Book Details
Format: Paperback, 284 pages
Publication: September 21, 2021 by Barre Chord Press
Series: The Disenchanted Series, Book One
Synopsis: She hates her family. He’s hiding behind his teenage sex life. They form a band as an escape.
On tour, can they start over….or will all secrets come out on the open road?
Carla Bucchio never cared about things like boyfriends and SATs. If she did, maybe life at 20 would be more exciting than developing photos on Long Island. When she chooses the guitar over a social life, it only makes sense because no one talks to her anyway.
Music may be Pete Albrecht’s life but what good is his talent if he has no one to share it with? When he’s not getting bitched about coffee at work, he’s getting nagged about college by his girlfriend. What would they say if they really knew about him?
At the outset of the new millennium where boy bands and backup dancers have saturated pop culture, the two college dropouts start a rock band. Despite his girlfriend’s manipulations and her mother’s drunken disapproval, they form a secret connection through the music.
Before heading out on their cross-country tour, tragedy turns the world upside down forcing them to decide if the band is just a teenage dream or their gateway to freedom…and to each other?
Slanted and Disenchanted is the provocative first book in Lisa Czarina Michaud’s coming-of-age 3-part Disenchanted series. Told with wry humor with nostalgic 90’s undertones, it explores sexual tension in friendships, the confusion of adulting, the love and chaos of family….and the soundtracks that get us through it all.
My Thoughts
Rating: ★★★★★
It’s no secret that I’m obsessed with any book that deals with musicians, especially books with even a little bit of romance. Let me tell you, Slanted and Disenchanted delivered! I finished this book in about 12 hours over the course of two days because I had other things to do, but if I had the possibility of just binging it in one go, I absolutely would’ve been able to. It was such an addicting, beautifully written book! I truly loved everything about this one, and I really hope it gets the recognition it deserves!
I absolutely loved the author’s writing style. It was so smooth and beautiful! This is one of the best debut novels I’ve read in a long time, and I’m so glad I got the chance to read it for this tour. There were references and phrases throughout the book relating to French culture which I found to be fascinating.
Carla and Pete were realistic and relatable. While I’m younger than they were, I could still relate to these characters, especially Carla when it comes to college. I hardly ever read books with young adults not going to college, so it was refreshing to see myself sort of represented in that way. The book is told through both of their perspectives, which I absolutely love (as I’m sure is obvious by reading my other reviews). I do wish we got to see more of Tony because he was hilarious, though.
There is a few chapters about 9/11, and while I wasn’t born when it happened, it broke my heart reading it. I wasn’t really expecting anything about 9/11 – I’m not sure why – so when I reached that point in the book, my heart just dropped. The author did a great job of highlighting how traumatic 9/11 was for the United States and how things started to abruptly change after it happened.
I really hope more people pick this book up, whether it’s because they read my review, someone else’s review, or they just like the cover. It’s a truly beautiful book, and I just loved everything about it. Even though I was very young in the early 2000s, reading this book made me feel so nostalgic. It’s emotional, addicting, focuses on music, AND there’s bisexual representation; I truly couldn’t ask of more from a YA/NA book!
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Rachel’s Random Resources in exchange for an honest review.
Buy the Book
Amazon* | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository
*Available with Kindle Unlimited
Meet the Author
Lisa Czarina Michaud is an American writer living in France. Her work has been published in Narratively, marieclaire.co.uk, The Huffington Post, xojane, as well as other publications. Slanted and Disenchanted in her first novel.
Connect with Lisa: Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
My Fictional Oasis 