When I read this I spent the whole book rolling my eyes. This kid was annoying lol And I know this is a YA book, but this was more than that. He was one of those kids who laughed at his own jokes and said stuff that he laughed at but never other people. And while that’s fine sometimes, to do it all then time was just dumb lol

So I guess we’ll start with the characters. Baby when I tell you this dude made me mad af throughout this whole book! He was not funny and was borderline weird. I kept leaning my head over like wtf are you talking about lol Almost every time he opened his mouth was like a cringe. It really took me out of the story. And yes I know teenage boys that want to be rappers will walk around and make up lyrics all the time. But the reason why his were annoying, were because his just weren’t good. The other characters were more chill and kind of had some sense, which was the reason I didn’t DNF it I think. The other character that he falls for tho, didn’t actually have sense. I didn’t actually understand the reason behind her doing that. Anything could have happened. (I’m not gonna lie, that irritated me.) But i was glad that he found someone that actually cared about him.

The representation in this one tho was very on point. The way he spoke about his mama and how she was a single mom who was like not eating at some points because they had to. I felt that was very real. And the mental health rep that stems from that live stream. It was very real. Can you imagine sniffing your arm pits with that many people watching? lmaooooo

Which brings me to the humor of this. It was definitely funny lol But Idk if it was because it was actually funny or if it was because he really was that bad a rap lol Some parts were funny, but most of the time I was laughing at him because his rap skills were not there. I fear its the latter because the only real part that I laughed at was the beginning where they went viral lol

The social media aspect was also one of my favorite things. Y’all know I’m a sucker for a book with social media. And this one got me. I hate to say it, but I did laugh at them going viral. I DID give him his props tho when he did what he did at Raptology. At least that one was cool lol

This book was ok, but I wanted more depth. This was really just a constant state of weirdness lol And I know it was supposed to be this fun time, but for me I just kept hoping that he didn’t get into this rap battle because the people telling him he had skills were doing him a disservice lmao

Nathanael Lessore's Dropping Beats is a vibrant and heartfelt tale about self-discovery, ambition, and the power of music. With a protagonist who is both relatable and inspiring, the story pulsates with energy, humor, and emotion, exploring themes of friendship, identity, and chasing dreams. Lessore's fresh writing style and sharp dialogue make this book a standout for young adults seeking an uplifting and contemporary read. A must for fans of music and coming-of-age stories!