Amazon.ca:Customer reviews: The Music of What Happens

There are 0 reviews and 13 ratings from Canadawith 4 star

BLACK PERSEO

Desanimado Cliché

Reviewed in Mexico 🇲🇽 on May 25, 2023

Edición en pasta dura, con sobre cubierta en idioma ingles ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Historia: tiene una premisa muy clicle, con personajes que repiten una y otra vez lo mismo, no se ve una avance en su desarrollo. La narrativa es ágil; sin embargo los capítulos son muy similares entre si, no aportan nada a la trama y van de "problemas" que no transcienden en nada. ⭐⭐
Entretenido, pero hay mucho mejores.

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Casey Carlisle

One of the best contemporaries I've read this summer

Reviewed in Australia 🇦🇺 on October 28, 2019

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This is a quaint contemporary with two gay protagonists told in alternating perspectives, switching with each chapter. Max and Jordan each have their own issues to wrestle with, and ‘The Music of What Happens’ is a fantastic character driven story that had me hooked from the first page.

Max is a sporty ‘dude guy’ who on the surface seems to have it all going his way. Out to his closest circle of friends, he’s comfortable in his role as the smiling, friendly jock - that is until he gets to know Jordan after accepting a job to work in his food van. Later he begins to question why he puts up this smiling front, stand up to his father who may be exuding some toxic masculinity, and falling into a dangerous situation which will have long standing repercussions.

Jordan has a reactionary personality, but is the responsible one in the family ever since his father died three years ago. Jordan and his mother are still dealing with the loss. With the bank threatening to repossess their family home because of his mother’s gambling addiction, Jordan rolls up his sleeves and runs his father’s food truck in hope of making enough money to keep their house. But it’s difficult when you don’t know a thing about food trucks. It’s a steep learning curve – especially when being prepared is not a part of your personality. Jordan is pretty naive and innocent in terms of the wilder world, him and his two female best friends (his wives) live in their own little bubble. Meeting Max helps bring him out of his shell and learn to be a little more independent. Take a stand. It’s a good thing too because like the frequent dust storms that weather Mesa, Arizona, Jordan will need these new skills, and his friends, to make it through an oncoming storm of a different nature.

Having two well-rounded main characters, flaws and all, draw and grow from each other was a wonderful concept to slowly evolve on the pages of ‘The Music of What Happens.’ The best friends of both of our main characters are supportive, have their own small arcs, and it was a real testament to friendship. We also see parents have a fairly strong presence in the narrative, warts and all.

‘The Music of What Happens’ was instantly relatable for me. Having lost a parent, being a proud furbaby parent, and knowing what it’s like to have to get your head down and bum up and work your behind off for fear of losing your home… I saw so much of my youth in this novel. Not to mention the witty, catty banter of Jordan’s ‘wives’ is so much like my high school girlfriends. Revealing tragic family secrets – like coming out in a sense… this book has a lot going on, and it’s all handled with a gentle composure.

I’ve enjoyed Bill Konigsberg’s writing style in everything of his I’ve read. He always managed to make me cry, laugh and gasp in every novel. For a contemporary this is paced really well. I never had a moment of needing to rest or skim forward. Totally engaging. And I loved the inclusivity of the narrative with diverse backgrounds across the board.

Some trigger warnings around sexual assault, addiction, minor swearing, but it’s all dealt with in a delicate and responsible manner that does not have me concerned in letting the younger end of the YA demographic reading ‘The Music of What Happens.’

The plot is predictable in that I could see the two main characters ending up together – but in contemporaries these days, its never certain that they remain that way. Besides that, there are plot twists I did not see coming. Really. I was shocked. It was a delicious read.

On a side note – loving the cover art. I’m seeing a lot more of the hand-drawn artwork, like for a manga or comic.

Highly recommend this one for lovers of YA Contemporaries and LGBTQIA+ representation.

ShannonVM

Much more emotional than expected!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 20, 2020

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Audible Review
Overall 4 out of 5 stars
Performance 5 out of 5 stars
Story 4 out of 5 stars

I need a peek into the future!
What an emotional story! I wasn't quite expecting to be tearing up on my drive to work, but found myself doing so a few times-Jordan and Max both had me going.
This wasn't just a story about a sweet summer fling, it had a lot of depth and dealt with some difficult topics that surprised me. Mr. Konigsberg handled both Jordan and Max's situations in a careful and considerate way and I appreciated that. My heart broke for both boys.
I understand Jordan's mother has some underlying issues, but I'm just going to put it out there- she's the kind of parent I hate to read about. Lady, you're his mother, the PARENT! Your 17yo son shouldn't be the one out there trying to save your house. Or at the very least, not the only one. Ugh. Poor Jordan.
Thank goodness for Max's mom. She's everything those boys needed. I love the relationship Max had with her, they were close but she was still his parent- not his friend, not his buddy, his mom.
I really enjoyed this story, even though it wasn't exactly what I was expecting- which was something a little more light-hearted and fun. It was both of those things, at times, don't get me wrong! It was just heavier overall than I had it in my head it was going to be, I liked both Jordan and Max, they were both very charming and compelling characters and I thought they were the perfect complement to the other.
I would have loved a little peek into the future. I know this is YA and you can't expect things to last, but I guess I hoped it would for these 2!

I loved the narration! Joel is always a winner in my book. This was my first Anthony Ray Perez book and I thought he was wonderful as Max. The only problem I had was the sound quality- about halfway through or so I would have to keep adjusting the volume between chapters. The ones in Jordan's pov, voiced by Joel, were much louder than Max's. It wasn't a big deal, just sightly frustrating.

Jay jay chavez

Adorable storyline

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 5, 2022

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Love the storyline, found it adorable it does have some ups and downs but a great read regardless

crymeariversong11

Amazing Book!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 16, 2021

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Maybe it was fate that Max was drawn to the sad attempt of a food truck when he was. Maybe it was luck. Either way, he finds himself with job, working side by side with Jordan. For Max, making the truck a success means having a summer job. For Jordan it means paying the thousands of dollars he needs to still have a house.

Both boys are very different but little by little they get to know each other and become friends. Then they become more. But nothing in life is that simple and reality hits with punches that keep knocking them down. Luckily, they have eachother.

This book was good. Not only does it tell a cute love story of boys defying the odds but it bridges tougher topics like rape, race, and mental health. (There are definitely some triggering moments, so read with caution.) While the dialogue between all the friends was really over the top and annoying at times, the characters were overall likeable. I couldn't put the book down and read it in one sitting.

Greg Dunn

Well-meaning and well characterised, if credulity-stretching at times

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 11, 2020

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The main attraction in this latest YA novel by the reliable Bill Konigsberg is the voices he gives his characters. Here it's not only the lead protagonists, Max and Jordan, who come alive on the page, but their friends and family as well. The novel is also bursting with important issues the core audience might at some point go through if they're not already - family and money problems, insecurities and uncertainty about sex - but to the extent that it does seem a little piled on at times. (That said, the way Max and Jordan develop throughout the story because of the sh*t they have to deal with is what cements them as characters, so it's swings and roundabouts.) Certain aspects of the story require you to suspend your disbelief, and there are a couple of editing howlers that contradict earlier parts of the novel, but on the whole this is a well-written, meaningful and enjoyable story.

One person found this helpful

Nicole Roth

Another great read from Konigsberg!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 25, 2019

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I love Konigsberg's writing style! It's so immediate and personal, and his stories have a way of making the characters feel like your friends. In this book, both Max and Jordan grapple with very real, very adult problems that threaten to tear them and their relationship apart. I appreciate that this book deals with issues around consent, addiction, and grief and it lets the reader sit with those difficult topics just like the characters do. The writing is compassionate and heartfelt, and damn it the ending was so beautiful that it made me cry. I've been a fan of Konigsberg since Openly Straight and I highly recommend this one!

Darren Campo

Good Story, Good Read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 23, 2020

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I enjoyed reading this and rooting for these characters. It's a nice change, the conflict here is not between the couple, but the people around them, punctuated by the location, the extreme heat of Arizona in the summer. Well done.

Dodger712

Slowish start, builds steam, and delivers a great story

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 7, 2019

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Very well written with nicely developed flawed characters. The twists I guessed at but was almost heartbroken when what I thought was revealed to be so. The main two boys made a cute couple. I really enjoyed this book and was sad when the story ended. I wanted to stay with them a bit longer.

Amazon Customer

Hope to like it.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 25, 2021

Verified Purchase

It arrived in perfect conditions.

5 star		61%
4 star		26%
3 star		9%
2 star		2%
1 star		1%

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