Blog Tour: Beat the Band by Don Calame

Today I am honoured to have the brilliant Don Calame, author of Swim the Fly and his recent release, Beat the Band, guest posting on my blog as part of the Beat the Band Blog Tour. Read on crudeness in YA novels.

The question has been posed to me: Why does crudeness tend to be reserved for boy books when teenage girls can be just as crude?

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Review: Beat the Band by Don Calame

Beat the Band by Don Calame (ARC) - WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling the first in the series. Read no further if you're planning on reading this series and don't want it spoiled for you.

'Who gets more girls than a rock god? No one.'

In the hotly-awaited sequel to the hysterical Swim the Fly, Coop finds himself partnered with social outcast 'Hot Dog' Helen for a class project on safe sex. Desperate to find a way of saving his rep, Coop decides that winning the school Battle of the Bands contest is the perfect solution.

Surely the small fact that neither he nor his best friends, Sean and Matt, can actually play an instrument will stop them achieving rock-and-roll awesomeness... From Amazon UK

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Book Trailers: Cinder and Beat the Band

I have trailers for you! Lookie lookie!



Cinder by Marissa Meyer - released 5th January 2012



Marissa Meyer's:
Blog / Facebook / Twitter

Lastly, there will be an author event on January 9th as a Facebook/ Twitter party at 7:00 EST.

Beat the Band by Don Calame - released 1st February 2012



Don Calame's:
Website / Twitter

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Review: Swim the Fly by Don Calame

Swim the Fly by Don Calame (review copy) - Fifteen-year-old Matt Gratton and his two best friends, Coop and Sean, always set themselves a summertime goal. This year's? To see a real-live naked girl for the first time. But this mission impossible starts to look easy in comparison to Matt's other challenge: to swim the 100-yard butterfly and impress the gorgeous Kelly West. From Amazon UK

I love reading YA. I wouldn't review it if I didn't. But I have to admit that I prefer YA written for boys than YA written for girls. They're just so funny! So when Swim the Fly came through my letterbox, I started reading straight away. And it's brilliant!

I can't count the times I actually laughed out loud while reading this book, or how many of those times I actually sat there laughing for a good while before being able to continue reading. There are so many incidents in this book - whether it be the three mates desperate attempts to see a naked girl, or Matt's Grandad trying to woo a recent windower - that are just so silly and ridiculous, you can't help but laugh. Though I have to say there were moments when I felt a little disturbed at some of the things that happened, but I guess boys will be boys, and it was all fairly believable despite that.

Swim the Fly was light on the serious issues. It touched on a thing or two every now and then, but for the main part, it's a comedy. This isn't a bad thing though, as there was never much of a downer on the story, and I was kept smiling.

This review is pretty short, but I don't know what else I can say without spoiling it, as so much happens. The characters are awesome, they get themselves into so many scrapes, and come out with really funny phrases. It's just a brilliant book, and would make a good summer read. I highly recommend it, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, Beat the Band. An awesome book!

Thank you to Templar Publishing for sending me a review copy.



Published: 9th May 2011
Publisher: Templar Publishing
Buy on Amazon US
Don Calame's Website

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