Tempo Change by Barbara Hall

Tempo Change is the story of a girl named Blanche Kelly who has a rock star for a father. Because he left when she was in 1st grade, no one at her school knows her dad is famous. Her mom doesn't understand that her dad, as an artist, needs space to be happy and make music and that's why he left them. Blanche is in touch with him through email but doesn't tell anyone, including her mom about it. Suddenly, Blanche decides to make a rock band for the school's talent show and they become popular enough to qualify for a big music festival. She realizes that this could be a way to see her father again and get a better chance to talk with him. More importantly, this could be a chance for him to see her and her band. Self-discovery and family issues are an important concept of this book.

I found the book really interesting and different. Blanche had a very strong voice and was also a realistic character. Throughout the book, she was sarcastic and independent, but not always completely sure of herself. She questioned herself and those around her often, showing well her confusion as a teenager and making her someone I could relate to. The other characters were also believable, because they changed their minds and went through problems with their own families or ideas. All of the people in the book sounded genuine, because of the diversity and imperfection in their personalities. Details weren't a huge part of the book, but when the author really described something, I could picture it well and tell it was important. Sometimes a little more detail was needed, but most of the time that added to the style of the book. The plot was original and the author wrote it well. I learned about the relationship between teens and their parents and would recommend this to people who don't require lots of action but like a good storyline and strong characters.

Reviewer Age: 13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Needham, Massachusetts United States