The Music of What Happens--"This was Different. This was Real."

Title: The Music of What Happens

Author: Bill Konigsberg


LGBTQ+ Representation: Both main characters are gay.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Max and Jordan couldn't be more different: Max plays sports and hangs out with "his dude bros" while Jordan writes poetry and shops with "his wives." Max agrees to help Jordan run his late father's food truck for the summer, and their friendship turns into something more. However, both boys are keeping secrets (Max was raped recently; Jordan's mother's gambling is becoming more problematic) that threaten their newfound relationship.


What I think: Every time I read a Konigsberg book, I am always inspired to write a lot about it. 

I think this is a compliment to his books--plus, I am a former English teacher who analyzes books and runs book clubs for fun. So for this review, I am going to discuss what I found fun and sweet, and reasons that I want to hug both Max and Jordan.


What I found fun: I love the banter between Max's "dude bros" and Jordan's "wives." The Bill Konigsberg Award for Writing Realistic Teen Dialogue should be a real thing because Konigsberg writes dialogue so well. I am now going to make it a real award for this blog: The BKAWRTD.

Wow, that's a clunky acronym. I'll work on it. But in the meantime, here are several out-of-context examples:

• "Dude. That shirt is so straight it watches Tosh 2.0. This shirt isn't even bi-curious. You need a shirt upgrade" (pg. 17).
    
• "Two boys on a food truck. It's like a great male-male erotica novel. 'Pump me full of diesel fuel, Max.'" (pg. 82).
    
• "Are you really defending Daft Punk? They don't even have faces, Max. They are faceless musicians. Unacceptable" (pg. 137).
    
• "We just stick the word 'bro' in every sentence and say 'gnarly' and 'no way dude' and 'for serious though' and 'bam.' Like every other word. Bam" (pg. 155).

What I found sweet: Imagine little rows of heart-eye-emojis after all of these out-of-context sweet moments. I wanted to quote them all, but I am not going to spoil all of the sweetness. You'll have to read more to find out:

• "I have to look away, because something about the cutest of skinny white boys acknowledging my gayness for the first time is . . . a lot" (pg. 73).
    
• "He is so out of my league that we may as well live on different planets.
    Yep. I'm pretty sure that's worse. I focus on the Andy Gibb poster on my wall and ask: Andy, is this worse?
   Yes, he says. Clearly worse, darling" (pg. 75)."
     
• "It's weird and I don't want to get all corny, but it's like I saw Jordan today for the first time.  . . . this was different. This was real" (pg. 116).
     
• "My whole body goes numb in  his arms. I want to stay this way forever" (pg. 227).

The reality of vulnerability: 

The world will make you vulnerable. If you're acting like you're not, that's what you're doing. Acting (pg. 284).  

The story is definitely not all fun banter with friends and sweet summer romance. Traumatic events happen to both Max and Jordan, causing me to want to hug each of them at several points in the story.

About Max:

I'm a warrior. Mom and Dad don't agree on much, but they both have pretty much the same take on that; they just say it in a different way.  Mom always says all sorts of shit does down in the world, and it's up to me to decide how to take it in. The one way you're sure to be unhappy is to frown your way through life, she says, and she's right (pg. 35).

I disagree with Max's mama here. I see the value of thinking positively and "deciding" to be happy, but when people are taught that this is the only and default way of dealing with problems, they tend not to seek help and therapy for mental illnesses such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which Max is struggling with after his rape.

Misconceptions about mental illness and PTSD in general abound in society. I am constantly surprised by fully grown adults who cannot imagine themselves in other people's shoes and have no empathy. "Kids these days are fragile snowflakes!" they loudly bloviate. "When I was a kid, bad things happened, but we sucked it up, and we LEARNED FROM IT." Few statements make me as angry as ones who dismiss other peoples' pain and experiences.

My own son has a PTSD diagnosis. He was not in a war nor was he sexually assaulted. But the trauma he faced as a young child was very real to him and affected his young brain. My son is now 12 and is in a much better place due to therapy and medication. However, it was very difficult for a long time, and when Max has a flashback and a breakdown due to his PTSD, my heart broke for him, and also broke for his mother. It is absolutely devastating to see your child in so much pain.

"I have the power to change my thoughts. Always did. I have the power to smile through all this" (pg. 37). Certainly. But there is no shame in asking for help.


About Jordan:

Here's a boy who has failed
To take care of his mom
Like he was asked
He should double die
Once for the sin of failure
And
Once for the sin of loneliness (pg. 11).

Yes, it is emo-teenage poetry, even Jordan admits it, and I admit I smiled to myself as I read it because through my years of working with teenagers, I have read so many similar poems. However, it is important to remember that as melodramatic as these poems may sound to adults, they are very real teenage emotions.

Jordan is described as a "skinny emo-kid" by Max. He, like Max, has been through some trauma in his life. His father died, and his mother is mentally unstable, to put it mildly. She is a compulsive gambler and also exhibits symptoms of bipolar disorder (at least to my armchair Internet psychiatrist self). She is unable to work or provide a stable home life for Jordan, who is working his father's old food truck in a desperate attempt to earn money to pay the back mortgage.

I tried to have sympathy towards Jordan's mother, but man, she was a hot mess. Jordan and his mother definitely needed professional help, plus they would benefit from a bit of super-Max's positive thinking.

Jordan's mom does say "Don't let people tell you that you have to be anything other than what you are. You're really such an amazing, person, you don't even know" (pg. 60). I do agree with her there. But later on, after one of her screw-ups? Jordan begins to doubt that she even meant that statement, and my heart broke for him again.


But wait, there's more! Also in this book are mentions/discussions of:

• Microaggressions and racism
• Toxic masculinity
• Food trucks in general
• Consent and rape culture
• Homophobia (internalized and externalized)
• Peer pressure, especially concerning sex
• Vulnerability with friends
• Good vs. bad parents
• The significance of the book's title

You'll have to write those literary analysis essays yourself. 😉


This book is too new to be on a Rainbow Book List. Watch this space!


My final takeaway (in 75 words or fewer):  Music is an excellent book you should read TODAY. The characters are fantastic and true-to-life, with the bits of humor that I appreciate from Konigsberg's writing. The plot is well-balanced: part sweet romance and part life-altering trauma. I wanted to give both boys hugs several times during the story and also go all Mama Bear on the ones causing trauma.

I also learned that I would never ever want to run a food truck.


Konigsberg is coming to a nearby library in 4 days. I hope to ask him a really intelligent question, but likely, I will get nervous and blurt, "I LIKE YOUR BOOKS" too loudly to be casual or be even less suave and say, "I LICK YUR BOOK," while all stare awkwardly.

But maybe I can get him to sign my copy of The Porcupine of Truth?

Memorable quotes/passages from the book (I just realized they are all from the same character. The one who is the most like me, actually):
  

• "'Did you know that biologically speaking, the rectum is cleaner than the mouth?'
   I roll my eyes. 'What boy told you that, and what did you let him do to you?'" (pg. 32).
     
• "So you objectify my dog and you fetishize my people," I deadpan (pg. 83).
     
• "I don't want to be the creepy guy who plans a wedding after two weeks and suddenly there's a restraining order" (pg. 216).
     
• "Burpees seem basically like God punishing you for wanting to get into good shape" (pg. 265).

Other reviews: Bill Konigsberg Online and Teenreads

This book is available here: https://library.greensboro-nc.gov/

Learn more about the Rainbow Book List here: http://www.ala.org/rt/glbtrt