I DNFed this book after a solid month of trying to finish it. I would definitely suggest checking out this thread on twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorCCallahan/status/854031496423845890

My first thought while reading Noteworthy was that it connected with both Pitch Perfect and She's the Man. As I love both of these films, I knew then that I would love this book.

I loved the discussion about being feminine that Jordan has in her head. I feel like it's a really important point for women and especially young girls. Not being feminine does not mean you're bad at being a woman. Also, Jordan did not revert back to her old self at the end of the book. I loved that as a character she grew a lot and changed for the better.

Redgate also wrote the friendships between characters really well. Each of the eight members of the Sharps in particular. Each of them had different friendships with one another, and they all had their own personalities. Obviously some had more exploration depending on how much Jordan was with them. But they definitely were full characters and not just stereotypes or ghost-like secondary people. The characters were so diverse so writing non-stereotypical characters was like a sigh of relief.

The only issue I had, which is completely personal to me, is the music references I did not get. This book is packed full of musical terms, which is fine. You dont lose anything from the book if you dont understand. But I did keep skipping sentences because they were 'technical' about it. But again, just to reiterate, this book is amazing even if you dont understand the music aspect. I loved it and I would definitely recommend reading it.

The one thing that made me want to read Noteworthy was because of the Pitch Perfect vibe that it has. But, Noteworthy is not just about acapella, there are a lot more issues involved that are relevant in today's time. Diversity is in so much work on this book and a lot more.

One thing I like about Noteworthy is that it covers a lot of topics that you won't see in most YA novel. From exploring Jordan's sexuality, the disabled parent, diverse characters and even poverty. I like how Jordan, while playing Julian, was able to reconcile with her sexuality, without any reservation, she welcomes the realization with open arms. In those times that she's pretending to be a guy, there were moments that I forgot that she is really just pretending. She makes Julian so believable that people can't see Jordan anymore. Or maybe they just see what they want to see.

I admit I don't have high hopes for this one. I underestimated it and was not expecting anything amazing. I expected this one to be more about music and acapella but like I've said, there is more to this book than that. Am I disappointed? Not at all. In fact, I really love it. The plot, as well as the characters, are great. Jordan alone is an interesting main character especially when he's dealing with things as Julian. I also like how her being poor is not much as a focus of the story, much less ashamed of it. Her not having friends and looking for a place where she belongs is something a lot of people can relate to. There are times that you will not agree with her decisions but character flaw is what endear her to me as well as the side characters. The Sharpshooters are a whole bunch of interesting and engaging characters, even those who are not highlighted much in the story. It is not easy dealing with seven unique guys with different personalities and it is just one of the things to look forward to in this book. The friendship that Jordan develops with them is something you wish you have. Or maybe, that's just me.

Oh, and one more thing, do not expect much romance on this one. Although it is present, romance is not the focus of the story. Which I don't mind one bit. My only complaint was that it took really long time for the story to pick up that I abandoned it a couple of times.

Overall though, Noteworthy is great, filled with humor YA contemporary book which deals with so many relevant topics in our society. And Miss Redgate wrote so well by being subtle and sensitive about them. One that is not only an entertaining read but also relatable.

This was a fun read! Jordan is starting her 3rd year at Kensington-Blaine Academy for the Performing Arts, the “Harvard of all art schools” and she’s still finding it impossible to get cast in any productions. She’s too tall, her voice is too deep, and she isn’t fitting the typical dainty feminine roles. How convenient that all of these characteristics would make it easy to cross-dress as a boy and audition her way into the best all male a cappella group on campus. Jordan Sun is suddenly Julian Zhang and nothing could possibly go wrong.

+ This book has so many intricately developed characters that are just fun
+ I liked how it touched on lots of deeper issues (poverty, closeting, masculinity) while still being light hearted
+ The racial diversity was a nice mix

<a target= _blank href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KmAuFPH7WoU/Vpk7CACss5I/AAAAAAAAFvw/6bj4ozMqtSc/s1600/Book%2BFrigate.png" imageanchor="1" ><img hspace="10" align="left" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KmAuFPH7WoU/Vpk7CACss5I/AAAAAAAAFvw/6bj4ozMqtSc/s320/Book%2BFrigate.png"></a>
<font face="Georgia"> <h3>Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!</h3>

<p><i><b>Synopsis</b></i>: Junior Jordan Sun wants desperately to fit her square peg into the series of round holes that make up the Kensington-Blaine Academy for the Performing Arts -- but there seems to be no place for her, in theater, film, drama, or dance. In drama, she's not considered dramatic enough. In theater musicals, her voice is "difficult to reconcile with musical theater;" it's low for solo leads and too ...unique for chorus - second altos could quack like ducklings in a forest full of songbirds. Aside from her own insecurities as an artist was being a poor artist at a swanky school, where early admission to Julliard and spendy outfits were just an accepted norm. Jordon feels ashamed of her scrappy ambitiousness, feeling she should be home, being a helpful, <i>useful</i> part of her immediate family -- who really, really, really, <i>really</i>, really cannot afford her taking this chance. Not when her Dad's been injured. Not when her mother's having to apply for aid just to get food on the table. Not when... three years in at Kensington, and she's still not making it into any of the drama groups she's meant to join.</p>

<p>Jordan sees an opportunity to change her fate by auditioning to join the Sharpshooters, Kensington's premier octet. Of course, joining the Sharps means cutting some corners... and auditioning in drag. Soon, Jordon Sun, Tenor 1, is taking some chances; lying to a few people... and then a few more. It's all for a good cause, though, right...? </p>

<a target= _blank href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cVANbsV439k/WO60v8qQKkI/AAAAAAAAGzw/s9pzZ2fejEcDfkETx1P9RXVVNbNIYTnsACLcB/s1600/31447601.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img hspace=10 align=right border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cVANbsV439k/WO60v8qQKkI/AAAAAAAAGzw/s9pzZ2fejEcDfkETx1P9RXVVNbNIYTnsACLcB/s400/31447601.jpg" width="271" height="400" /></a><p><i><b>Observations</b></i>: Diversity, creativity, ingenuity: YES. While the novel may start slowly for some -- especially those who are not vocal groupies - the novel hit its stride fairly quickly, and steadily gained tension, as so many lies piled up, and so many secrets and competitive little twists were revealed. This novel is my novel in a variety of ways: I went to a private boarding school my parents could NOT afford -- and I worried about it with a brick in my gut every single day of the two years I was there. I love that the author included and examined the difference in classes and the egregious assumptions at times made about those who are wealthy, and those who are on public assistance. Redgate hits hard at some home truths about the secrets we keep - from ourselves and from each other - and the drag that Jordan continues to wear is not the only mask the novel examines.</p>

<p>The voice and characterizations in this novel reeled me in. The description of singing, of what perfection in harmony feels like emotionally, were so. spot. on. Sometimes, when you're singing, it's like you're flying, and the sound buoys you up, and you never want it to stop... The boarding school vibe, a microcosmic universe where suddenly EVERYTHING is super important, and the outside world almost doesn't exist? Also spot on. Music nerds and people who like school stories will really love this. People looking for stories from new voices in the field will really enjoy a fresh take on school and life from a cross-dressing, bi-maybe, Chinese-American perspective. </p>
<p><i><b>Conclusion</b></i>: This was a hotly anticipated novel to come out this year and is basically a love letter to music, choral groups, and high school organizations. I am a BIG OLD CHORAL NERD (and as I write this, we're two days from an a cappella performance this weekend) so this novel truly resonated for me. I am gratified that the hype didn't disappoint.</p>
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<hr width=55%><p>I received my copy of this book courtesy of the publisher. After MAY 2, 2017 - not long, now! - you can find <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/aff/readersrant7?product=9781419723735" target=_blank><i>NOTEWORTHY</i></a> by Riley Redgate at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!</p>
</font> *THIS WILL POST ON THE BLOG 4/21

You know those occasional books you go into with a ~feeling~ about? Those books you just know you’re going to love, even before you’ve read a single page? Well, friends, Noteworthy was that book for me, and I am happy to report that it didn’t disappoint. In fact, it blew my (already-high) expectations out of the water! I mean, a bisexual MC + cross-dressing + a capella choir + boarding school setting?! Yeah, no wonder this was the book of my dreams.

Obviously, being the choir nerd that I am, I adored the plot of Noteworthy immensely. Jordan Sun, a junior at the prestigious Kensington-Blaine Academy (an arts school), runs out of options when she isn’t cast in the school musical. So, with nothing left to lose, she decides to audition for the vacant Tenor I spot in Kensington’s oldest and most reputable a capella group, the Sharpshooters. The only problem? The group is historically all-male. Hilarity and heart ensue when Jordan (or shall I say Julian?) gets into the group and begins to find her place. The plot is fairly straightforward and could easily have fallen flat, but Redgate writes it so well.

In addition to its super fun premise, Noteworthy features one of the most lovable casts of characters I have ever read. I absolutely fell in love with every single one of the boys in the Sharpshooters, and I loved reading about Jordan’s newfound friendships with each of them. It’s hard to pick favorites, but I adored Mama the most out of all the Sharps– his love of Haydn, Handel, and his general classical music/music theory nerdiness were waaaaaay too relatable. I also loved his friendship with Jon Cox– yay for close dude friendships! Ugh, all the friendships among the guys in the Sharps made my heart melt. They were always looking out for each other.

Noteworthy is, in large part, a love letter to a capella. I loved seeing Jordan find her place and find *her people* through becoming a member of the Sharps. Reading about her falling in love with a capella was almost like reading a romance in and of itself (one that I could relate to a whole lot). The world of a capella– and of choir in general– was portrayed incredibly well, too. Redgate perfectly captured such specific feelings I have experienced time and time again singing in choral ensembles: the feeling of nailing an incredibly difficult passage for the first time and finally hearing it click into place with the other parts, the rush of adrenaline that takes over before a high-profile performance, the way singing with other people forms bonds stronger than almost any other art form can. I liked the rivalry between the a capella groups on Kensington’s campus, too– so fun to read about. Oh, and I adored the setting. I’ve mentioned before on the blog that I’m a sucker for boarding school settings, especially ones where school/campus life plays a major role in the story, and Noteworthy did not disappoint on this front.

Another huge reason I adore this book so much is for its representation. Not only is Jordan Asian-American, but her family also struggles financially, and the book explores the idea of privilege in an economic context (in addition to privilege in relation to race, sexuality, gender, and disability), which is something I haven’t read about too often in YA. Oh, and of course, Jordan is also bisexual and coming to terms with her sexuality. She struggles over the course of the book with her attractions, and with labeling herself. As a bisexual woman myself, this was arguably some of the best bi representation I’ve ever read. It felt disturbingly close to my own experiences. It’s brilliant in that it’s left open-ended– Jordan is still figuring out her sexuality, and she’s okay with the fact that she doesn’t know everything yet. As expected Noteworthy also makes some A+ commentary on gender.

Noteworthy originally drew me in with the promise of bisexual rep and a plot involving a capella, and though of course I adored those elements of the book, I ended up becoming enchanted with every single element of this book. I found myself falling deeply in love with each and every character and feeling so invested in the trajectory of the story. If I had to pick one single book of my heart, Noteworthy would be it. I only wish this had found its way to me while I was in high school. This is the book that high-school-choir-nerd-Madalyn-struggling-with-her-sexuality desperately needed, but hey, out-college-music-major-Madalyn adored it just as much, too. 🙂 All in all, Noteworthy is a book you do not want to sleep on. It will give you all the happy feelings. Run, don’t walk, and go preorder it ASAP!

Have you read Noteworthy yet? If so, tell me your thoughts below! I’d love to discuss. If not, what are you waiting for?!

What an incredibly fun book!! I, myself, was in a fine arts program in high school and went on to major in music in college and I went into this book a little skeptical that this would be another author trying to write a mediocre music book. NO WAY! Riley Redgate knows her shit! Thank the music gods! So not only were all of the music references accurate, I really thought that so much of the teenage identity struggle was real too. Whether Jordan was struggling with her voice ("[her] singing voice is difficult to reconcile with musical theater. Firstly, there's a timbre to it...It also affects your physicality. Your eyes close; you shift and sway...Those tics are a challenge to eliminate."), her gender ("The longer I thought about the possibility that I might not be a girl, the more I became sure that I was one...The struggle to fit into some narrow window of femininity didn't exclude me from the club."), her sexuality ("All I understood about sexuality was its uncertainty, discovering your way through yourself day by day..."), or her emotions (you get the point...I can quote this book all day), she is a really fun character in a unique situation.

Speaking of Jordan/Julian's unique situation, I thought Noteworthy was extra noteworthy (see what I did there?!) because it touched on almost all aspects of LGBTQIA. Not so much the L, but we have Nihal and Connor's relationship, Jordan admitting Bi-curious tendencies, plus the obvious cross-dressing/acting male for months which Isaac asks if Julian is trans. I thought it was an eye-opening lesson how one seemingly small ploy (dressing up for one audition) can ultimately snowball into a life-altering course.

So while I rave about all of this, why did I only give 4 stars and not 5? Well, I have to say the book was quite predictable. Fun, yes. But I knew from early on who Jordan would end up with, what would happen with the family, how the competition would go, etc. Also, while I enjoyed reading the book and it was fun, it wasn't life-changing and that is my big qualifier for that 5th star. However, I will definitely be recommending this to my music students. It was a great read and perfect for my high schoolers.

If you want to avoid my long rambling review below this book, I’ll just give you this: NOTEWORTHY IS ABSOLUTELY AWESOME-SAUCE* AND YOU NEED TO HAVE BEEN READING IT YESTERDAY.

However, if you’re unconvinced by someone who uses the word Awesome-Sauce, let me tell you what I LOVED about this book to call that:

1. JORDAN SUN IS AMAZING. I connected with her INSTANTLY because well, of this line: “I spent half my life whipping up apologies on behalf of my mouth which I considered to be kind of a separate person from me as a person. I, Jordan Sun, valued levelheadedness… Jordan Sun’s Mouth did not care about these things. She was all sass, in a deadpanning, intellectual way, she did not hesitate to go after what she wanted, and she was struggling so much with who she was, her family and her place that I FELL IN LOVE.

2. The Sharpshooters (the a-capella group) was SO MUCH FUN. While it was a little confusing to remember who everyone was at the beginning, I truly began to love this all boy (and one girl) group of singers! Issac, Nihal and Trav were my favourites!

3. THE DIVERSITY! Jordan Sun is Asian and Bisexual. One of the Sharpshooters is Indian. This book tackles gender roles SO WELL, handles being a Sikh (an Indian Religion. See also: Sikhism) EVEN BETTER (I was SO HAPPY that religion was touched upon slightly, and also DONE WELL, because religions are a huge part of life in India and IT WAS AMAZING SEEING IT PROPERLY REPRESENTED!)

4. THE FACT THAT THIS WAS A BOOK ABOUT A CAPELLA: I don’t think I’ve EVER read one before (how strange is that) and while I love the Pitch Perfect movies, I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT! Side Note: A lot of this music is AVAILABLE to listen on Riley Redgate’s website, and you should DEFINITELY check it out!

5. THE HAZING AND THE PRANKS: While this wasn't a very important part of the book, it definitely made it feel more fun and also more real! The rivalry between the Sharps and the Minuets (their rival a capella group) was such fun to read about!

An amazing diverse read, filled with just the right amounts of light heartedness in the midst of tackling important issues – you guys NEED to be reading Noteworthy. It’ll make you laugh, it’ll make you think and most importantly… it will make you want to sing! 5 stars.

What a delectable novel! Redgate's writing is spectacular and the voice of the main character is one that will stay with me for a long time. I truly loved this novel and cannot recommend it enough!

Super solid contemporary. I really enjoyed this one and binged the heck out of it. Having majored in Music in college, I'm a huge fan of books about musicians. I also delight in anything where a girl has to disguise herself as a boy, so this was practically written for me.

NOTEWORTHY is being comped as "She's the Man meets Pitch Perfect" and I think it's extremely accurate - this book captures the awkwardness and hilarity of the former and the musical culture of the latter. I think teens will find this engaging, and it's fast paced so it will definitely keep their interest. It certainly held mine.

Jordan was such a compelling main character, and I loved being inside her head. All of the supporting characters - especially the Sharpshooters - were well drawn and diverse. There's a bit of a romance but it doesn't dominate the story.

Highly recommend!

NOTEWORTHY was so, so good. I loved everything about it: the story, the incredibly clever writing, the characters, everything. The words 'the end' brought tears to my eyes because I just didn't want it to end.

Noteworthy is going to be big. I expect it to be big, and you all better not sleep on it. This book is so fabulous and fun and you just have a really good time while reading it.

It's about Jordan, a theatre kid in a boarding school, who gets the idea to audition for this position in an a capella group in her school. A capella group are very famous in the school and they get this sort of celebrity reputation. But this particular is an all-boys group and they are asking for another boy to audition, so Jordan crossdresses as Julian Zhang and she gets in.

Everything from the very beginning is just wonderful. Riley Redgate has this sort of easy style of writing that you get so caught up in the story. It's so smart too, and you will laugh out loud in some moments (I did that). The Sharps is the a capella group and all the boys are amazing and adorable. Especially Isaac, the cute Japanese-American, man bun wearing boy. He says he is the king of the group but let's be real, he said that himself LOL. I love this kid so much, he's also very very nice and if you want someone to help you with pranks, he's your guy.

This book is also about self-discovery. Jordan begins to see that she's bisexual and that because of her past relationship and not really thinking a lot about this, she wasn't sure sure. This book also has gay rep and as I said Isaac is Japanese while Jordan is Chinese.

You'll have lots of fun and you will love the whole cast, it's a fantastic book and I recommend it to everyone who loves She's the Man and Pitch Perfect. It also reminded me of Ouran High School Host Club for obvious reasons ~

This book swept me up from the very start, with a fast-moving plot that managed to be funny as well as serious at times. I love all the characters, all of them being so well-rounded and it being very obvious that they all have things going on in their life but Jordan only catches a small glimpse of some of it. I loved the romance, the relationships between Jordan and the Sharps, but also her family and friends back home. As soon as I can, I will be buying this book in paperback because having it in Kindle is not enough.

This will bring up lots of comparisons to the acapella stories of later years, so it should be noted (no pun intended) that it's more Pitch Perfect than Glee. Delightfully diverse with interesting discussion of gender and transition issues. My main issue is that the cast was very male-heavy for most of the story, and it would have been nicer for more females.

Thanks for approving me, but I just couldn't finish this one. It had potential, plus I just love genderbender/crossdressing. But it seems that such things work best in manga, and not in novels.

Really, did this girl think she can just wipe her make-up, add a wig, and look like a boy? Um... Sorry, but that is just no. I wouldn't even call it drag, I would just call it a desperate attempt. But it seems it worked, no clue how, really I have no clue. Normally when someone just wears a wig/removes make-up they really can't pass for a boy, no matter how boyish they look as a girl.

Plus I absolutely didn't like the girl. For many reasons. Instead of just finding something that did fit her, as a girl, she only saw one solution, try to act like a guy and get in an exclusive group. Which isn't only rude to the guys (since it is an exclusive group), but also just made my eyes roll.

So yeah, frustrations galore, and the crossdressing wasn't even that interesting as she really didn't do any effort for it.

This is my Goodreads review, as I'm on a temporary hiatus from my book blog due to pain/fatigue/university. I'm hoping to write a full review for the blog when I return, probably in early April, but for the moment I've just written a few brief thoughts.

I really liked this. It's funny, it explores gender and friendship and identity and growing up in a really engaging and emotional way, and it has loads of niche musician jokes that make me feel like my ten years of Classical music lessons were worth it. While it deals with all sorts of issues (from poverty and disability to sexuality and gender), it gives them their due consideration without getting overly heavy and doesn't lose the lighthearted tone that characterises most of the book. I kept highlighting things that entertained me -- there were some sentences that were written in a way so perfectly to my taste I couldn't help but save them for later.

(Also I was predisposed to like this because the author wrote an amazing parody of Call Me Maybe to be about Nietzsche, and I periodically remember it exists and go listen to it again on Tumblr and it will never not entertain me. 'Cause time will someday / obliterate me)

Eventually when the Bad Pain and Epic Fatigue stop destroying me, I'll be able to give you a more detailed review. In the meantime, I'll just tell you that I liked it and if you have any interest in music or if you thought Pitch Perfect was disappointingly straight, you should pick this one up.

This was prolly the dopest book I've ever read! Loved Jordan and the concept of this book was fresh and unique.

The characters are all really well-developed and unique. I loved getting to know all of them, especially Jordan. She’s so multidimensional it’s hard to acknowledge that she’s entirely a work of fiction. I found it quite easy to relate to her from the overbearing parents demanding perfection to the lack of funding to the non-soprano voice. The best part about her? SARCASM! Jordan laid out some high level sass through the entire story. Even better, the other characters added into it so the dialogue was truly a thing of beauty.

The story is set at a private school in Upstate New York, which is actually part of what made me want to pick it up. The New York State part, not the private school part. Anyway… The world is built up enough that someone like me (who has never set foot on a private school campus) had no trouble imagining what it would be like to be engrossed in the environment. It was truly immersive and I loved it! Except for the snotty private school jerks that presumably come standard with the high tuition setting.

The story told in Noteworthy is more than just Jordan’s story. It’s the stories of a few characters layered together and served up from Jordan’s observations. It’s such a beautiful story and I had so much trouble putting it down when life demanded my full attention. Now that I’ve read it, I’m not at all surprised at how highly recommended it is.

Also, representation! In addition to some awesome a cappella rockstar action, there is bisexual, homosexual, and Asian American representation. Riley Redgate also makes a point of acknowledging that while places are more diversely accessible now, it’s still a new thing and they’re still not all that accessible.

Noteworthy is such a beautiful and fun story. I really enjoyed reading it and I can’t wait for it to be out in the wild so you can enjoy it too! (At least 50% because I need someone to gush over it with…)

Jordan was lucky enough to earn a scholarship to the prestigious Kensington-Blaine Boarding School for the Performing Arts. She has a love for musical theatre, but after two years, she has yet to be cast in a show due to her height and her voice being in the lower register. When the Sharpshooters post an audition call, Jordan sees an opportunity to show she belongs at Kesingington. The only problem is that the Sharpshooters are an all MALE a cappella group.

"since the Kensington a cappella scene was a shade or two less friendly than the mafia, and a shade or two more exclusive."

When I first started reading Noteworthy, I thought it was going to be a She's the Man type comedy. The beginning of the book was light and comical, but as the story progressed, it went a LOT deeper than I expected.

Jordan was struggling with feeling like she belonged. Her parents wanted that proof that she should stay at Kensington. Jordan wanted to prove that she belonged at Kensington, and she also wanted to feel like she belonged. Jordan spent the first two years in her "love bubble" with her boyfriend, who after moving on from Kensington, also moved on from her. There she was, junior year - no boyfriend, no friends, and no roles. The Sharpshooters filled a bigger hole than she anticipated. It wasn't just earning the spot in the group, she began to grow, struggle with her identity, and find herself.

One thing Redgate explored from multiple sides was sexual orientation. She had gay, lesbian, and bisexual characters, who were in varying stages of figuring out or coming out. Some were fully out, some were in relationships but in the closet, while others were at the early stages of understanding their own sexuality.

"even just pretending to be a guy was changing me. It was letting me access parts of me I'd pushed back, and parts I didn't know I'd had, and I wanted that version of me. I liked her better. She was new, she was interesting, she felt in charge."

There was some interesting commentary of being female versus male in our society. I was really struck by how Jordan felt she had to suppress parts of herself, while she was able to tap into these hidden parts while masquerading as a male.

"A hint of confusion awoke. What did it say that I'd gotten so addicted to my male disguise? If girlhood felt frustrating, and boyhood felt freeing, did that say more about girlhood, boyhood, or me?"

Redgate assemble a very diverse cast of characters, and I hope everyone can see themselves somewhere in this book. In addition to many being under the GLBT umbrella, there are characters of color, plus sized characters, and socioeconomically disadvantaged characters. Jordan's socioeconomic status plays an important role in the story, and her lifestyle is quite a contrast to those of her Kensington peers.

I don't want to mislead you, there are a lot of lighter moments in this book too. Many of the scenes with the Sharpshooters are full of humor and great banter. There are many, many bromantic moments, and I loved getting to know all the guys in these moments.

I only ever sang in the church and school choir, but I do love a cappella. The passages describing the musical interludes were so vivid and rich. I also loved all the musical references. I really enjoyed peeking behind the curtain to see how hard these kids work.

"What the hell was a 'deceptive cadence'? An obscure supervillian?"

And YES! There is a romance. I cannot lie. I saw this ship coming in, and was totally onboard. I loved the way it played out, and wanted more of it.

"The boy in front of me was a past and a present and a future."

Overall: A fun look at the world of a cappella filled with fun and friendship while exploring identity issues.

Holy cow, I love this book.

The good:

- First and foremost, everything rings true, from the overarching issues (race, gender, class, identity) to small details (what it's like to be part of a music group, theatre department politics). Some of it is from the author's own experience, some of it is from careful research and consideration, and all of it is appreciated.

- The intersectionality is real. In the first chapter Jordan doesn't get cast in the school musical and asks the director why. All the options run through her head - is it because I'm not white? Or because I'm taller than the prospective leading men? This feeling, this 'what's the strike against me this time', is real for many and I'm so happy to see it addressed on the page.

- Likewise all the gender issues are thoughtfully and thoroughly considered. I won't go into detail for fear of spoiling things, so here's a quote after Jordan starts dressing as a guy:

"I'd set down the burdens of being a girl, unstrapped them one by one and left them on the roadside, but my shoulders didn't feel any lighter. They were carrying different, unfamiliar weights now. As I stood there in that derelict husk of a theater, I felt like I'd gotten lost in between my lives, and the road ahead looked long and strange and poorly lit."

- There are subtle pokes at the reader to check in with themselves and see how they're doing regarding these issues.

"With so many queer kids at Kensington, people sometimes got weirdly comfortable, like they had a free pass to say anything they wanted about sexuality. I guess it was tempting to stick a rainbow-colored "Ally" pin on your backpack and call it a day, as if that were the endpoint, not the starting line."

Word.

- Redgate name drops songs - this is a book about a cappella, after all - but none of them are real. It's genius. The story will never date itself by the cultural references within, ensuring that people reading it even twenty years from now will feel a minimal amount of generational whiplash.

- The plot never stops moving, the banter is fun, you can feel the found family that forms within the Sharps, and you watch Jordon discover who they are. It's a delightful journey that I look forward to revisiting.

The only not-so-good thing I can think of is that I was shipping a different couple. That's it. So minor.

In sum, Noteworthy is a diverse, inclusive YA novel that's compulsively readable and a whole lot of fun. And it's full of a cappella! What more could you want?