One song by A.J. Betts

Eva has musical talent that needs to be recognised. Her one desire is to make the finals of Unearthed the Triple-J music competition for High Schoolers. She is in year 12, so this is her last chance. Cooper, her one time boyfriend, has managed to convince her to give it one more shot …. not to resume their relationship  but to add a band to embellish her vocals and keyboards. Lead guitarist Cooper has always been able to twist her heart and inspire her, so they embark on a final wild weekend of creativity with Ant, the drummer and moody Ruby the bassist added to give Eva’s lyrics more gravitas.  The song they need to produce has a deadline that tortures them and the weekend has many moments of tension and heartbreak. Through it all Mim records her ‘fly-on-the-wall’ documentary of the process, documenting a drama with notes of romance, teen angst, occasional humour and misunderstanding, and the tension of an impossible pursuit for success and maybe fame. All this cacophony of desire takes place in the studio on the grounds of an absent but famous old rock star, who just happens to be Cooper’s father. 

This is a very compelling YA story with the accompanied beat of drums and guitars and ambition. With the occasional interruption of mental illness issues, feminine hygiene concerns, unrequited love and the underlying fear of failure, this story’s deadline to create a song adds a tension that creates a powerful impact for the reader. The ‘lockdown’ in the studio to force the creative project  seems more like a teen disaster (alcohol is involved), but musical progress is possible.  I am sure that readers, with or without musical connections,  aged 16+ will enjoy the journey of creation of One Song. This is a teen story, a roller coaster of discovery with many twists on the romance front, but it is also a coming-to-maturity tale that is entertaining on many levels.

Themes: Music, teenage romance, fear, bands, competition, friendship, mental illness, same-sex attraction.

Carolyn Hull