Big Time

By Tom Ryan

Gerri waits outside all night to audition for Big Time, her favorite TV singing competition. She believes she has a shot at success, but when she's insulted by one of the judges and kicked out of the competition, she thinks she'll probably never sing again. After a teacher at her school asks her to join a choral club, Gerri reluctantly gets involved. Even though she can't read music and she doesn't know the other kids, she finds herself enjoying the group and learning a lot about music. A cute guy she met at the Big Time auditions joins the group, and when they perform their unique mashups at an open-mic night, Gerri realizes there's more than one way to be a successful--and happy--singer!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
• Release date: Mar 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781459804623

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 Big Time

[lilac9grove · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Tom Ryan obviously loves music. His knowledge of the inside world of singing competitions and auditions makes this book really interesting reading. I enjoyed the realistic dialogue and the believable characterisations. Everyone will find something to identify with in the struggles of Gerri and her desire for a singing career.

[phoenixburning · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not a bad YA novella, but not really a good one either. It lacks layers. Probably the biggest problem with this book is its dependence on current pop culture: an analog of American Idol is the catalyst for the entire story, and references to Justin Bieber, etc, are going to date this thing fast. And it's a little too black and white: oh, the media circus TV show looks pretty but makes you feel bad while the messier homegrown music makes the world right. It's a sweet message that's just a bit too overt.

[sheila1957 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gerri wants to be on Big Time but is brutalized by a judge during her audition. She considers giving up singing but is invited to join a choral group. As she tries it she discovers the joy of music again. She also discovers that dreams do not die but can be changed to be what is right for a person. I liked Gerri. I also liked Keith, a boy she meets through the audition. This is a quick read and shows that changing your dream is not losing but freeing you to find something of value and worth for you.

[sdbookhound · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Big Time was a fun book to read. With the prevalence of reality tv and competition shows, I'm sure there are many young people like Gerri who dream of being on a singing competition show. They would easily relate to this story and enjoy reading about how Gerri found a new way to embrace her gift of singing after she is rejected by the judges. I would definitely recommend this book to young readers.

[janersm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a very quick read and I think that young people will enjoy it. It was obviously meant for a much younger audience, so it was a little too easy of a read for me. It's basically a story about a girl who wants to go on a Canadian version of American Idol. When things don't work out exactly how she hopes they will, she almost gives up her dreams. Notice I say almost, which is very cool because I think it can show pre-teens and teens that resilience and bravery are very important in making your dreams come true.I do think it was a little short. There were under 200 pages, which could be enough for a lot of kids to read, but might be too little for some bookworms. There was a good deal of Canadian slang, which was interesting, but was to be expected since this was a book set in Canada written by a Canadian author.The content was a little dry, but that might also be because of the age group that it is written for. I would definitely recommend it for kids who are in the 10-14 age range which is the group that I think it is probably meant for. There isn't any profanity or adult content. There are some rude moments with the book's version of Simon Cowell and some little bits of high school age drama, but nothing that is explicit or obscene in nature. It was just childish people acting childish.If a kid is interested in music, reality talent shows, or just exploring their dreams, then this is probably a good book for them.

[jaelquinn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is uplifting to read. It tends to be a bit preachy, hammering home an agenda about reality TV shows of the talent discovery flavour. Written in first person, narrator is believable. The agenda fits my values; your experience may differ. The requisite happy ending for young adult or pre-teen fiction is supplied, and gives a warm feeling.