NOTEWORTHY is a glaringly realistic window into the world that is much needed on the teen shelves in bookstores today. Both a drama and a humorously wild tale of a cappella, brotherhood, and finding one’s way in the world no matter the obstacles stacked against you.
-pooled ink Reviews

I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this book, it isn't my normal type or read but I am pushing myself to read out of my comfort zone. I was glad I did because it took me on a deeper journey than I thought,. My initial expectations of the book were that it is just a story about an A Capella group. What I mean by this is people fighting over songs, people wanting to join the group and all that type of typical group dynamics exploration. As it turned out it wasn't that simple, I was led on a journey getting to know Jordan/Julian and her/his desire to be accepted, to have her time in the spotlight only having to disguise herself to do it and bonding with a group of guys all unique and valued in their own way.


The most confusing/disappointing/underdeveloped part of the story was about Michael, I know there were snippets of him throughout the book whether it was a memory or just the mere mention of his name. Yet, when I first began reading the book I felt that his role was going to be larger than it was and his character would be developed further which essentially wasn't to be. I can see how vital his role was to the whole plot of the story and Jordan accepting herself and moving on, so I also recognise that any more added content would have probably been taking the book in the wrong direction. So while I was confused and disappointed I also understood the possible reasoning behind the story line.

While I cannot give the ending away...you really need to read the book yourself, I will say I was satisfied with the ending.

my review: https://youtu.be/Al-lfMjFQW0?t=12m23s

Just finished reading this book and I absolutely loved this book. So many feelings I have from reading this book. I loved the way diversity was showed through out reading this book. For those who looking for more diverse books need to add Noteworthy to their TBR Pile.

NOTEWORTHY is a poignant story that explores bisexuality, manhood & womanhood, and the a capella environment. We start out with Jordan Sun, who is a junior trying to find her place in the world of Kensington. She feels like she's failed, because she's got rejected for a role every single time that she's auditioned for the musical. Plus to add to that, she is an Alto 2, which doesn't fit the regular "feminine" voice range, so it's seen like she's a lone wolf floating on an island.

One day she gets an email, that tells her that there's an opening into the Sharpshooters, an elite a capella group who is worshiped by the student on campus. Jordan wants nothing else then to feel a part of something, to stop feeling so isolated. There's only one problem: since the beginning of the groups's history, this has only been a male-only group.

Our main protagonist Jordan, feels so authentic, yet different then every other "rich" kid that's on campus. She Chinese America, has a taller height than average, and feels confident. There's realistic financial problems that she has to face; she came from a poor and underprivileged family, her father is disabled and mother has part-time job, and she's riding on a full scholarship and doesn't have the money for plane tickets.

This type of nuanced discussion needs to be happened more and more in YA. Bringing out the shame of relying on government programs to buy food and the inability to pay for college, perhaps help other people. They feel like they're not alone, they see Jordan that is "other" yet it also seems like the things that she's going through are realistic. This is reality for many people (like Jordan), and it needs to be more represented in the YA lit. that we are reading.

As a side note, the subplot of this book is romance, but it's definitely not the main focus. Her bisexuality isn't the main focus either, there isn't that much attention in that department. I'm ok with the author choosing not to really focus on that, because this is her artistic work, and Jordan's sexuality is only one part of her life.

What would really bother me is when I hear readers say (view spoiler). No way, you can't just go and invalidate that big part of their identity. You know what, I honestly did not feel the chemistry between her and her love interest at the end of the book, but she can be with whoever she wants. period. I can respect that and her decisions completely.

I could really connect to all of her anecdotes about being a theater kid and trying to audition her way into musicals and getting rejected. That's where the author hooked me on being deeply connected with Jordan as a character. I loved how Redgate put an emphasis on singing and a capella group, and how everything isn't as it looks like. There are points of rivalry and struggles and tension between the group members, which makes their humanity shine through. I mean, we all get that drama happens in choir, right?

**Thanks to NetGalley the publisher for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own**

Note Worthy reminds me of Twelfth Night, She's the Man, or even Mulan - where a girl masquerades as a guy for whatever purpose and ends up in over her head. Jordan wants to be in theatre, but as an Alto 2 she is hard-pressed to even find a find tailored to her range. All she wants is to pursue her dreams. Feeling down, she notices an audition for a tenor in an all-male A Capella group and takes a chance. Dressed as Julian and sporting a short wig, she impresses the Sharpshooters enough to claim the open spot and suddenly everything changes. She actually had this small, musically-inclined family to belong to. A place at Kensington - as long as nobody realizes that she is a girl.

Pretty quickly, it looks like one of the guys might be a future love interest for Jordan, not Julian as in all likelihood the group will eventually discover her secret. I expected that they would be hurt at first, but eventually forgive her after all they've been through together. Most of my expectations came to pass, although there were slight deviations. Overall, there weren't really any big surprises or reveals in the book.

The characters are so wonderfully well written and realistic. You watch them grow, learn about themselves and find yourself grinning like an idiot when Trav does (because that boy seriously needed it). You cheer for their wins and want to personally beat up those who wrong them. You've become an honorary Sharp and these guys are your family just like they are for Jordan.

Highly recommended contemporary novel about growing up, learning about yourself, making friends and the secrets you keep. And most importantly? Music. Great read for teen/young adult readers with a small amount of profanity.

I loved, loved, loved this book! This was my first time reading a Riley Redgate book after having heard so many good things about her first book, Seven Ways We Lie, from library colleagues and Teen Advisory Board members. Every part of this book was wonderfully written and engaging. I was truly impressed by the amount of diversity and progressive understanding exhibited in this novel. The cast of side characters are so diverse and fleshed out along with the main character, that I think any reader can find a character to relate to. I also appreciated that the characters were all three dimensional, including the antagonist.

My absolute favorite aspect of this book was that every time I saw a "YA novel stereotype" scenario coming, Redgate would flip the book on me and take the scene in a different direction. I was pleasantly surprised every time. I was also impressed with the amount of suspense I felt over a book about a capella competition. During the competition scene I was on the edge of my seat, fearing that group was going to make a mistake in their performance or were going to face sabotage like they did earlier in the book.

Overall I was thoroughly impressed and am looking forward to seeing more from Redgate and to going back and reading her debut novel.

Noteworthy reminds me of a Usain Bolt 100m race: slow to start, fast in the middle and eases up before the finish line, but still ahead of the pack. Let's do a post-race analysis.

Writing:

The first thing that jumped at me was the change in Redgate's writing style. When I read Seven Ways We Lie I found it enjoyable but not engaging. Noteworthy is the complete opposite. This book is utterly engaging. Flowery when it needs to be not never over the top. I found myself bookmarking numerous passages and sentences because I thought they were beautiful or simply extremely well written. This made for an entirely enjoyable reading experience. I look forward to seeing more of Riley as she matures as a writer.

Plot & Pacing:
Noteworthy has a Twelfth Night vibe going for it, but it's easy to love this even if you aren't into Shakespeare :)
However, I didn't find myself enjoying this until about halfway through, then, bam! Everything fell into place. I was a bit concerned about the representation of bisexuality and transsexuality (as the character would bind her chest in order to pass for a male), however, there is a passage that does address the concerns regarding appropriating from the trans community and I definitely respect and appreciate the manner in which it was handled. That is, educational and respectfully. Beyond my views as an ally I cannot adequately speak to the bisexual rep in this book but I would love to point out that this is own voices and it is evident that the author created the type of positive representation that she would like to see in YA. Moreover, I like the intricate approach to handling issues relating to wealth, status and familial dynamics. I often find parental figures in YA extremely one-dimensional but Redgate somehow manages to make the interactions between the MC and her parents seem honest to life, and the story is all the more better off for it.

The book also addresses issues of gender in a solid way without being preachy. It's interesting to see the MC lose herself in "a man's world." If you find yourself struggling with this book, press on. It's worth it.

Characters:
Oh boy! One thing Redgate does extremely well is characters. I kept forgetting that they were high-schoolers though. My bad. Nonetheless, I loved all and want to adopt and protect them. Maybe except Dr. Caskey. Him I do not want to protect (or adopt).

Overall, Noteworthy, in my opinion, cements Redgate's status a strong writer who creates beautiful characters. I wholeheartedly recommend Noteworthy and will continue to sing its praises.

This book was incredible. Jordan was an entirely relatable character with clear motivations, authentic feelings and voice, and a wonderful supporting cast of characters. Noteworthy is a book that touches on so many subjects and speaks true to all the ones I can see from my perspective.

I will be recommending this book to... well, everyone. But lovers of a capella, theater, cross-dressing ladies, and complicated schemes will enjoy this title.

Jordan Sun is starting her junior year at performing arts school, but being an Alto 2, she's always struggled to get a role in the school musical. When the school get a mass email informing them that the Sharpshooters, the school's revered all-male a cappella group, Jordan is determined to make this year different. She cross-dresses as a guy, Julian, and discovers that, as a Tenor 1, she's just what the Sharpshooters need.
**

+ Our main character represents a lot of things. Jordan is a bisexual (which she discovers throughout the course of the novel), Chinese-American girl coming from a poor family. She's tall and has a low voice, making her easily pass as a guy. All of these things have stopped her from achieving her goals in Kensington, but as a guy, she finds her place. During the beginning of her transformation into Julian, she Googles ways to flatten her chest and comes across a website for trans people. What follows is an important narrative as Jordan compares her cross-dressing as a disguise and lie whereas for trans, it's a very different and important matter. The book also touches upon sexuality and gender stereotypes as Jordan regularly calls out acts of sexism in her role as Julian.

+ Upon hearing that Jordan would be the only main female character in this book, amongst a group of all males, I was hesitant but this is a very interesting and diverse group of boys. Isaac who is Japanese, Trav who is black, Jon Cox who has a learning disability and Nihal, a Sikh guy who reveals that he is gay. Jordan develops a friendship with each of them and I especially loved her friendship with Nihal who becomes something of a confidante. I just loved the bond between them and their domesticity during rehearsal. I'm a sucker for domesticity!

+ The prose was beautiful, flowing like music itself and despite the book focusing on a subject I'm not clued up on (music, singing, a cappella), the author manages to let it flow naturally, never info-dumping any of the technical terms. The book is split into four parts but it is a novel you can definitely read in one sitting. It manages to touch upon important subjects and represent them without preaching or making the narrative too difficult. It is a style of contemporary that we need more of.

+ Overall, I liked being inside Jordan's head. I liked her transformation into Julian and how it changed her and also the high expectations she puts on herself to please her parents. Jordan is also dealing with an emotional breakup throughout the course of the novel and it was so refreshing to see her journey through accepting its end. This book just manages to deal with so many topics and issues and yet never rushes over the main story. Riley Redgate just proves that you can still deal with important issues in a YA contemporary novel without it being the main focus. Jordan destroys gender norms one page at a time and it was truly an honour to have met her and the Sharpshooters.

Redgate is one of the FINEST voices in contemporary YA literature. I'm not sure how she manages to blend humor and heart-wrenching emotion every time, but she does. I'm not a theater or music geek, former or current, so I'm not even the ideal audience for this novel but oh man, this was great. I'm sure theater and music kids will absolutely ADORE THIS even more than I did. Every character absolutely shines and I really just want to give them all hugs.

DNF: This book was not for me.