Review: Debbie Harry Sings in French

Debbie Harry Sings in French

Meagan Brothers

Johnny was only twelve when his dad died. With his mom suddenly too filled with grief to take care of them, Johnny learns how to take care of both of them. He also learns how to take care of himself – drinking, to make him buzzed.

Years later, Johnny is looked at as some kind of freak. He is pale, dresses in black, wears makeup, and listens to punk rock. He constantly gets called gay because of the way he dresses. When one night crawling into the bottle leaves him almost dead at a hospital, his mother sends him to get treatment for alcoholism at Parkview. Johnny’s glad he went, though, because if he hadn’t, he would have never discovered the band Blondie.

And even when Johnny is better and goes home, his mother packs him up and sends him to his uncle’s house in another state. And he meets Maria. And he thinks he’s falling in love. But he also thinks he wants to be like Debbie Harry from Blondie (and, well... dress like her). So does that mean he’s gay?

I can’t begin to describe how much I loved this book! Meagan Brothers didn’t hesitate to dive into the confusing world of sexuality. In fact, Johnny’s struggle with his sexuality gives a clear picture into Johnny’s mindset. Great music also played a large part in this story.

I love character struggles. Sometimes they get a little too cliché in some novels, but this novel was highly original! I was captured from the first moment, and I wasn’t disappointed.