I wasn't the biggest fan of this one. The main character came across really whiny, self-deprecating, and entitled at the start of the book, and I couldn't really shake that feeling throughout the rest of the book. I really wanted to like this because the concept sounded amazing, I just couldn't get on board with the characterizations.

The songs you’ve never heard of follows Meg, the sister of a famous pop-star. Dealing with all the fame and pressure, she feels invisible and overshadowed by her brother. Not until she finds Alana.

Another good YA book! this book tackles a lot of theme mainly family, friendship, and fame. The characters are lovable and relatable. I’m not a fan of pop culture references in a book but nevertheless, the book was written well. To sum it all up, this was an easy book to follow especially if you’re a music person.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4⭐️
I loved this book. It was so good that I read it in one morning while I was supposed to be writing an 8 page English essay type of good. Meg and Alyssa’s friendship was just so pure and the way they bonded over their love for music was just so endearing. Watching Meg slowly learn to trust Alyssa and then write songs with her was so good. The slow burn of the trust was just amazing and their passion for music put together was definitely worth it.

When reading the description for it, I believed that it was going to be a book following the lives of Alyssa and Meg. However, it just felt like the book was about Meg but Alyssa was an important character in it. I love Meg, but I was really hoping to see so much more of Alyssa which was a let down, especially with the way the description made it seem like it would follow both girls with the statement about their “worlds colliding”.

Also, I loved Meg. Her family was horrible and I still couldn’t find myself forgiving them in the end with the way they managed to neglect her but still hound her to live up to the McCarthy brand at the same time. She seemed to be really realistic for the most part, but it also felt very out of character for her to be able to be so oblivious to the privilege that Alyssa points out. I wish that area of self awareness was part of her growth as a young girl who’s had an ugly glimpse into the world due to her brother (don’t even get me started on that asshole, he did not deserve any of the forgiveness imo).

Would definitely recommend to someone!

I wanted to love this book; I wanted to fall head over heels for a contemporary story focused around music- but I just couldn't. Part of it is definitely because this book feels aimed more towards young middle school readers (and if you are a young middleschooler, you might really enjoy this!).
The music portions of this story are beautifully done but the rest of the writing style falls short for me. I'm also not a huge fan of the way the romance is handled in the story; Meg spends most of the time being a jerk or hiding her identity from Matty and that isn't a good basis for a relationship.

A heart-warming YA book about bullying, bravery and the power of friendship. A worthwhile read for anyone who enjoys music, romance, and inspirational women.


________

I should premise this review by saying that I do not give four stars lightly. I am often over-critical of the books I read, and because Goodreads does not give the ability to assign half-stars, I frequently round down with my ratings. The Songs You've Never Heard, however, is deserving of this four (and a half -- come on Goodreads!) stars.

The Songs You've Never Heard tells the story of Meg McCarthy, a teenage singer-songwriter who lives in the shadow of her famous older brother, Casper. Fearing rejection and negative feedback, Meg has anonymously been sharing her songs with her long-time crush, Matty, who doesn't realise Meg is the girl he has been chatting to online for the past two years. This is, until Meg begins her summer job where she meets Alana, who like her, is a singer-songwriter, but unlike Meg, is brave enough to perform her music in public. Their initially tumultuous friendship is what enriches and drives this novel, and is the reason this book gets my rarer rating of four stars.

I did sometimes struggle with the amount of angst and attitude of Meg. She complains about how she has been pigeon-holed against her wishes as the 'style influencer' for the McCarthy brand, but we're never actually shown her performing this role. Rather, it's just a way to introduce and talk about the negative comments she receives online and in-person because of this persona. And the amount of time spent internalising and complaining about it, compared to the amount of time she actually spends (even forced) performing this role, is disproportionate.

In addition, the falling-out of Meg and her brother, Casper, over his fame, the pressure that comes with it, and the terrible way in which he expresses his feelings, isn't quite fleshed out enough. He's given a redemptive arc, but I feel it did not quite make up for the awful things he had said to Meg, his parents, TJ or Alana. His poor behaviour and false accusations towards Meg and his family (including TJ) are never truly addressed, as there's only one part in the narrative where he seems to explicitly acknowledge this, and even then, he makes excuses rather than owning up to his behaviour. I would have liked to see him make a more formal/sincere apology.

Despite these two shortcomings, the book is redeemed by one thing: Alana. Alana is the hero of this book. Not only is she plus-size representative, but her personality and attitude toward life shine throughout the book. We see her vulnerable side when people make her feel less, but her resilience in the face of this bullying is amazing. For this reason alone I would have loved to see more exploration of her character and internal monologue. Even if it were just a few short paragraphs spread throughout the book (or better yet, a chapter)!

I also have to acknowledge that I loved the lyrics included in the book. It's the little things that make something fiction feel more authentic.

Thank you to Clock Tower Publishing and Netgalley for giving me the privilege of reviewing an ARC.

I was already struggling with this book from the get-go - the main character just comes across as mean and rude. I understand she has familial issues contributing to that, but there was nothing making me root for her. Then I got to the point where we meet Alana, and the description completely turned me off. In that one paragraph, she is described as "big" six times, which just comes across as really strange? Like Meg is TRYING to avoid saying Alana is fat but also wanting us to KNOW she's fat. I also take issue with the "not to be rude" that starts the paragraph. If Meg weren't being fatphobic/meant to be rude, why would describing someone's body type be rude? I strongly suggest this intro (as well as any other parts of the book that may include descriptions of Alana's body) be edited and potentially sensitivity read before publication. I will not be continuing with this book because this intro to a fat character seems very strange and lowkey fatphobic, and I have no interest in reading any more from this MC's point of view.

First of all I wanted to thank netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to discover this book !

"The songs You've Never Heard" is about Meg, a girl who lives in the shadow of her famous brother ! Everything in her home is about her brother... even people around her seems interested in her only for her brother ! In the shadow Meg writes and produces their own songs but she keeps that in secret. However everything changes when Meg starts working at a yogurt shop where she meets Alana who writes and sings her songs in public. Alana will help Meg to find her voice and a friendship quickly starts between the two girls !

I really liked this book and the characters ! The lyrics that we can find in the story were amazing and also I really liked the pop culture we can find in this story ! I loved the friendship between Meg and Alana and how they support each other ! It was a good reading and if you like story about music, this book is for you !

The Songs You’ve Never Heard by Becky Jerams & Ellie Wyatt is a young adult contemporary fiction ‘booksical’ about two very different musical young adults that come together to create music & write a beautiful friendship story along the way. The author deemed ‘booksical’ is such a cool & witty concept & I loved the idea.
This is a book drenched in music. There’s song lists galore, song lyrics, music industry talk & a plethora of singer mentions. I loved all the song lists. I thought it was so fun & even added some to my own playlists! Thank you authors!
I will say that I got very frustrated with the main character’s actions & rudeness to the boy she loves. She was just so mean to him so many times that I got irritated. I understand her home life & family wasn’t as glamorous as everyone thought, but she was terrible to him so often it didn’t make sense to me.
This one is very difficult for me to rate because I did really enjoy parts of this, especially all the music. The original song lyrics were so clever & I could practically hear the songs play in my head as I read them. But on the other hand, I really didn’t like a lot of the repetitive, negative behavior from multiple characters. I know people are imperfect, make mistakes & typically grown & learn to do better, but people should also not have to accept the vile words & actions they spewed. I will also add that I’m an adult & this is a young adult book, so perhaps I’m too far removed from being a teenager. I’m going to give it a 3.5 stars.
There were some empowering moments & I loved the friendship & support between the main girls. I loved how it showed the importance of ignoring the cyber bullies & instead focus on what you love & the passion you have for it. It also briefly displayed the importance of representation & being able to see yourself in entertainment, which I love.
I did really enjoy the ending & how things came together. There was some character growth along with apologies that I appreciated.
If you enjoy music, I would definitely check out The Songs You’ve Never Heard by Becky Jerams & Ellie Wyatt.
The Songs You’ve Never Heard comes out June 16, 2022!

Trigger warnings: This book mentions &/or contains fatphobia, overdose, violence, toxic beauty standards, diet culture & bullying.

I will post to my Instagram before publication & add links once I do.

So so good! <3

Meg McCarthy has it all. An Influencer, with a super famous brother, a picture-perfect family, and everything a girl could want.

Or so it seems. In reality, she resents her brother. He is not the nicest person and fame didn't help either. The whole family was uprooted for him to follow his dream and parents are always at his beck and call no matter what. She is strongly encouraged to continue posting on social media, to promote the products, their family name and the picture they are trying to create. She doesn't like it. Especially the ugly comments that come with it, that are slowly eating away at her. She feels trapped by the image and is very lonely. It's hard to trust when everyone just wants to use her to get to her brother. So just assumes no one is there to talk to her, just to use her as a stepping stone.

Her only respite is her music. She writes awesome songs, but never shares them with anyone, except for her online best friend. Who is also her real-life crush. But somehow whenever he tried to talk to her at school, the meanest words come out.

When her mother encourages her to get a summer job, she meets Alana. She is everything she is not, confident, loud, outspoken. She is also a musician. The last thing she wants is to share her music, but it still happens. And they form a due. But the music world is hard and ruthless.

I was moved, I cried, I rooted for Meg, I wanted to shake when she was unreasonable. This book put me through are a roller coaster of emotions. It's so so good! It has music, female friendship, secret crush, strong emphasis on being who you are and going for what you want.

Can't recommend it enough!

The book is a very wholesome read, but is overall a very standard YA contemporary with few surprises to the plot. It wasn’t a bad read, but I feel that younger me would have liked it a lot more. This is due to the story feeling like it’s for a younger audience, even though the main character Megan is 17. Because present-day me just couldn’t really get into the story.

This is also due to the fact that the main character Megan starts out pretty unlikable, only to make a 180 degrees turnaround when it seemed to fit her. She doesn’t really have any depth, and I really believe that a dual perspective with Alana would have benefited the story. Which honestly was something I was expected from the blurb. Because Megan just can’t hold up the story completely on her own, and is at time pretty rude to the people around her. Which at times is very justified, especially in her dysfunctional family life and with her douche bag brother. Alana on the other hand is a sweetie, even though she can come off as a bit overbearing at times. But you can tell that her heart is in the right place. I would have loved to get to know her a bit better, and their friendship was definitely the best part of the book, and it was fun to read about their musical adventures.

It’s not a bad YA contemporary, but it just didn’t hit the right spot for me. Although it was a sweet story that quick read.

4.5 stars!
It took me quite awhile to finish this, in the beginning of the story I wasn’t hooked but I was interested in how this story would evolve so I kept on reading. I’m glad I did.

It’s a good story about friendships and family, I loved the lyrics and overall it’s a really good book.

What’s stopping me from giving it 5 stars is I liked the ending, not loved it. I liked how Matty messages her and how she gets called on stage but I keep on wondering what would happen with Alana and Meg their careers actually end.

4.5 stars
This was a great, quick YA read! It follows Meg McCarthy as she tries to navigate life as the sister of a famous musician with her somewhat overbearing parents and online haters. Meg has hidden her own musical abilities in order to protect herself from online ridicule and opinions. I thought this was a unique book and I loved all of the song lyrics and references to popular musicians! I found Meg to be very relatable and easy to root for. I enjoyed the romance between Matty and Meg, even though she was hiding her true identity from him online. They do not have much physical interaction in the book, but you see their relationship and connection build through the song lyrics Meg writes and their online chats. Meg’s friendship with Alana was also EVERYTHING!! This book included such great plus-size representation by giving us a plus-sized character who is more than just her size and was very confident! I loved the writing style and pace of this book a lot! It was a really easy read and centered a lot on Meg finding her confidence and her voice in the crazy public life she lived, which I found very honest and relatable as so many teens can struggle with confidence. Ultimately, it was such a sweet read that focused on great friendships and relationships and all about finding a way to be true to yourself and forget the haters! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA Fiction!
Thanks to NetGalley and both Clock Tower and Sweet Cherry Publishings for allowing me to read this advanced e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

First off I want to say that I think that the premise was really good and the plot could have made a fantastic book however I really did not like this book. I hated the writing style, the characters were annoying and not well fleshed out. I found myself not caring at all about either Meg or Alana even when we were meant to feel sorry for them. I wasn't sure if the writers wanted us to like the parents or not as every time they were on the page they were either ignoring Meg and being better parents to Casper or they were really supportive parents who were amazing to her.
My least favourite part of this book was the romance between Meg and Matty, I didn't find it believable and didn't feel any chemistry or understand why Meg was so in love with him. (Also the reason he hated her I found stupid as you can't go around photographing people without their consent then get upset when they are mad at you),

Thank you Net galley for sending me an arc of "The songs you've never heard" in exchange for a honest review!



I am pleasantly surprised to say that I loved this way more than I through I would. All the characters were beautifully developed through the book, and the personality growth of Alana, Cass and TJ left me in complete awe.


The plot was extremely easy to follow, and each chapter left me unable to put this down.



Other than the romance between Megan and Matty which I personally didn't enjoy reading about due to the insta love that it involved, and the extreme at times pop culture references,this book was a joy to read,and something I'd definitely recommend to everyone looking for a story, that manages to remain easy to read while simultaneously exploring darker themes, such as body shaming, racism and unstable family dynamics.

I liked this book! I know it had quite a bunch of aspects that are definitely difficult ( body shaming, bullying, overlooked sibling ) but I felt it didn’t pretend these things weren’t happening and does attempt to shed light on the situations. So, yeah, Meg was was terrible. Because she had bad experiences in the past she pushes everyone away. That’s noticeable immediately. It’s interesting to watch her attempt to continue this behavior only for it to backfire. Alana is the bright, sweet character we are all rooting for and it’s heartbreaking to watch her get torn down as she pursues her dream. Watching the two come together and support one another is what makes the story. I liked that Meg wasn’t perfect but that she was willing to put aside her own crap for Alana. I liked that Alana was willing to call Meg out on her behavior. I also liked that Meg’s love life doesn’t just magically resolve when her truth is revealed. She has to own up to her actions. Sometimes we don’t see how things end, but we see where they are headed. That’s enough for me. I wish it were more about Meg and Alana and less about Caspar but don’t we all tend to dwell on the things that we don’t have instead of all the things we do? (Only dislike was the whole Matty/Meggy thing. Those names made them sound like they were 4 year olds but whatever.)

I liked the music aspect and how they wrote as an answer to public reaction. Meg is definitely flawed so I never thought she was a role model. I saw Meg as the part of everyone that has messed up and doesn’t know how to come back from it. That even if you screwed up you still have a choice of changing that narrative. We all have to allow ourselves the second chance to do better and be better. This was a sweet read that felt realistic and reflected all the imperfections of life.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

this one was tricky, while the story is beautiful and super sweet, the way the character made me feel as so un pleasant, the only character that I was looking forward to read about was Alana, I loved Alana so much, and Matty. apart from them all the rest of the character where so unlikable and bluntly rude.This gave me so many heart-palpitations for the amount of fatphobia in it. Specially the chapter when one of the character goes out of his way to tell Alana that she'll never succeed because of her weight, that was so triggering to read as someone that's an artist and also plus size. I didn't care about Meg and didn't have any sympathy for Caspar whatsoever.

Championing sisterhood, musical talent and body positivity, it’s the perfect teen novel. This book was wonderfully intriguing; but it was the emotion in the story and the quality of the writing that sang out to me.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Do you like music?? Duh of course you do. Then read this book, I guarantee you that it will get you fangirling over some music. Totally worth it!

The book is about a girl named Meg that is overshadowed by her famous singer brother. Meg has a really hard time dealing with all the fame and her family excepts her to just accept her new fait not really caring about her and her opinion.

At times Meg could get a little irritating because of her hidden identity and all the lies she tells. I rarely like when the main character tells such lies because I get so frustrated therefore it's obvious that the lies will catch up to the character like in real life. But if you like that trope or can read past it, it's defiantly worth the read!

But overall, the story was great I really enjoyed following Alana’s and Megs friendship and see them deal with hard topics. For example, negative comments about body weight and stop caring what other people think. It's what you want that's important!

In this book you also get the song lyrics that the characters sings/writers which does the reading experience much more enjoyable.

Meg is continuously shadowed by her famous singer brother. Her parents barely notice her and friends..? What are those when the only thing people see you for is an in with the A listers? When Meg starts a job at a yogurt shop she meets Alana. Alana is everything Meg needs in her life and she helps her find her voice. Also, Megs online bestie..? Real life crush.

I’m not one for romance-y type books, but I’ve been dipping my toes in more. And this one delivered! I absolutely loved the the body type diversity. I feel books don’t show that enough. The lyrics that were laid out were amazing and I felt I could actually hear the songs playing in my head. It was great to see a friendship in a book that was just.. real. And that’s what Meg and Alana shared. And the crush. Ugh. Swoon!

I love a book with musical themes and this was just such a lovely read. It definitely leans more towards teens than a typical YA book, but younger me would have absolutely eaten this up!

The playlist element is a really wonderful addition to this cute story. I’d recommend for teenagers definitely!