Title: Slanted and Disenchanted
Author: Lisa Czarina Michaud
Genre: Young Adult 17+
Published On: September 21, 2021
Publisher: Barre Chord Press
Source: physical (author invitation)
Pages: 320
Synopsis:
She hates her family. He’s hiding behind his teenage sex life. They form a band as an escape.
On tour, can they start over….or will all secrets come out on the open road?
Carla Bucchio never cared about things like boyfriends and SATs. If she did, maybe life at 20 would be more exciting than developing photos on Long Island. When she chooses the guitar over a social life, it only makes sense because no one talks to her anyway.
Music may be Pete Albrecht’s life but what good is his talent if he has no one to share it with? When he’s not getting bitched about coffee at work, he’s getting nagged about college by his girlfriend. What would they say if they really knew about him?
At the outset of the new millennium where boy bands and backup dancers have saturated pop culture, the two college dropouts start a rock band. Despite his girlfriend’s manipulations and her mother’s drunken disapproval, they form a secret connection through the music.
Before heading out on their cross-country tour, tragedy turns the world upside down forcing them to decide if the band is just a teenage dream or their gateway to freedom…and to each other?
Slanted and Disenchanted is the provocative first book in Lisa Czarina Michaud’s coming-of-age Disenchanted series. Told with wry humor with nostalgic 90’s undertones, it explores sexual tension in friendships, the confusion of adulting, the love and chaos of family….and the soundtracks that get us through it all.
CW: contains strong language, sexual references and content, and emotionally abusive content
My thoughts
(Spoiler free)
“…I settled us into a variation on disco with my double kick laying down a steady bass rhythm. Exploring a mood that was a little dance and maybe even a little punk, she timed in some melodic chord progressions, which got our packed house moving like it was the last party on Earth. We stayed in this space, keeping it punchy as we gradually evolved it into a full dance break that toppled the room like thunder. The walls trembled as dancing feet pounded the sagging wooden floor, bodies sweat up against one another, and arms hung around necks. Feeling the emotions bleed out of every person, it felt clear what so many of us needed right now was music.”
Lisa Czarina Michaud, Slanted and Disenchanted
But this book about music is so much more than that. First off, it’s about cultivated music fans—those folks who know the deep cuts, who wouldn’t be caught dead listening to a boy band, who are aware of music magazines and which ones are worth reading. And they actually read them.
I am not that kind of music fan, my friends. I’m your bargain-basement music fan. I like any and everything. But this book made me wish I was more discerning. I wanted to look up each new-to-me artist and song mentioned, but I stopped myself knowing it would take me out of the story. (Don’t worry, I went back to do that once I finished the book and there’s a playlist to prove it!) And even though much of the music lingo went over my head, I loved every word. And I was never confused.
Michaud has used her knowledge of music to flesh-out her characters in such an attractive way. These are beautifully flawed characters—and sometimes I wanted to shake them (ever so gently)—but their flaws made them real and compelling. Initially, I was frustrated with Pete’s unwavering commitment to his girlfriend despite the obvious toxicity of their relationship, but it’s a crucial character flaw of Pete’s that I’m counting on the author to expound on even more in the next book. And Carla’s passiveness when dealing with her family is hard to read at times, but it’s a symptom of a much deeper issue.
I also appreciated the main characters’ diversity. Carla is from an overbearing Italian family with expressive brothers who take most of their parents’ attention. Pete’s mother is of Eastern European descent while his father is French, and both of these facts heavily influence Pete’s personality. And as someone who took French in college (but can’t speak a lick of it), I enjoyed the smattering of French included throughout the book.
Michaud has taken this book set in the early 2000s and somehow made it so very relevant today. It’s striking to view the important events of that time through our current pandemic-lens. And to see the juxtaposition of how unified the country became in those days after 9/11 and how divided we are now. While reading, I could remember exactly how I felt living through those horrific events, but I could also view them knowing what I know now. If that makes any sense.
Beautifully written, I found myself immersed and impressed with how well Michaud illustrates the story, showing instead of telling, painting these characters into their settings and placing me there with them. It was easy to be entertained.
“…we lingered over a late breakfast at a greasy spoon. From across the booth, I observed her as she read a local newspaper. Every so often, she’d look up to capture her surroundings; the air perfumed with butter the size of ice cream scoops that slid across the grill; the hiss of bacon cooking; and the sun kissing her shoulder. She glowed in the Southwest light that cut through the window. I wanted to tell her how beautiful she looked in this old café, an image I knew one day would make me feel old from how long ago it would feel. Looking at her, she already felt like a distant memory.”
Lisa Czarina Michaud, Slanted and Disenchanted
Slanted and Disenchanted is a hard book to categorize. It’s being promoted as Young Adult for 17+ and I think that’s a good place to start. It contains stronger language and sexual content than most Young Adult books. But our characters are college-aged, so it makes perfect sense that the book contains more adult situations.
This witty little debut full of heart has earned a permanent spot on my bookshelf, and I’m already looking forward to rereading it someday. I’m going to make a bold statement and say it will be among my favorite books of the year!
Thank you to Lisa Czarina Michaud for an advanced reader’s copy!
(All quotes are taken from the advance copy and are subject to change in final print.)
My Rating:
Barnes and Noble | Indiebound | Bookshop | Amazon
About the Author
A Song For A Book
Slanted and Disenchanted is a playlist-maker’s dream come true. Not only has the author created her own playlist (which I’ve included below), there are many, many more references to songs and artists throughout the novel not included on her playlist. After I finished the book, I was so curious about the artists I didn’t recognize, I flipped back through the book and made my own playlist (also included below). They probably won’t become my new favorites, but I had fun experimenting. I’ve decided to highlight U2’s “All I Want Is You”. It’s not the song Pete and Carla would pick; it’s much too mainstream. But I think it perfectly captures the time and the angst of the novel. I can imagine it playing in the background as they drive, the desert flying by outside their windows. (Update: the author has reached out to assure me they would approve of my song choice, after all. 😉 )
You say you’ll give me
A highway with no one on it
Treasure just to look upon it
All the riches in the night
You say you’ll give me
Eyes in a moon of blindness
A river in a time of dryness
A harbor in the tempest
But all the promises we make
From the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you
Have you read Slanted and Disenchanted? Did you add it to your tbr? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Wandering!
Wonderful review Dedra. That music video almost made me cry.
Thanks Carla! It is a sad video, isn’t it? Not really what I envisioned the song to be about when I heard it. 🙂