Somebody Everybody Listens To

by Suzanne Supplee

Overview

Retta Lee Jones is blessed with a beautiful voice and has big dreams of leaving her tiny Tennessee hometown. So with a beaten-down car, a pocketful of hard-earned waitressing money, and stars in her eyes, Retta sets out to make it big in Nashville. But the road to success isn't a smooth one, and a girl's gotta figure out who she can trust in a town full of showmen and scammers. Soon Retta begins to have doubts: Can she make her mark and still stay true to herself?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780142418864
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	06/09/2011
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.24(h) x 0.78(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Suzanne Supplee, originally from Tennessee, lives in Maryland and works as a writer and teacher. She visited Ireland on her own many years ago and highly recommends traveling solo, at least once in a lifetime. Her favorite hobbies are reading and chasing her two Jack Russell terriers. Suzanne is married and has three daughters, Cassie, Flannery, and Elsbeth.

What People are Saying About This

Dolly Parton

A wonderful story about dreams and determination that reminds us all to squeeze the most out of every single day.

Editorial Reviews

Retta is a thoroughly credible, thoroughly likable character...her story [is] compulsively readable and ultimately inspiring.

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

A lush Southern setting, endearing characters, and honest first-person narration...teens do not need to be fans of country music to be fans of Suzanne Supplee.

Bookpage

"Dolly or Loretta or Tammy or Emmylou . . . my voice is just like Play-Doh: it can take one any shape I want," says recent high-school graduate Retta Lee Jones. Now the country-singer hopeful is ready to leave behind her best friend, a potential boyfriend and her dysfunctional parents to find her own voice in Nashville. She thinks she is prepared for the hard road ahead, until she's faced with hunger, living in her car and a mugging. Constantly doubtful, Retta draws inspiration from previous country stars before making her way to open-mic night at the Mockingbird (which is based on Nashville's legendary Bluebird Cafe) and claims the attention of a local critic. Her hardships and lucky breaks may seem far-fetched until they're compared with the real-life bios that open and frame each chapter. From Retta's cravings for Sundrop soda to the twangy speech of the auto mechanic who rescues her from homelessness, this chick-lit story with a Southern flair features a host of characters from all walks of life. It begs for a playlist. (Fiction. YA)

Kirkus Reviews