Review: I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone

I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert is a marvelous coming of age story full of pop culture references and raw, real emotions.

The Clash. Social Distortion. Dead Kennedys. Patti Smith. The Ramones.

Punk rock is in Emily Black's blood. Her mother, Louisa, hit the road to follow the incendiary music scene when Emily was four months old and never came back. Now Emily's all grown up with a punk band of her own, determined to find the tune that will bring her mother home. Because if Louisa really is following the music, shouldn't it lead her right back to Emily?

-Goodreads

This is definitely a book that I will recommend to some of my more angsty friends.

This book is a fresh read, something unlike anything I've come across in a while. I loved how much music was just infused in the prose. The characters thrived on music and sound. And there are so many unpredictable twists and turns. It's a pretty long book, as it follows an ambitious rock star through many phases of her life. But there was never a point while reading when I found myself saying, 'Well, I know exactly what's going to happen next.' That being said, I never got bored. It's a fantastic first novel from an author that I can't wait to continue reading.

I also loved that the novel was set neat Chicago. I grew up in the area, and I loved all of the little things that the author snuck in, little instances or references that I could directly relate to.

If you want something real, something unpredictable, something that will leave you thirsty to hear this music, read this.