Thank you to Netgalley for the free arc!

This graphicn novel does a good job of exploring what it is like for a 7th grade girl in a performing arts school in the band. She puts a lot of pressure on herself to try to become first chair flute and is also dealing with a lot at home, including a dad who has addiction issues. While I liked the story, it was unclear who the target audience is. It is written as if it should be for upper elementary but it seemed like it it went a bit too much into the addiction for that age group. I am not sure if a 7th grader would pick up a graphic novel like this.

Just like band and playing the flute was not for me, this wasn't for me either. I tried. I did actual band for a year. I played the flute. It was... not fun. This book was more fun than that. I just think it's for a very niche of people. (aka Band nerds 🤓)

Band Nerd is an important graphic novel that all middle school graphic novel collections need. Lucy's story is about more than just starting at a new school and making new friends. It features a tough topic about difficult family situations. Lucy's situation will resonate with reader's who have had a parent who struggled/struggles with addiction. Highly recommended!

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Seventh grader Lucy Carver is starting her new school year at the Windley School for the Arts, a specialized art school with a focus on music. As she makes friends, her homework load becomes too much, especially math. However, she spends all her time practicing the flute at home, where the atmosphere isn’t the best, considering that her parents fight every day. But, more than anything ,Lucy wants to be first chair in the flute section, and will do anything to achieve that. What happens when home life and school life collide? Can Lucy survive amongst all the mess and stress?
Being in the band is a lot for Lucy Carver, but being in an art school is even harder. From an alcoholic dad and a schoolmate who always wants to compete against her in the flute section, Lucy’s got her hands full. Band Nerd is raw in its emotions and honest in its storytelling. This graphic novel illustrates the challenges of attending a specialized art school, highlighting how consistently striving for excellence can lead to anxiety in any situation. Sometimes realistic and sometimes heartwarming, this comic will draw readers into the world of music.

This has been a great add to the store! For kids who love to win and learning how to be in the world of competitin, highly recomend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

what an emotional graphic novel! I was expecting the story to focus more on being a band nerd but it's mostly about Lucy's struggles as she adapts to a new, harder school while dealing with her father's alcoholism and its affects on her and her family. I thought it was handled with care and I appreciated how many of the side characters were fleshed out well. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a fantastic graphic novel. It handled quite a few sensitive topics in a way that students can relate to. I plan to add this book to my classroom library.

Lucy Carver is affectionately known as a band nerd and is not embarrassed to be called that. She loves playing the flute so much that she auditioned and was accepted into the elite Windley School located way across town. She is not as great in math as her younger, smarter and more athletic sister who is doing math at Lucy’s grade level. However, being on the school’s band track, Lucy’s dream is to become flute first chair during one of the Friday challenges since she loved being first chair all year in 6th grade. Her dream is melting away when her nemesis Tolli takes the coveted spot again and again. Lucy feels the pressure of trying to attain that first chair spot and bring up her mediocre grades which continue to drop. Everything came so easily at her previous school but it’s much more challenging at Windley. To add to her mounting pressures, her parents are constantly fighting because her father is an angry, unemployed alcoholic. Now Lucy is on the outs with her BFF Malia who is cheerleader and a year ahead due to a misunderstanding. Luckily, Lucy’s mom realizes that she could use the assistance of the school counselor where Lucy reveals her ongoing stresses at home and school.

It took me a while to write my review because this story just broke my heart. It is just too much for young Lucy to endure with the never-ending pressures at her new school, the constant tension and fights at home, and struggles with her friends at school. Because this story really touched my heart, it will stick with me for a while, which is a good thing. I love the illustrations, the colors and the fonts. They were all simply done but absolutely conveyed the emotions of the story. There are graphic novels that tend to be overbearing in detail and will detract from the story.

I recommend this book especially to any young reader who may be going through struggles in their life or who even has a great passion for music or another fine art. They will know that they are not alone.

Lucy loves playing the flute and is quite skilled at it. Last year, she held the first chair position in her band class, but things began to change when she transferred to Windley Middle School. Now, Lucy is no longer the best player; she is second chair, behind her ex-friend, Tolli. Additionally, Lucy is struggling in many of her classes, particularly math, and she faces many difficulties at home. Her dad drinks frequently, and her parents are often fighting. Lucy believes that if she can become a strong flute player and regain the first chair position, her life will return to normal.

This book was so good that it almost made me cry. Every time there was a mention of her dad, I felt sad. I appreciated the band competition aspect, as it added a significant element to the story. I’m part of my school band (I play the clarinet), but unlike in this book, we don’t have chair positions. The characters were fantastic; I really liked Lucy because of her competitive nature. I also liked Tolli, although she gave me the impression that she was afraid of her mom, who constantly pushes her to excel in band.

Overall, this book was excellent, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a great read.

Happy Reading, Laly ❤️ 📚

Talk about tough topics... Wow. This book does a great job at tackling some very serious situations in an age appropriate way. While band is a piece of this story, I wouldn't hand this to just any old band nerd; family issues and mental health are the main focus.

Lucy cannot wait for her first day of school at Windley School of the Arts, where she feels she is meant to be despite her parents' concerns about the competitive nature of the school. Lucy quickly finds herself surrounded by new friends and experiences, working hard to show she belongs there. However, as things devolve between her parents at home, Lucy becomes obsessed with getting first chair flute, a position she held for the entire year last year, to put her life back together. But what if that isn't as easy as it should be, or if it doesn't fix things the way she wants?

This graphic novel is so important for so many students. The representation of a child going through trauma, seeking to handle it in the best ways they can, is unfortunately a window into the lives of so many children. I also appreciated the look into Lucy's mind as she struggles with controlling what is in her power when so many things feel outside of her control. The characters were interesting and memorable, and the story flew by. My only wish was that I had more time at the end to see a more thorough resolution of Lucy's problems. I had spent so long with Lucy up until that point that I felt like I could use more time to see the realistic conclusion of her struggles. All told, this was an impactful graphic novel that I will be adding to my middle school library.

Thanks to NetGalley & HarperAlley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.
This sounded like a hopeful and upbeat story, but it actually tackles many complex and realistic themes.
Lucy was fully fleshed out character wise, and flawed, which I liked. Some of the other characters were very stereotypical, especially the siblings.My heart broke for the alcoholism depiction here and how it affected Lucy's family. Given these themes I would recommend it for 13+ readers.This was a heartbreaking yet authentic graphic novel about navigating middle school when life at home is already throwing you too many curveballs.

Lucy is so excited to start at her new performing arts middle school. She meets new friends and teachers, and the band at this school is really good. Lucy promised her parents if they let her go, she would get good grades and first chair, but things are harder than she thought, Her classmates are talented, and Lucy spends so much time practicing, she can't keep up with her school work. At home, things are rough. Her parents fight all the time, and her dad drinks too much. Lucy tries to keep it all together and make her parents proud, but it is an impossible task with an alcoholic father. In a book very reminiscent of 'Hey, Kiddo,' "Band Nerd' is about a normal middle schooler who takes on too much to try to compensate for her hard home life.

Absolutely love the art style in this graphic novel. The subject matter is on the heavy side (the main character's dad is alcoholic), but I think it's handled sensitively and well. I think this is a good add for upper middle grade collections, for those who may have aged out of The Babysitters Club but still enjoy realistic graphic novels.

“Band Nerd” is a middle-grade graphic novel with really nice artwork.

It tells the story of Lucy, a girl who changes schools. She enjoys her new one, but things are tough for her. She struggles with bad grades, having to keep up practicing music as to get first chair, and deals with a tough home life, especially due to her dad’s alcoholism. You really feel for Lucy.

The book covers the topic of an alcoholic family member in a thoughtful way.

It’s a good story a lot of kids and adults alike will enjoy.

This was wonderfully written and illustrated, coming-of-age story, about a girl who is struggling both at home and at school.
What Lucy and her family don’t realize is how much the situation at home is affecting her and her younger siblings.

Lucy puts so much emphasis on getting first chair at the orchestra, that she neglects her already strained academics, meanwhile, she makes friends but alienates them and she can’t figure out how to make things right.

Lucy’s father, has an alcohol use disorder and that greatly impacts all aspects of their lives. I’ve never seen a MG book or GN directly address alcoholism, and I honestly think it’s great. The problem is named and represented very well.

The story tackles the problem of addiction well. Lucy finds support in her band director and her guidance counselor. They reach out to her parents, she makes amends with her friends.
While it feels like the resolution was simpler than real life, I believe books like this give kids the opportunity to learn there are tools and resources out there, that they are not alone when they have to deal with family that has problems, and that they are a lot of times beyond something they can fix by themselves. I think it’s a great tool to discuss the topic with young readers.

The authors note at the end was also important, as she shares this was inspired by real life experiences from her own childhood.

Band Nerd is a graphic novel about Lucy adujusting to a new school while dealing with an alcoholic dad and self pressure to first chair so everything would be back to normal for her.

The art sometimes looks a little unfinished. Band Nerd tackles difficult topics wonderfully.

A wonderfully illustrated and written graphic novel about a middle school girl who is obsessed with becoming a first chair flute player in her new school's band. It deals with some heavier topics of addiction and family dysfunction in a hopeful and tender way. There are some lovely,mature and caring adults in the midst of a sea of unhealthy ones. I can see this being a great help and encouragement for a student going through similar struggles and would recommend it. I read the whole thing in one sitting.

I received this book as an arc from Netgalley in exchange for my review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Could not read this title on NetGalley Reader! Will have to look it up on Libby app after it comes out. Was really excited about this one.

Beautifully illustrated and beautifully written! The family and school conflicts were woven together effectively to create a compelling narrative, and the reconciliations made for a lovely ending.