Audio Review: Beat The Band by Don Calame

Beat The Band (Swim The Fly #2) 
by Don Calame

Release Date: September 14, 2010
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pages: 400
Genre: YA Contemporary
Source: Library
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Haunt Author: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Get ready for riffs on hot girls, health class, and social hell! The outrageously funny boys from Swim the Fly return to rock their sophomore year. In this hilarious sequel to Swim the Fly, told from Coop’s point of view, it’s the beginning of the school year, and the tenth-grade health class must work in pairs on semester-long projects. Matt and Sean get partnered up (the jerks), but Coop is matched with the infamous “Hot Dog” Helen for a presentation on safe sex. Everybody’s laughing, except for Coop, who’s convinced that the only way to escape this social death sentence is to win “The Battle of the Bands” with their group, Arnold Murphy’s Bologna Dare. There’s just one problem: none of the guys actually plays an instrument. Will Coop regain his “cool” before it’s too late? Or will the forced one-on-one time with Helen teach him a lesson about social status he never saw coming? With ribald humor and a few sweet notes, screenwriter-turned-novelist Don Calame once again hits all the right chords.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Sorry for the lack of reviews lately but I literally haven't even been reading the last few weeks but a couple books I finally got into recently. I'm just so tired from work and I had a procedure done on my toe which hurt way more than I expected. I hate sitting at the computer because if it isn't elevated it hurts more oddly. I am still saving to replace my laptop. But in good news I did finally get my first iphone! I know I'm way behind but they are just so expensive. I have been addicted to all the games and apps on it and that also has distracted me from reading.

With all the book signings I attended recently I have had lots of driving time to get through some audiobooks. I wish I had got into them sooner because driving time is wasted reading time :-D I LOVE this series! It is so hilarious. I was literally laughing out loud and spitting out my water as I drive. The narrator, Nick Podehl, is awesome. I plan to listen to all the books he has narrated.

This is the second book in the series that follows three best guy friends. The first book followed Matt's POV and this one follows Sean's. Sean was a little more difficult to like in the beginning. He is a rather immature jerk of a teenage boy but what I love about this series is how much the boys grow as characters. We still get quite a bit of Matt and other characters from the first book which is nice. I had grown really attached to him.

Sean is paired with Helen for a health project. Helen is the outcast and the girl everyone makes fun of. Sean is so worried that being paired with her will make him uncool that he decides to enter him and his friends into a Beat the Band competition at school. Band dudes get tons of chicks right? Their band is called Arnold Murphy's Bologna Dare. LOL

I love that this book follows the same romance format as the first one. Sean is into the popular yet mean girl Prudence. But as he spends more time with Helen he realizes how cool and nice and awesome she really is and that he has been wasting his time on a girl that wasn't worth it. He does some mean things to Helen in the beginning that make him difficult to like but he slowly grows and eventually takes responsibility for his actions and stands up for Helen. I love that the story shows lots of mistakes and immaturity of teenagers but then also shows so much growth. There are also so many hilarious situations that makes the book so much fun.  




No quotes since this was an audio listen and sadly none were listed on goodreads :-(

Rating: 4/5