Totally Unrelated

By Tom Ryan

Neil plays guitar with his family's band, the Family McClintock, even though he can't stand the Celtic music they play, he doesn't dance, he hates the outfits, and every single performance reminds him that he isn't as talented as the rest of the family. When his buddy Bert convinces him to form a rock band and enter a local talent show, Neil's playing improves and everyone notices, including a girl who shares his musical interests. He starts to think that all those years of practice might come in handy after all. But it all comes to a head when Neil has to choose between an important gig with the family band and the talent show. He's only sure of one thing: whatever he decides to do, he's going to be letting someone down.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
• Release date: Oct 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781459804593

Tom Ryan

Tom Ryan served as publisher and editor of the Newburyport, Massachusetts, newspaper The Undertoad for more than a decade. In 2007 he sold the newspaper and moved to the White Mountains of New Hampshire with miniature schnauzer Atticus M. Finch. Over the last five years, Tom and Atticus have climbed more than 450 four-thousand-foot peaks.

Reviews for Totally Unrelated

[jackiewark · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Neil McClintock comes from a musical family, a VERY musical family. All his brothers, sisters, and parents play together in the family's band, The Family McClintock. Their Celtic music is developing a following, but Neil really isn't into it all that much. He feels as though he is the least musical of the family and is just good enough to get by...although it is their livelihood. But, when best friend, Bert signs them up for a talent show contest, he is intrigued, to say the least. The duo starts practicing, and they are sounding pretty good...now, all they need to do it find another musical person to do the vocals. Enter Sandy, a vacationer to the town, visiting with her grandma and little brother, the Beast. Bert and Neil find out that Sandy has a great singing voice and she's recruited! Practicing together is really paying off for Neil, both in what it is adding to his love of music and possibly his blossoming love for Sandy. He hasn't told his family about the talent show yet, but it really doesn't matter since the talent show is on Thursday, The Family McClintock's set-in-stone, forever day off. That's when, you guessed it, a huge gig comes up for the family...opening act to a famous country star. And, it is on Thursday! What will Neil do? Disappoint his friends or disappoint his family. Either way, some people will be hurt. In the end, things end up surprising everyone involved, including Neil. Totally Unrelated is a great tween fiction book that deals with self-esteem, doing what's right, finding what one loves to do and following the dream. A quick, enjoyable read. A perfect fit for those just entering the YA world. Thank you to Orca Book Publishers, Tom Ryan, LibraryThing Early Reviewers, and Leslie Bootle for this ARC.

[chrisweir-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Got this as an early review copy. Was a nice little enjoyable read. Neil comes from a musical family. Neil is a young teen and has a few problems with the family or performers. He's not so musically inclined. He does however play guitar. Will be a nice read for the tween and early teen age group that it is written for and the characters will be easily something they can identify with.

[sdbookhound · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a cute story about a family band. Even though Neil wanted to branch out and play different types of music, he still wanted to do his best for the family. He appreciated each family member for what they contributed and they all so well together. Not to say that they didn't have disagreements, they did, but the reader could truly sense the love they had for each other. I enjoyed this book and would love to read more like it. I will recommend this book.

[sheilacornelisse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A quick, enjoyable read, perfect for reluctant readers who like a "feel good" story. Neil McClintock feels like the black sheep in his family's Celtic band. Not only does he not look like his red-headed parents and siblings, his guitar-playing talent seems to take backstage to the flair of bagpipes and step-dancing. Set in Nova Scotia, Canada, this book deals with subjects such as relationships, families, commitments, conflict and perserverance - a refreshing change from stories dealing with troubled youth and broken homes. My only complaint is that it was too short. I definitely recommend it.

[shelleydaugherty · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Most teens have had a dream of rocking out with friends. Neil is a guitar player in his family band, but rocking is not what they do. He is part of family band which plays Celtic music. Though Neil loves his family he feels somewhat disconnected from them because he doesn't look like the rest and he just can't seem to get into the whole family band thing. Then one day his friend makes a suggestion they should try out for the town talent show and actually "rock the house". Neil is definately game for this and find out the date should be clear for any of his family shows so he eagerly agrees. Then a scheduling conflict comes up and Neil must choose between his family and his friends.This is one of those High-Low books that I really enjoyed and I can see it really appealing to many readers. Teens want to have that one time where they can stand in the spotlight. Neil give them that moment when he describes his emotions about being on stage yet still being a regular kid. I would really like to look at more books from this Orca Limelights collection. If they are as good as this one, I would really like to add them to my collection!

[shootingstar2428 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A good, solid book—and with better writing than most Orcas. I'm happy to add this book to my classroom shelf for students who struggle with reading. Musical kids will definitely enjoy this read.