DJ Rising (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: DJ Rising Claire Gross Maia, Love . DJ Rising. Little, 2012. 284p ISBN 978-0-316-12187-3 $17.99 R Gr. 9-12. "Why put a needle in my arm when I can put a needle on a record?" That's a guiding mantra for Marley, who's a scholarship student at an elite prep school and who dreams of someday being a professional DJ. Meanwhile, though, he's trying to make it in a school where class and race (Marley's half black and half Puerto Rican) separate him from the most of the student body; at the same time, he's supporting his single mother, who's succumbed to addiction and relinquished all parenting [End Page 409] responsibilities. Marley gets a substitute DJ gig for one night and makes the most of it; local buzz, a surly mentor, and entry into a prestigious local competition all follow, even as Marley's home life slides downhill. The author gets into the complex mechanics of DJ-ing, including the software needed and the considerations that go into transitions, without losing the reader in extraneous detail: Marley's pure joy in the music transcends technical knowledge, and his growing success in achieving his dream offsets some of the bleakness of his home life. Marley's present-tense narration has an immediacy and ease that will appeal to reluctant readers, and the understated but affectionate portrayal of teen male friendship-in which loyalty and support are punctuated by a wealth of scatological humor-makes this a credible read-alike to books like Voorhees' The Brothers Torres (BCCB 5/08) and de la Peña's Mexican WhiteBoy (BCCB 10/08). Detailed, engaging, and uplifting, this debut novel is transparently in love with the art of DJ-ing and the joy of achieving a dream, and readers will revel in Marley's exciting ride. Copyright © 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois