Arizona Wakefield was a beat without a melody. Living a half-breathing life in a half-finished neighborhood with parents who always wore half-hearted smiles, the high school senior only had one thing that let her color outside her family’s perfectly drawn lines—her drums. Jesse Barringer was a song without a chorus. The son of a washed-up rock star who’s also one hell of a deadbeat dad, he was … dad, he was given two things from his father—musical genius and a genetic link to the bipolar disorder that drives him mad.
One night in a garage at the end of a cul-de-sac in the middle of a bankrupt California neighborhood, Jesse’s melody found Arizona’s rhythm. An angry boy with storm-colored eyes found a blonde angel in Doc Martens with missing lines in her own story. Where her rhythm stopped, his words took over, and together, they wrote one hell of a story.
** Drummer Girl is a mature YA/New Adult romance that touches on mental health, drug abuse and includes mature sexual situations.
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I love Ginger Scott YA stories. They’re edgy, twisty, mature and always entertaining. This author digs deep within the hearts of her characters endearing them immediately to readers. Drummer Girl is yet another shining example of her coming of age story telling prowess. It’s a story about loss and coping. It’s also a story of understanding, compassion, and learning. It’s hopeful, vulnerable, and real.
Jesse and Ari’s lives are about to be forever changed. They meet and right away form an unshakable bond where they just understand each other. As their lives start to unravel and hidden truths seek light and redemption, Jesse and Ari meet challenges and form even deeper understandings. Scott’s writing and character development invoke awareness and compassion in her readers.
If you’re a YA romance enthusiast Drummer Girl is not to be missed. Scott takes hard issues and reveals them in a way they leaves you inspired and hopeful. Full of love and friendship this book takes you on a great journey.
Heartfelt important pageturning ya/na romance by a very gifted writer. A bestseller in teen and young adult music fiction. Highly Recommend!
Music and Loved Saved Them
A heart-breaking struggle and an epic love. Two people that were meant to meet and help one another to heal and chase their dreams. I smiled, I cried, I swooned. This story wrung out my heart and gave it back better, for this journey was beautiful.
Arizona’s a drummer in the school band. Jesse’s the new kid in town and a musician. Their love for music brings them together. Their friendship makes them whole. Their love makes dreams happen.
Arizona had a past she couldn’t remember. Jesse had one he wanted to forget. Together they would make each other whole and get everything they never dreamed they could have.
I read this book days ago and I am still thinking about it. An unforgettable read. This story handles some difficult topics. You’ll feel the pain and their struggles. The author gives you all the feels and doesn’t hold back.
I whole heartedly recommend this story. The characters were complex because their pain was real. It’s emotional, but there is strength in overcoming. There is beauty in their struggle.
Ginger Scott writes the real thing. I love how her heroines can be a bit quirky and her heroes aren’t always the hottest guy in town. Or that quirkiness is just a little bit darker or sadder, a more common reality than we’d like to admit, and on both sides so that her characters are relatable. Her stories of young love are spot on. The humor and banter is fun yet, at times, serious too. They are stories of life and love and she does them well. And Drummer Girl is definitely one of those stories.
Ari Wakefield stepped out of her comfort zone. I loved her excitement, the build-up of her connection with Jesse, watching her grow and become confident. She is a fantastic mix of girl verging on womanhood and is exactly who she needs to be.
Jesse Barringer is more than just the boy next door. He has mad skills and talent. I don’t want to say he’s complicated but he does have many layers.
Jesse and Ari are so good together and for each other. Their story wrapped around my heart. Being young and full of emotions can be so hard. Trying to navigate it all and come out on the other side intact is never easy. Because this is more than a romance, it’s a story of unconditional love and survival, acceptance and courage. I love that she gave me characters that I could enjoy and also want to hold tight. I love that this story made me feel the rush of excitement with new love and the agony of dealing with heartache.
And can I say swoon! That first kiss was everything!
Ginger Scott has become a one click for me, she writes amazing stories, but I must say this book set her on a new high bar. This is a YA mature romance, but there is also a subject of mental illness so well explained that makes this book so much more than a simple romance. Arizona and Jesse are two characters living different lives yet they come together through music. Having to deal with how mental illness had affected their lives. Jesse is the bad boy, Arizona should not be with, yet they are drawn together by music, as they start playing together, the good girl who has a past and is dealing everyday with herself had me reading it and don’t wanting it to end. The balance is just perfect the drama, the romance, everything was just so well attended to that make this a perfect book. The emotions I went through while reading the pages grabbed me in and didn’t let me go. Life is not always what it seems, each person might be dealing with hidden issues. Hope and love will always be the best thing in life.