Future rock star or lonely outcast? That is not at all an option. Twelve-year-old Apple struggles with being different, having shady friends, and pursuing her aspirations in this debut tween book.
With regard to her classmates, Apple has always felt a little strange. When she was a little child, she and her mother immigrated to Louisiana from the Philippines. Her mother continues to prepare Filipino food, occasionally speaks incorrectly in English, and berates Apple for being “too American.” When the boys in Apple’s class add her name to the “Dog Log,” a list of the least popular girls at school, it gets intolerable in middle school. She turns to music when her friends start to turn on her and her life begins to appear strange and awkward. Maybe she can alter herself if she can just save enough money to get a guitar and learn to play. She might be saved by the music or by her two new friends, who demonstrate just how special she is.
Quotes
“When you say something out loud, it makes it a big truth. Best to keep it in your mind and keep it small”
― Erin Entrada Kelly, Blackbird Fly
“It’s hard for me to fall asleep when I’m mad, because the anger swirls around my head and keeps me awake like a bad song that won’t stop playing.”
― Erin Entrada Kelly, Blackbird Fly