based on deceit, it felt really unauthentic and made me question her.
Caspar McCarthy, Meg’s pop star brother, is insufferable through this entire novel even in his redemption arc where he’s showing some humanity I still couldn’t forgive him for all his awful behavior and cruel, fat-phobic comments to Alana. I wanted to scream multiple times while reading this due to his flat out terrible and vile behavior. I wanted more humility and character growth from him.
There are some really beautiful original lyrics in here that flowed perfectly with the story, which I throughly enjoyed as a music lover (plus all the T. Swift mentions had me so excited).
The thing I most enjoyed was the friendship between Meg and Alana. It was a truly lovely thing to read about blossoming.
I wanted a bit more from the ending of this novel, where it was left up a little bit more to interpretation and open possibility.
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️💫
3.5 stars.
October 23, 2023
I really enjoyed this book and how unique it was. It’s about two young girls who are both very talented but struggle to get their voices out there for different reasons.
I really enjoyed watching the girl’s confidence grow throughout the book in a lovely, friendship oriented way.
Like any good YA there’s plenty of love, heartbreak and drama that I found really engrossing and kept me wanting to read more all the way through.
This book has a lovely underlying message of: don’t be scared to take up space in the world and let your voice be heard, no matter how many people try to get you to silence it!
I also really like the fact that the songs mentioned in the book have actually been written etc and have been uploaded as a playlist to all streaming platforms.
Which I think is a really nice touch to keep you immersed in the world of the Lost Girls!
Thank you Becky & Ellie for this fun and engaging self proclaimed “Booksicle” which is a fabulous way of describing this book by the way that made me laugh when I read the acknowledgements.
If you like music and YAs this book is definitely worth looking into.
I really enjoyed watching the girl’s confidence grow throughout the book in a lovely, friendship oriented way.
Like any good YA there’s plenty of love, heartbreak and drama that I found really engrossing and kept me wanting to read more all the way through.
This book has a lovely underlying message of: don’t be scared to take up space in the world and let your voice be heard, no matter how many people try to get you to silence it!
I also really like the fact that the songs mentioned in the book have actually been written etc and have been uploaded as a playlist to all streaming platforms.
Which I think is a really nice touch to keep you immersed in the world of the Lost Girls!
Thank you Becky & Ellie for this fun and engaging self proclaimed “Booksicle” which is a fabulous way of describing this book by the way that made me laugh when I read the acknowledgements.
If you like music and YAs this book is definitely worth looking into.
May 24, 2022
Let me start by saying, two chapters in, I said to myself "I know where this is going".
Newsflash, I didn’t.
In the beginning, I thought it would be a cliché low-key broken family getting back together and realizing that family is more important than music and the industry. I thought Meg and Casper would grow closer and bond and create music together.
This story delved into the music industry but on the surface level. It didn’t go deep into schedules or tours or contracts like most stories about musicians do. It focused on Meg, the sister of the pop star, the girl who felt invisible to her family and kept her own passion for music and songwriting to herself.
This story is a love letter to music, to trying to find yourself and not living in someone’s shadow. I’m not a musician, I don’t have a famous pop star brother, but I too find solace in music, in lyrics, in sweet melodies. Music is so special, and it can inspire and help so many people. It was a book about friendship, about family and most importantly to not hiding who you are. To be free.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this e-arc.
Newsflash, I didn’t.
In the beginning, I thought it would be a cliché low-key broken family getting back together and realizing that family is more important than music and the industry. I thought Meg and Casper would grow closer and bond and create music together.
This story delved into the music industry but on the surface level. It didn’t go deep into schedules or tours or contracts like most stories about musicians do. It focused on Meg, the sister of the pop star, the girl who felt invisible to her family and kept her own passion for music and songwriting to herself.
This story is a love letter to music, to trying to find yourself and not living in someone’s shadow. I’m not a musician, I don’t have a famous pop star brother, but I too find solace in music, in lyrics, in sweet melodies. Music is so special, and it can inspire and help so many people. It was a book about friendship, about family and most importantly to not hiding who you are. To be free.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this e-arc.
May 24, 2022
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
It took me a while to get into this book, but once I started I was hooked. The story follows Meg, the sister of a famous singer and how she feels invisible in the shadow of his brother, and her passion for music, until Meg meets Alana and everything changes for both of them.
I love the friendship between the characters and how two different personalities can become friends in less than a second.
This books tackles different topics such as overdose and the guilt, feeling invisible within your family, jealousy, fat-phobia and more.
It was a great and quick read.
It took me a while to get into this book, but once I started I was hooked. The story follows Meg, the sister of a famous singer and how she feels invisible in the shadow of his brother, and her passion for music, until Meg meets Alana and everything changes for both of them.
I love the friendship between the characters and how two different personalities can become friends in less than a second.
This books tackles different topics such as overdose and the guilt, feeling invisible within your family, jealousy, fat-phobia and more.
It was a great and quick read.
June 22, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley and Sweet Cherry/Clock Tower Publishing for a review copy of this book.
Music is universal, and everyone's talents should be celebrated, but what happens when your brother takes up all of the musical spotlight and you think there isn't room for you?
That's what this novel answers the question of, as well as deals with the questions of making it in an industry that's working against you for the way you look.
By the end of the book, I was in tears. I loved the lyrics that were created for the songs in this book and found myself making up tunes as I read along. They melded well into the story and really bring out the heart and soul.
Music is universal, and everyone's talents should be celebrated, but what happens when your brother takes up all of the musical spotlight and you think there isn't room for you?
That's what this novel answers the question of, as well as deals with the questions of making it in an industry that's working against you for the way you look.
By the end of the book, I was in tears. I loved the lyrics that were created for the songs in this book and found myself making up tunes as I read along. They melded well into the story and really bring out the heart and soul.
July 6, 2022
This was such a different book telling the story about song writing and having the songs with it. Loved having the words and being able to listen to the songs. Also I loved the lists - cool idea!
The friendship of the two girls shows how girls can support each other and become confident in themselves as well. How we have to all find ourselves in spite of negative things around us. Great read 😊😊
The friendship of the two girls shows how girls can support each other and become confident in themselves as well. How we have to all find ourselves in spite of negative things around us. Great read 😊😊
June 17, 2022
The Songs You’ve Never Heard is a wonderful book about acceptance, music and friendship. I loved the songs, characters and style of writing. The book touched upon real life issues and it was very relatable. Overall it was an extremely enjoyable read and I would definitely recommend The Songs You’ve Never Heard.
June 19, 2022
Great book. Couldn't stop reading.
The story follows a girl called Meg McCarthy who is the sister of pop star Casper McCarthy. You might think that they would have a really good relationship but they don't. Casper is spoilt and attention seeking. Amidst family problems and secretly writing songs, she meets a girl called Alana, a girl with an insane voice and a lot of confidence. Alana helps Met build up the confidence to share her music with the world.
All in all a great book. I read it in one weekend and couldn't put it down. I just have one question for the Authors: When's the sequel?
The story follows a girl called Meg McCarthy who is the sister of pop star Casper McCarthy. You might think that they would have a really good relationship but they don't. Casper is spoilt and attention seeking. Amidst family problems and secretly writing songs, she meets a girl called Alana, a girl with an insane voice and a lot of confidence. Alana helps Met build up the confidence to share her music with the world.
All in all a great book. I read it in one weekend and couldn't put it down. I just have one question for the Authors: When's the sequel?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley and Sweet Cherry/Clock Tower Publishing for an arc in exchange for an honest review
“The Songs You’ve Never Heard” feels like both a love letter to and a critique of the music industry, while simultaneously being a Disney Channel movie. Meg and Alana are vivid, three dimensional characters. Alana really was the highlight of the book, as she filled every chapter she was in with her personality and light.
There is an accompanying album coming out with the original songs recorded which I am incredibly excited for.
My one criticism is that Caspar is let off too easy in the end. He was a massive jerk for the entire book and essentially gets forgiven for saying “sorry, life’s just been so hard lately” which is… annoying.
4.5 stars rounded down
“The Songs You’ve Never Heard” feels like both a love letter to and a critique of the music industry, while simultaneously being a Disney Channel movie. Meg and Alana are vivid, three dimensional characters. Alana really was the highlight of the book, as she filled every chapter she was in with her personality and light.
There is an accompanying album coming out with the original songs recorded which I am incredibly excited for.
My one criticism is that Caspar is let off too easy in the end. He was a massive jerk for the entire book and essentially gets forgiven for saying “sorry, life’s just been so hard lately” which is… annoying.
4.5 stars rounded down
July 20, 2024
pozytywnie się zaskoczyłam
January 8, 2024
i finished this a while ago but WOW loved the book so so much!! i loved the story line and the emotion that was poured into this book can’t wait for the next book!!!!
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