A Song Only I Can Hear

February 21, 2020

Gr 6 Up-Set in a small town in Australia, this novel centers on 13-year-old Rob Fitzgerald, an awkward, extremely literal, die-hard romantic. He is obsessed with Destry Camberwick, who has little to no direct contact with Rob. Rob's journey of self-discovery is a long one. The narrative occasionally drags from Rob's endless, cringeworthy inner dialogue. Other than his obsession, he doesn't have much of a personality, but he's very vulnerable and gets support from some quirky and enjoyable interactions with his best friend, Andrew, and with Rob's grandfather. Both of these characters provide compelling details that drive the plot forward: how Rob's grandfather deals with post-traumatic stress disorder from his time in Vietnam; why Andrew's tension with Rob makes sense by the end of the story. The chapters are brief and slightly jarring; just when readers may feel that the tale has too much filler, the ending delivers clarity, and the truth behind Rob and his insecurities. The supporting characters feel the impact, and ultimately, this is an amazing addition to books about the hardship of finding yourself and learning to live with disappointment in people you admire. VERDICT Highly recommended for tweens and teens, but there are no barriers to using this with younger readers, too.-Danny Jacobs, Las Vegas Clark County Library District

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 15, 2020
Grades 6-9 *Starred Review* At 13 years old, Rob is beginning to understand what it means to be in the world and, more importantly, what it means to be Rob. When texts from a mysterious sender start appearing, Rob is challenged to take on dares that will impress his crush, Destry, and build self-confidence. Jonsberg writes with a distinct and defined voice full of dry humor that makes for compelling prose alongside a relatively low-key plot built primarily around Rob's growth. A Song fills an important age gap in youth fiction and boasts characters that grab readers by the heart and a series of failures that urge the reader to cheer for Rob. This stirring novel features a critical plot twist of sorts, which is deftly and subtly foreshadowed throughout the book. Typically, we at Booklist try never to run spoilers, but given current conversations about representation in children's literature, we feel librarians should know that the aforementioned twist reveals Rob's gender identity, which may be looked down upon by the transgender community as a tired trope. However, it reads, not as a gimmick, but as an opportunity for readers, namely cis readers, to be reminded that a person's gender identity is only part of their whole being. Jonsberg is a talented writer, though not #OwnVoices, and he addresses his research in the book's acknowledgements.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

May 31, 2018
Rob Fitzgerald is 13 years old, painfully shy, prone to panic attacks, and desperately, disgustingly in love for the very first time. Rob begins receiving texts from an unknown phone number, challenging him with tasks designed to build his character into something altogether more ‘boyfriendable’. Barry Jonsberg’s new middle-grade novel is the kind of coming-of-age story readers will latch onto with a love and enthusiasm that is boundless. As a comedy, it shares a lot in common with The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole: wry turns of phrase, cringe-worthy awkwardness, even a protagonist who writes uniquely awful poetry. In an impressive feat of narrative sleight-of-hand, the novel also grapples with issues of gender identity, and the treatment is especially powerful. To discuss any further would be to veer heavily into spoiler territory, but safe to say that it is subversive, surprising, moving, complex, and revelatory. With the release of A Song Only I Can Hear, it may finally be time to stop describing every emotionally intelligent middle fiction book as ‘the next Wonder’; Jonsberg has raised the already very high bar. In other words, give this book to everybody—it is urgent fiction and a true must-read.

Phil Lesnie is an illustrator and bookseller at Kinokuniya, Sydney