Bookishrealm's Reviews > Scout is Not a Band Kid

This was cute surprise! I especially loved the fandom elements. 3.5 Stars.

If you didn't know, I've been on a journey of reading a lot of middle grade graphic novels so when I saw Scout is Not a Band Kid I knew that I had to pick it up. Readers follow main character Scout as she joins her middle school band to meet her favorite author. When she joins, Scout lies and says that she’s played the trombone before without realizing that she would ultimately come face to face with the best trombone player the school has ever seen. What starts as a "fake it to you make it" situation quickly turns into a heartfelt story about friendship and being confident in who you are.

What Worked: I liked the concept and idea behind this graphic novel. I don't necessarily think that it's anything new, but the character development helped make the story enjoyable. The idea that Scout and Merrin start off as enemies, but eventually work their way towards a heartwarming and charming friendship was everything that I needed. Armstrong does some fun things with the evolution of characters that I wasn't necessarily expecting especially with Merrin who appears cold and calculated at first. As readers make their way through the story, they learn that she is layered and each new piece of the story reveals a new layer. Armstrong also tackles the ever changing dynamics of friendships. Scout slowly learns what it means to not only have supportive and caring friends, but how to be a supportive and caring friend.

What Didn't Work: I was not a huge fan of the artwork in this one. It was something about the way character faces were drawn that seemed to constantly bother me. The coloring did work for the context of the story, but I wasn't blown away by the actual drawings. I also wanted Armstrong to explore more of the relationship that Scout had with her friends from her early childhood. They weren't always the best towards Scout and she begins to notice that towards the end; however, there was a panel that seemed to suggest a minor conflict between them, but we never learn more about it. I'm not sure if readers are supposed to make certain assumptions, but I think that piece of the story could have been further developed.

Overall, this was a cute and quick read and I enjoyed it. I would highly recommend this to readers who like fandoms, bands, band competitions, and stories that center friendships.