Review: The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev's band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she's abandoning their plans - and Colby - to start college in the fall.

But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie- Colby struggles to deal with Bev's already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what's next?

Morris Award–finalist Nina LaCour draws together the beauty and influences of music and art to brilliantly capture a group of friends on the brink of the rest of their lives.

My Review:

I loved reading The Disenchantments.  I have read Nina LaCour's Hold Still, and while this book is lighter than that one, it still has heavier, more emotional elements.  I enjoyed the story, the characters, and the road trip.  Since I usually enjoy road trip novels, I really liked that element of the story. 

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD

This book is narrated in 1st person male POV by Colby.  Colby is a well-developed guy character.  He's sweet, caring, and trying to figure his life out.  He is planning to go to Europe with his best friend, Bev, for a year, but she tells him she's going to college instead.  At this point, summer's already started and he can't apply to colleges in time to start in the fall.  Not only that, he has to go on a road trip with Bev's girl band, The Disenchantments.  She doesn't tell him about Europe until the road trip has already started.  Colby's not only feeling hurt over Bev's change of plans, but he is also secretly in love with her.  He doesn't know what he's going to do in the fall now that his plans are changed, and he knows he needs to get over Bev.

Bev is a well done character as well.  She makes many mistakes in her friendship with Colby, yet it is difficult not to feel sympathy for her when you find out the secret she's been keeping.  She should have told Colby about her change of plans earlier, so I understand why he is mad at her.  She knows how Colby feels about her, so she makes a huge mistake in the book.  She sleeps with him, even though she's not ready to be in a relationship with him.  She's hiding a secret about her parents' that she's known since eighth grade, and she's carrying around sadness and hurt because of it.

This book also shows the other two band members, Meg and Alexa.  They are sisters who are both adopted, and Alexa is a year younger than the rest of the group.  They both have personalities and their own moments with Colby.  Meg has panic attacks, and she has to take pills to keep them from happening.  They can be triggered by anything.  Alexa keeps a list of hundreds of possible jobs that she could do.  It is clear that the two of them really care about each other.

If you like contemporary YA and road trip stories, read this book.

Katie