I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone

Title: I wanna be your Joey Ramone

Author: Stephanie Kuehnert

Rating: 9.45/10

Emily's parent fled their rural hometown in 1974 on a motorcycle with no thoughts of ever coming back to small town Carlisle. Beneath their passion for music, and their care-free personalities, was a dark secret of why they truely left to go to Chicago...this was also the reason that her mother had left Emily's father 2 years later. From what Emily had heard, she left to follow the exploding music scene, and her father was to raise
her all alone.

So, when Louisa gives birth to Emily, she funs off, leaving Michael no choice but to raise her daughter back in Carlisle, Wisconsin. Emily didnt need anyone to tell her - although in such a small town like Carlisle, there wasnt much chance of escaping the constant gossip - that she was Louisa's child, they had the same envy green eyes, the same care-free atitude, and the same passion for punk rock music.

Emily feels desperate to somehow connect to her mother. From the stories that she herd from Michael, she knows that she left to follow for music. Emily thought that if maybe she was the one to make the music, that it might bring Louisa back home. With her bestfriend, Regan, they create a band called 'She Laughs'. If there was any hope of Louisa coming back into Emily's life, it was music.

Slowly, She Laughs starts to appear at other places to perform. Finally they decided to move to Chicago, thinking that there would be more chances of signing a contract. However, its not as easy as it seemed back in Carlisle...now they have bigger issues to deal with. They continue their habits of drinking...but once they start moving around more for touring, Emily ends up with an abusive relationship, and taking drugs. Before they know it they reach their breaking point...

I wanna be your Joey Ramone, was a different kind of story for me. Although it is still in the same genre that I read (fiction and YA) it seemed to stand out from the thousands of other books that are bookshelves accross the world. This book really seemed to stick to me for some reason. However, I wont lie...I didnt connect to any of these characters, or plot. Emily's character also made me mad at times when she kept on denying her obvious feelings towards Louisa...but...maybe thats why I felt so connected to this book.

Through out chapters mostly from Emily's perspective and the occasional chapter from Louisa's perspective, you get a good idea of who she is - or who she is trying to be. Not only do chapters alternate, but some times they go back in time in one paragraph, and then they are in the present the next...so sometimes its hard to keep up with where you are, and what time period.

My last thought is that, I found it very interesting, that despite this book being published in 2008...the time frame was from the 1980s and 1990s...maybe its just a punk rock thing that I didnt overly understand...but...yeah, this book is very hardcore punk rock. You'll get a clear understanding of what it is.

Anyway, my point = Pick up this book and read it...even if your like 'ahh, punk rock...and stories about drugs and drinking, isnt really my thing' I thought the exact same thing...but seriously, this book will stick with you.

Rachel<3