I'll Be There For You

by Brieanna Wilkoff

Overview

Rae Ballester loves movie musicals and-thanks to her dad-'80s rock. Since he died a year ago, his favorite music helps keep his memory alive. Struggling to move on, Rae keeps her head down and earbuds in, but shunning the world has cost her even her closest friendships, leaving her the "Owner of a Lonely Heart."

When Rae meets Mac, a boy with a charming smile who thinks any problem can be solved with a show tune, she cautiously welcomes their easy banter. With his humor, enthusiasm, and well-curated Broadway playlists, Mac slowly edges his way into her heart, but when he proves "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," Rae thinks about withdrawing to the comfort of hair metal and the silver screen.

Should Rae retreat from the world to protect her already broken heart, or will her involvement in the school's theater program and the random acts of kindness she and others have started performing give her "Something to Believe In?" I'll Be There for You delves into the personal journey of healing old wounds, making new friends, and how to build a future with pieces of the past and present.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798985081558
Publisher:	Winding Road Publishing LLC
Publication date:	08/30/2022
Pages:	282
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.64(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

Editorial Reviews

10/23/2023

Wilkoff's heartwarming young adult novel gracefully ruminates on the subtleties of sorrow, friendship, and the transformative power of music. The story centers on Raina (Rae) Ballester, an adolescent grieving the sudden death of her father—a Bon Jovi and an '80s rock enthusiast. Rae's internal process of mourning and self-blame—made further insufferable by a concealed truth, a clique of callous peers, and friends who cannot grasp the magnitude of her emotions—takes an upturn when she meets Mac, the student director of a radio play who eagerly sets the stage for Rae's immersion into an emerging kinship that leads her away from the clutch of isolation.

Wilkoff's storytelling balances emotional depth and humor, enriching a relatable portrait of a young woman's grief while evoking the importance of friendship and support as a stronghold for recovery. With the incorporation of '80s rock music and movie musicals as the point of connection between a loveable cast of characters, Wilkoff underscores throughout how music and artistic expression can serve as cathartic channels for healing and a link that binds two people, even when facing the grim reality of death and grief. While the plot occasionally slows with the kick-off of a kindness campaign—Rae's idea of paying kindness forward while commemorating her father—the hint of romance and intrigue on how Rae will eventually attain clarity ensures the readers remain invested.

This is a novel that transports the readers to the once-in-a-lifetime sweetness of being young, the nostalgia of lost and found friendships, the rare connection between two souls through shared grief, and a community that forgives and strives to be kind—both essential to healing. Wilkoff's building of a world that may seem at first too good to be true—yet not nearly impossible—is the foundation of a tender read that inspires hope, love, and action.

Takeaway: Big-hearted story of an isolated woman’s embrace of friendship and 1980s rock.

Comparable Titles: Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor & Park, Julie Hammerle's The Sound of Us.

Production grades Cover: A- Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: A Marketing copy: A

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