Sorta Like A Rock Star by Matthew Quick

Goodreads Description: "Amber Appleton lives in a bus. Ever since her mom's boyfriend kicked them out, Amber, her mom, and her totally loyal dog, Bobby Big Boy (aka Thrice B) have been camped out in the back of Hello Yellow (the school bus her mom drives). Still, Amber, the self-proclaimed princess of hope and girl of unyielding optimism, refuses to sweat the bad stuff. But when a fatal tragedy threatens Amber's optimism--and her way of life, can Amber continue to be the rock star of hope? With an oddball cast of characters, and a heartwarming, inspiring story, this novel unveils a beautifully beaten-up world of laughs, loyalty, and hard-earned hope."

My Review: Sorta Like A Rock Star was a very unique book, full of spunk and heart. At first, I didn't understand Amber's situation OR her language. I was scratching my head and thinking, This girl's a loony for the first few chapters or so. But it got easy to understand pretty quickly (her mom's lame ex-boyfriend kicked them out, they're poor, so Amber, her mom, and her dog live on the school bus her mom drives for a living) and then I began to really enjoy the book. First of all, Amber's unique slang was just plain amusing and it made her seem so much more REAL. In real life, teens don't talk in the perfect, structured way they do in most YA books. Granted, Amber's slang wasn't slang I've ever heard before---but that's why it made HER unique. I also loved how she tried to help everyone she met and how kind and caring she was, in her own sassy, spunky way. I couldn't help but understand why everone loved her BACK and wanted to help her out back. I loved the tragedy twist---it made the story so much more raw and real---but I loved the ending even more. This book is real and legit. It'll make you wanna cry and laugh, all at the same time, and it'll make you love the Princess of Hope, Amber herself---I ain't kidding, broskis. (There, incorporated some of my own slang into there...)

Cover: The cover is upbeat and colorful and in-your-face. Kind of like Amber herself. I like it.

Overall Grade: A+