Actual rating: 3.5 stars

This book has me feeling many things that are hard to sort out. On the one hand, I actually flew through this book because a) the chapters were short, which is a great love of mine, b) the character suffers from depression and anxiety, and I also suffer from both, so it was heart-breaking but validating to see that even though depression feels isolating, it's also universally felt across all age/gender/race groups. The writing was definitely very "modern teen," which I appreciated and also thought was well done. However, on the other hand, sometimes the "teen" speak was a little much - it got in the way of the storytelling. Also, I was disoriented at times because of the constant shifts in focus. I felt that some chapters were all over the place, and I can see that that's because of Morgan's train of thought, but I also was abruptly taken out of the story several times because of it. It just felt off to me.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, and the author definitely has a way with words - humor included - and it was unique (at least for me) to read from the perspective of a young black girl suffering from a mental illness. Mental illness is only a recent topic in literature that's become popular, and stories about/told from the POV of black girls is even less common.

The format may be less appealing for some teens, but the issues it deals with are topical and well-handled. Parker's inclusion of music and the way it can relate to our mental and emotional states is wonderful and will definitely be familiar to teenage readers. Light on the plot but filling a great void in representation. We have a thousand "feelings" books with white girls. It's past time for this version.

This book was so hard to rate. I had to take a few days & think, but then realized that I was at one time in life Morgan. Depression and all the things that come with isn’t talked about much in the Black community. I know what it’s like to fight through depression and this novel will help so many young kids. I am highly recommending this to everyone.

Thank you Delacorte Press & NetGalley for gifting this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Who Put This Song On? handles heavy topics such as racism, homophobia, recreational drug use, questioning faith and religion, and mental illness. If it sounds too intense for you, have no fear: Parker’s writing style is rich with humor and relatable commentary, making these issues a little more palatable. The novel is told through a variety of diary entries, text messages, emails and narrative chapters, and combined with its autobiographical nature, contributes to the strong voice that makes Morgan and her life easy to relate to on at least some level. Between the generous helping of fashion, music and pop culture references and the gritty, realistic portrayal of life as a teenager with mental illness, Who Put This Song On? is an incredibly realistic novel. Beyond that, Parker ends the book with a touching author’s note in which she gifts the reader with a kind of real life epilogue that’s neither happy nor sad. It’s simply life, and I appreciate Morgan not forging a fake happy ending for the reader’s sake.

Despite dragging at some parts, and some details or subplots not seeming to be terribly meaningful, any fault I can find in this novel can be excused by the fact that it’s based off of the author’s actual life and the value in which Morgan’s story holds. This is a book for struggling teenagers, for kids who don’t feel like they belong and worry they’re the only person in their world that thinks the way that they do. Morgan Parker is an important new voice in the YA sphere, and I can’t wait to see what she does next! For fans of Isabel Quintero’s Gabi, a Girl in Pieces, you will eat this up.

This book surprised me in a lot of ways, but I found myself thoroughly wrapped in it before I knew what was happening. Who Put This Song On? is an unusual novel that needs to be read.


Who Put This Song On CoverTrapped in sunny, stifling, small-town suburbia, seventeen-year-old Morgan knows why she’s in therapy. She can’t count the number of times she’s been the only non-white person at the sleepover, been teased for her “weird” outfits, and been told she’s not “really” black. Also, she’s spent most of her summer crying in bed. So there’s that, too.

Lately, it feels like the whole world is listening to the same terrible track on repeat—and it’s telling them how to feel, who to vote for, what to believe. Morgan wonders, when can she turn this song off and begin living for herself?



Life may be a never-ending hamster wheel of agony, but Morgan finds her crew of fellow outcasts, blasts music like there’s no tomorrow, discovers what being black means to her, and finally puts her mental health first. She decides that, no matter what, she will always be intense, ridiculous, passionate, and sometimes hilarious. After all, darkness doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Darkness is just real. (Goodreads)
Goodreads

I received an eARC of Who Put This Song On? from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Who Put This Song On? needs trigger warnings for mental illness, discussions of mental illness, discussions of suicide attempt, drug and alcohol use, on page racism, discussions of racism, homophobia on page, and over-policing of Black teenagers.

This novel is unusual in that it does not have a real plot, so much as it is a series of vignettes showing the highs and lows of Morgan’s life. Judging by the author’s note, it was sort of based on Parker’s own life, and it felt very real despite the lack of plot. I also loved every bit of the music in this book, and I intend to build a playlist with it.

Who Put This Song On? is beautifully written and honest about depression and mental health in a way that a lot of people – especially young people – will need. I recommend it. Pick it up from Amazon or Indiebound through our affiliate links.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick fun read about dealing with depression. I felt a lot of people could relate to the intertwining of religion with anxiety and depression, and how sometimes it is religion that can cause greater anxiety and depression. I wish that there had been more with the secondary characters. It is a book about Morgan so it is all about her, but they hint that one of her friends is anorexic but she never really touches on it again. There is so much going on in this book for how quick of a read it is. I think this book would mostly appeal to the 'new adult' age more so than teen, a lot of the references would be missed by anyone that was not a teen at the same time as Morgan, the book is set in 2008.

I will use this book in my classroom because I think it's provides really great representation for people of color dealing with mental illness, which we don't see very often. For myself, I couldn't really get into the writing and I thought the pacing was a little slow.

Thank you to @netgalley and @delacortepress for the advance Kindle copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Morgan is struggling. She is the only black girl in her class at an uber-conservative Christian school. She is teased for her “weird” outfits and she doesn’t tell anyone that she is in therapy after she told her family she to wanted to commit suicide last summer. It just seems like her life is a song she can’t change, but over the year she comes to terms with who she wants to be, how she can do that in her town, and what she needs to be happy. This one is out on 9.24.19! Recommended for grades 9+.

Who Put This Song On? follows the story of Morgan who is a girl who lives with depression, anxiety, and feels like a constant outsider. She’s one of the very few minority students at the school and on top of that, people place her into the typical black girl stereotype. She loves indie emo music, wearing quirky outfits, and is nerdy.

"I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve been told I’m not really black, how many times I’ve been the only black girl at the sleepover, the only black person in the mosh pit, the only black person in the theater for The Squid and the Whale, or the only person at all who listens to Sunny Day Real Estate. I get that I’m not like black people on TV, and I don’t only listen to rap or dress like any of my cousins, but being unique and depressed doesn’t change my skin color."

Morgan is on a journey of self discovery that is raw and emotional. She finds it hard to define what is considered normal when she is already dealing with depression and anxiety. To help with this she journals, goes to therapy, and finds a system of support in her family and friends. She goes through a process and slowly realizes that everything won’t change overnight and that she has to work at her own pace for healing.

The novel is read like a diary and each chapter felt like a personal essay of some sorts. The overall tone of the novel is emotional, snarky, and somewhat humorous even though the story tackles some heavy subjects. I felt like the story is relatable and talks about mental illness is stigmatized in the black community. I thought the narrative important because lots of black women of all ages are going through the same things Morgan is.

From the first page of this novel really felt as if I could relate to Morgan’s character. I shared some of the shared experiences from the school she goes to, music she likes, being a blerd, and being labeled as something you’re not. I appreciate how personal this book felt and how the author pulls from her own experiences. Some YA books with mental illness as the main topic have the “love cures all” trope and I appreciated that this book isn’t. The love interests are there but the story isn’t heavily focused on the romance.

All in all, there is no happy ending but rather a open ending that suggests that Morgan is still on her path to finding her “normalcy” in life that she working on. Among depression and anxiety, this book tackles issue if racism, drug abuse. It very heavy but is filled with lighter moments. I think this was such difficult but important read Morgan journey of self love shows readers that self-love is a long journey.

As a teen, writer Morgan Parker feels like an outsider. Her christian high school hardly has any other black kids and her white therapist doesn’t get it. Morgan is suicidally depressed with anger and sadness her most prominent symptoms.

WHO PUT THIS SONG ON? is a niche book that will probably appeal to a narrow group of readers and for that reason, I’m glad Parker decided to write it. I hate to criticize too harshly a narrative nonfiction story, because, in a sense, I’m criticizing the writer so I’ll focus mostly on what I did like.

Parker immersed me in her experience as a black teen among mostly white. I could see how, from her perspective, comments from her white peers that didn’t overtly intend harm stung. I don’t think the onus should be on her to educate her white friends. I do think a one time response like, “I know you are trying to be supportive, although when you said X I felt Y. Z would have been a better statement” could go a long way. If her peers don’t think they’re doing wrong, they won’t know to correct it. I do NOT blame her, even adults have difficulty addressing issues with people in a way that doesn’t put them on the defensive while expressing a point.

A lesson in finding your footing:
Who Put This Song On? by Morgan Parker

You might already know Morgan Parker for her poetry collections Magical Negro and There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé. In her debut YA novel, she writes an autobiographical story of a teenager (also named Morgan Parker) struggling with depression and searching for a sense of belonging in her suburban town. Parker keeps the reader right inside book-Morgan’s head, where, despite what she shares out loud, her inner life runs wild. Morgan loves Radiohead and ‘80s rom-coms; she’s a keen and clever observer of her peers. She’s also regularly asked to speak for the black population at her majority-white high school (“I can’t be the entire black student body,” she thinks to herself when a teacher asks her to weigh in on the prospect of Obama’s presidency). Over time, Morgan finds the tools to manage her mental health issues and branches out into new experiences. It’s an honest, funny, and sometimes tough-to-read portrait of a young black woman coming into her own.

So this book had a lot of important themes. As someone who attended a majority white high school in 2008 I could relate to the racism Morgan faced and the feelings of not fitting in. It was like re-living my high school years again. I've since long pushed that past me. I didn't feel like this story had much of a structure though. I feel like everything written here could've been written in a long poem instead or an article. Teen Morgan wasn't a likable character and so much of this predictable story was wash, rinse, repeat that it was hard to get through.

Who Put This Song On? succeeds at deeply immersing the reader in the headspace of a teenager (circa 2008) struggling to reconcile her depression with her coming-of-age journey and exploration of her Black identity. Morgan's voice is vivid and honest--which it should be, because the main character of this semi-autobiographical novelized diary is the author's teenage self.

That said, I'm not sure that novelization was the right move for this story. My full review discusses the ways that this didn't totally work for me--diaries and novels are very different forms, and I don't think the transition works.

I hope this book finds its way into the hands of teens that need it.

Thanks to Delacorte Press for providing me with an advance review copy of this title at no charge in expectation of an honest review. No money changed hands for this review and all opinions are my own.

Who Put This Song On? by Morgan Parker is part memoir, dealing with a girl's depression at the beginning of her last year in high school. There was a lot that I enjoyed about the book, including the mental health rep; however, the story seemed to lack an overall plot and there were some parts of the story that didn't fit into the time frame it took place in.

What I liked: I really liked Morgan's character. She makes mistakes, she experiences depression, but she seems like a real character (maybe because she's based on the author). I enjoy her interest in music, although it doesn't seem to take as prominent a role as I thought it would be. I love her interest in black history, and think it's good for readers to learn about it as well. Morgan experiences loss and has to deal with school faculty that she sees as ignorant. It feels realistic.

What I liked less: Who Put This Song On? doesn't seem to have this overarching plot. While the story is well-written, the book seems to be one event after another. Other than to not be depressed, there doesn't seem to be anything that Morgan wants. The other thing that threw me off was the references to Saved By the Bell and mix CDs. The book takes place in the last half of 2008. Were high schoolers actually using mix CDs in 2008? Itunes came out in 2001. Wouldn't they be listening to iPods or Mp3 players? One of the characters mentions a specific Saved By the Bell episode. Saved By the Bell stopped airing in 1993; if the character was 17, she would have been 2 when the series stopped airing. I have a hard time imagining that she'd recall a specific episode.

That being said, the book was interesting enough, and I think can be a helpful book for people with depression. If you have depression, this book can help people realize that they're not alone.

Oh my God, this book! I knew nothing about this book or this author before getting into this book and within 10 pages, I was hooked!!!

Who Put This Song On? is loosely based on author Morgan Parker's real life as a black teen who struggles with finding her place in the world. Morgan wrestles with her mental health, her blackness—or lack thereof—in a predominately white neighborhood, and how to feel in her own skin and with her sometimes dark thoughts. She is constantly being made fun of for the things she wears and the music she listens to, especially by her extended family and the popular kids in school. Morgan would much rather spend time with the people that understand her, even when she is still trying to figure out who she is.

I think Parker's views of depression and anxiety were so spot on. Morgan feels forced to come up with excuses and apologize for her actions for when everything gets to be too much or when she has one of her fits. She goes to therapy very reluctantly, but knows that its helping—especially when she starts to open up about her panic attacks with her best friends and realizes she's not the only person in the world who feels like this. This solace in learning that you're not alone in your feelings. 

I hope this books gets into more peoples' hands because it truly is a remarkable story about a girl lost in her feelings and identity, trying to understand the world around her. And it's really funny and witty, with some sharp characters and incredible music.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn’t connect and the teens I’m selecting for in my library don’t typically pick up books that are from the past (2008 is too far back for them).

Morgan’s story tackles issues of racism, the stress of being the token POC in the room, and feeling like you can never just exist – forever stuck between being ‘not black’ and yet at the same time unable to forget her identity. Her story is humorous and genuine, while not minimizing the struggles of finding the right medication and her family’s reactions to her mental health.

Who Put This Song On? brought me back to riding in cars at night, making CD mixtapes, and passing notes. It brings up the shades of racism – from the subtle remarks all the way to police brutality. The struggles Morgan feels while feeling like the black historical figures can either be celebrated for their sainthood or suffering. How telling it is when you’re asked what you would do if you went back in time and your answer is that you would be a slave – or not allowed through Ellis Island (in my case). (Which reminded me of Kindred by Octavia Butler a total must read!)

Wishing I had this book in high school.

Morgan speaks so openly about what it means to suffer depression in a society that isn't open to any differences. The way our main character is expected to hide her suffering is spot-on with what society has taught us is right.

This story shines light on this stigma while also tackling themes of racism, friendship, sexuality, religion, & self-acceptance...definitely worth the read.

I think it will help students consider the microaggressions they may unintentionally inflict on others. I thought that the book could have used some tighter editing; the book seems disjointed.

This very autobiographical story is so full of heart. I loved getting to know both Morgan the author through her notes at the beginning and end of the novel, and Morgan the character. The music and TV references put the reader firmly in the 2008 setting.

Morgan the character’s first-person narration allows such transparency as she navigates depression and anxiety, white privilege, and so many micro aggressions. Morgan the author knows how to write authentic teens dealing with a variety of issues.

I did find the sheer number of musical and pop culture references distracting, and I think Morgan’s story might have been more effective with a little more moderation in that regard.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the digital ARC.