Member Reviews
Jennifer H, Reviewer
A cute story about Leo who is able to navigate through difficult moments with the help of his magical guitar that brings musicians who can give him advice. Perfect for young readers as the writing is a bit shallow, but is full of relatable topics. So many things happen during one's teenage years so I think this is perfect to read with your kids. Personally, I read it because I liked the book cover art and I saw it available as an audiobook. The narration was great.
Reviewer 1541380
The story was cute, it follows Leo, a 13 year old boy, who receives a magical guitar that lets him talk to the spirits of other musicians(dead and alive), when he needs their advice the most. The advice is not only music related but it's tied to what is happening in his life, being bullied, weird rumours, first love and friendship.
Most of the characters were likable, except Derek, he was so infuriating. Leo's relationship with his mom and with Shane were the best.
I actually enjoyed the spanish words here and there, despite it being a bit repetitive, the narrator made it sound natural.
Taylor S, Librarian
This is a very sweet and meaningful middle grade novel that works well as an audiobook.
Leo is a 13 year old who loves to play guitar and is dealing with drama with classmates at school and his mom being between jobs. He is bilingual and speaks in Spanish with his mom. The Spanish is woven seamlessly into the audio narration and is defined well by context of the conversation or translation by another character.
The guitar Leo is given by his uncle has a touch of magic to it and brings about stars old and new that even todays youth will be able to identify such as Prince, John Lennon, Taylor Swift, and Adele.
Leo seems to deal with some anxiety and big feelings throughout the novel and a subtle thread about coping skills are woven into the text without it being the main point of the plot. There’s important exploration of bullying, friendship, self care, and compassion.
Overall this is a great pick for grades 4-7, especially those who want to read about slightly older characters while maintaining clean language and themes.
