This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

It's incredible when you find yourself inside the pages of a book. So, I'm reading about this 16 year old girl named Elise (obviously, not like me). She splits her time between her divorced parents (mine are still married). Because she has no friends, she decides to remake herself to fit in with the popular crowd (I never did that). It doesn't work, so she tries to slit her wrist (I never came close to anything like that). See, Elise feels pathetic and worthless (OK, that one I've done). There is one particular paragraph in this book that so clearly summarizes my feelings for a good part of my life. It's amazing and a little scary at the same time.

Sometimes at night, Elise sneaks out of her mother's house and walks. One night, she meets Pippa and Vicky who take her to a warehouse club called Start (that's only open on Thursday nights). Because they are older and regulars, Vicky and Pippa get underage Elise in the door. Elise feels out of place - she doesn't dance or drink. It's just one more place where she feels like she doesn't belong. There is the music, though...

Elise loves music and she knows a lot of it. A chance to see the inside of the club's DJ booth is enough to get her interested in being a DJ herself. OK, so where is this all going. Well, Elise learns how to DJ and gets a chance to do it at Start. There are romantic complications and difficulties with her parents, usual teen stuff, but we get to experience it with Elise. If only life's issues were as easily dealt with as they are in books.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.