A Little Wanting Song

(Australian title: Chasing Charlie Duskin.)

Charlie:
“Who’s this?” Dad asks when a catchy tune comes on the CD mix I made for the trip. We pass the skeleton tree that never has leaves, no matter what the time of year. Bare gray branches wave us on.
“No one you know, Dad,” I say.
It’s me.

Rose:
“You’ll go if you want to, Rose,” Mrs Wesson said this year. It takes a lot of wanting to get out of a place like this, though. It takes wanting so bad, it’s all you care about, all you breathe. Some days I think it takes more wanting than I’ve got.

Charlie Duskin loves music, and she knows she’s good at it. But she only sings when she’s alone, on the moonlit porch or in the back room at Old Gus’s Secondhand Record Store. Charlie’s mom and grandmother have both died, and this summer she’s visiting her grandpa in the country, surrounded by ghosts and serving burgers to the local kids at the milk bar. She’s got her iPod, her guitar, and all her recording equipment, but she wants more: A friend. A dad who notices her. The chance to show Dave Robbie that she’s not entirely unspectacular.

Rose Butler lives next door to Charlie’s grandfather and spends her days watching cars pass on the freeway and hanging out with her troublemaker boyfriend. She loves Luke, but can’t wait to leave their small country town. And she’s figured out a way: She’s won a scholarship to a science school in the city, and now she has to convince her parents to let her go. This is where Charlie comes in. Charlie, who lives in the city, and whom Rose has ignored for years. Charlie, who just might be Rose’s ticket out.

Told in alternating voices and filled with music, friendship and romance, Charlie and Rose’s “little wanting song” is about the kind of longing that begins as a heavy ache but ultimately makes us feel hopeful and wonderfully alive.

Praise

“Give this incredible, satisfying book to fans of Sarah Dessen, Karen Foxlee, Melina Marchetta, Ellen Wittlinger-actually, give it to any teen girl who longs a little and feels too much-Australian or not.” School Library Journal starred review

“Crowley’s prose is lyrical and lovely, her characters are beautifully crafted, and her portrayal of teen life in Australia is a delight. This novel about self-exploration is told in first person with chapters alternating between Charlie and Rose. Female readers especially will enjoy this upbeat tale.”  VOYA

“Told in two distinct voices and replete with vivid images of ghosts, music and nature, this heartfelt, reflective novel is a natural read-alike to Jandy Nelson’s The Sky Is Everywhere (2010).” Kirkus Reviews

“Charlie’s songs augment the text throughout, enhancing the already lyrical prose. Crowley captures quiet moments with aching beauty and tenderness; her empathy for teen girls recalls Deb Caletti and Sarah Dessen. Music-loving teens will appreciate Crowley’s eloquent descriptions of performing and enjoying music, and how it becomes the means to express difficult messages.” Booklist

Links

Random House
http://www.randomhouse.com/

Teens@Random
http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/