Breakout

by Kevin Emerson

When Anthony's angst-ridden rock 'n' roll lyrics go viral, he's unwittingly cast as the school rebel. The truth is, he's not trying to be anyone's hero. Anthony Castillo needs a new life. His teachers are clueless autocrats except for Mr. Darren, who's in charge of the rock band program. The girls at school are either shallow cutebots or out of his league. And his parents mean well, but they just make things worse. It's as if Anthony is stuck on the bottom level of his favorite video game, Liberation Force 4.5. Except there is no secret escape tunnel and definitely no cheat code. Fed up, pissed off, and feeling trapped, Anthony writes his first song for his rock band, the Rusty Soles. His only problem: Arts Night. If he exercises his right to free speech and sings his original lyrics-where his own bombs will drop-he and his band will be through. The clock is ticking. Time for Anthony to pick his battles and decide what's really worth fighting for.

• ISBN10: 0385391129
• ISBN13: 9780385391122
• Publish Date: 24 February 2015 (first published 1 January 2015)
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Imprint: Crown Books for Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[Joséphine]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Initial thoughts: Generally I prefer protagonists who are a little older — 16 and up, so this eight grade protagonist was on the young side. Nonetheless, I enjoyed listening to this book. For one, Anthony was a pretty witty. For another, it was very deeply rooted in music and what it means to maintain artistic integrity. The plot was simple yet kept good pace. There were highs and lows and it was very evident that the matters at hand were important to Anthony. The debate over allowing children swear as a form of honest expression was somewhat long-drawn though reminiscent of the rage some of my 7th and 8th grade classmates expressed when I was younger.

Aside from that, Kevin Emerson crafted a well-rounded teen boy. He had to take of his health as he had pre-type-2 diabetes and was overweight. His diet choices and fitness classes were documented on the side, which balanced his anger issues over being misunderstood by his parents and teachers. His friendships were complicated and confusing too, adding another layer to the confusing age that 14 can be.