I couldn't really get into this one. I tried it many times and its just not for me. The writing was great but I just couldn't get into it.

Absolutely adorable book full of total nerd-topia. Alongside that, it also tackles very important issues in a respectful and meaningful manner that will benefit young adult readers.

I reviewed this on Book Riot's All the Books podcast. Here is a rough transcript.

I read this author’s previous book, This Is How We Fly, a few years ago and really enjoyed it, which is part of the reason I picked this one up.
My memory is so bad, though, that it literally took me until the last page that says, “If you want Ellen’s story, pick up This Is How We Fly” to realize that the main character of It Sounds Like This is Ellen’s sister.
I do not know how I missed that, but I’m glad to get an update on Ellen , and it was interesting -- in retrospect -- to see that sibling dynamic from the other side.
This, however, is Yasmin’s story.
Yasmin is a Mexican American sophomore who is excited to have a normal school year.
Last year was Hurricane Humphrey, which flattened houses and upended her town’s lives.
There was no marching band season, which is what she’s passionate about.
So she’s more determined than ever to do well.
She and her best friend Sofia have a healthy rivalry over who will be the first chair for the flute section.
At least, it used to be a healthy rivalry.
Lately, it seems like their good-natured ribbing of each other has gotten more cutting, and Yasmin is thrown.
Still, she has a plan, and she’s determined to execute it.
Yasmin seems to be very invested in control and having her life in order ever since the hurricane disrupted it.
It doesn’t help that her mother is overbearing, and she feels a lot of pressure to always be the Good Girl.
Her mom and her nonbinary sibling are constantly putting heads, and she has to play peacemaker.
Of course, it’s impossible to be in control all the time.
When she sees a band kid being harassed at a party, she reports it, hoping the bullies would get told off.
What she didn’t take into consideration was that the video she showed administrators also showed underage drinking.
The entire low brass section is suspended, leaving the band completely out of balance.
What’s worse is that everyone knows it’s Yasmin’s fault.
An instagram account dedicated to band gossip pivots to being almost entirely about how Hurricane Yasmin ruined everything, and it keeps up the harassment campaign for months.
Yasmin had thought she was doing the right thing, even showing leadership skills, but now she’s hated, including by her best friend, whose boyfriend was one of the ones suspended.
To try to make up for it, she volunteers to try to learn how to play the tuba and is thrown in with a group of freshman boys who range from apathetic to painfully shy to the class clown.
I felt so bad for Yasmin.
Young women are so often expected to be the Good Girl, who always does what’s expected of them, always achieves excellence, and always takes care of everyone else before themselves.
There’s no room for her to be angry or make a mistake or express any of the messy emotions she’s feeling.
She feels like she has to earn every relationship in her life, and that she’s just one misstep from losing everything.
She tries so hard to win Sofia back over and can’t understand why it’s not working.
She’s in a pressure cooker, pushing down on all of that, and it’s bound to explode out
Like This Is How We Fly, this is a book packed with queer side characters.
Not only does Yasmin have a nonbinary sibling, but lots of the marching band students are queer -- which I can’t say is a huge surprise.
A love interest is on the ace/aro spectrum, two girls are dating, two guys are dating, there’s a trans guy in low brass, and more.
Yasmin is questioning and may also be on the ace/aro spectrum -- she’s pretty confused by other people’s experiences with crushes and sexuality, queer or straight.
This isn’t a fast-paced book; it follows Yasmin throughout her year in band and focuses on the emotions and relationships.
Apparently it’s a loose Snow White retelling, with the low brass boys being the seven dwarves, but I would have to say it’s very loose. That’s a fun easter egg, though.
I really got invested in Yasmin’s story, and I got so outraged on her behalf, especially at the constant harassment and insults she was getting on social media, but also when it came to her relationship with her mother and her best friend.
I’ve definitely reached the point with YA where I feel less like I relate to the main character and more that I feel protective of them.
So, if you like the idea of a marching band YA novel, I definitely recommend this one.
And that’s It Sounds Like This by Anna Meriano

This book had a lot of promise, but I feel like it missed the mark in regards to accurate representation. At times it honestly felt like the author was working over time to fit as many different identities as she could into the book (gay, ADHD, black, Asian, Jewish, etc). But rather than feel like a diverse story, it instead felt like the author was trying to mark off a long check list of identities, without properly representing or understanding those identities. The supporting characters often came off as flat stereotypes rather than fully fledged individuals.

While it seems like the author had good intentions with this book, ultimately it felt like this book was trying to do too many things at once, and mostly failed at successfully doing them.

At it's core this book is a story about overcoming challenges and getting to know new people. However this book also features toxic relationships that aren't fully addressed, as well as bullying and harassment that is brushed off for much of the story. Additionally this book should probably have a content warning for the sexual harassment of the aro/ace character at the beginning of the book, as well as the bullying and toxicity that is experienced by the main character Yasmin.

I DNFed this. I was reading on my phone, which is always difficult for me, and just couldn't get into it. I hate it when friends have rivalries--it's just not a dynamic I enjoy, and it stresses me as a reader out. But nothing against the book! I hope it finds its audience.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC of this title. I enjoyed reading this title. Would recommend for my library.

4.5 Stars

This book feels like it was practically written for me. A story about a queer Mexican-American flautist in marching band going through their catholic confirmation process in the background? The likeness is uncanny, to say the least.

If you know anything about me, it is this simple truth: if a book is about marching band, I will read it. I am constantly looking for stories that authentically and accurately capture the fullness of the marching band experience. Very few books are able to, but this book does it so incredibly well. It really took me back to those band camp days in a very visceral way that almost activated my fight-or-flight instincts in a few cases.

For me, adding that aspect of artistic performance to a YA contemporary story brings a sense of complexity to it, because it brings in another layer of stress on top of the "typical" high school experience. There’s so much pressure put on young artistic students that I think we often take for granted, because we assume that when you have a passion or a talent for something, you just do it, and everything works itself out. But actually there’s a ton of training, discipline, energy, time, and stress that Yasmín is contending with as she goes into her first marching season. Then layer on the fact that she’s also an overachiever who always wants to go the extra mile, and that brings in even more stress.

So the underlying conflict is not even just about the music. It becomes about how Yasmín navigates high school politics, how does she relate or not relate to her fellow band kids, is she doing her part to make this group performance a success, is she doing enough? And then it’s even more complicated because Yasmín is having to hold all of those things while also learning a completely new instrument with a completely new section. Overall, I think the story does a great job of capturing what it’s like to put all those hours into a marching band performance and then what it feels like when you actually execute that performance.

Speaking of toxic friendships and friendship break-ups, this one features a doozy. But I think it's so well-done, because it shows how toxic relationships don’t just effect yourself, but they also effect the way that you relate to and connect with other people. The toxicity doesn’t just stop at how it impacts you on personal or emotional level, but in really bad cases it can warp the way you understand how other people should treat you and vice versa. To see Yasmín having to navigate that and learn what healthy friendship actually looks like is really quite beautiful, and something I think a lot of young readers need to see.

That ties into my favorite thing about the story, which is that it’s such a beautiful celebration of platonic relationships and friendships. Yasmín is aro/ace questioning, so she’s realizing that the way she thinks about bodies, attraction, and intimacy is very different than her peers. But she finds that same deep sense of satisfaction, love, belonging, and affection when she finds her true friends. The low brass section are some of my favorite supporting characters I’ve read about in quite a long time. They’re funny, they’re ridiculous, they’re absolutely chaotic, but they’re also so full of love and kindness that shows up in really surprising ways, and it was fulfilling to see that genuine connection between them and Yasmín.

The only thing that detracted ever-so-slightly from my experience was the side exploration of Catholicism—a critique that is very specific to me, personally. Intellectually, I understand and appreciate what it adds to this story, because religion is so often tied up with purity culture, and that definitely factors into why Yasmín feels the way she feels about romance and sex. It’s an important piece of the conversation, but I personally could have done without it, especially because it’s not consistently threaded through the entire story.

That aside, I still absolutely loved reading this. It’s definitely a new favorite book that I sincerely hope makes its way into the hands and hearts of so many young folks who most need it, because it has so much to offer!

This is a sweet book about friendship, family and religious expectations, working for what you want, and navigating understanding your sexual orientation, and how all these parts of our lives can create challenges and conflicts. The MC is relatable, and all the characters have great development.

There is great queer representation throughout the book, includuing aro and ace teens.

I really liked this book. I enjoyed following the main character even as she had qualities that I did not like, that were part of her character arc. I also liked that the romance didn't become the main part of the story. It still is a coming-of-age story, following a flawed character, with great friendships. The other characters also did not feel like accessories for her to change, even though we don't fully go in depth with them. They are also portrayed to be in their own journeys.

It Sounds Like This follows Yasmín, a high school sophomore who is determined to make the first chair in her marching band’s flute section. However, Yasmín becomes a social pariah when she accidentally gets the entire brass section suspended after turning them in for bullying a freshman at a party.

There were a few things I enjoyed about this book! Jonathan (Bloom) is gray-aromantic and gray-asexual. I’ve rarely seen this identity portrayed, never mind with a cis boy character, so I really enjoyed that representation. Bloom is so wholesome and must be protected at all costs. I appreciate how Yasmín routinely checks her Catholic beliefs with her progressive values. I don’t see that personal struggle portrayed too often in YA contemporary. I imagine a lot of young adults will be able to relate to this. I adore the casual BIPOC and LGBTQ+ representation. The boys in the low brass section are so diverse! I can’t personally comment on the validity of the representation, but their interactions felt authentic and realistic. The author did a great job showing their distinct identities and personalities throughout the novel. Lastly, I thought Sofia and Yasmín’s toxic fallout was so well done. I was pleasantly surprised that the book didn’t end with friendship redemption. Yasmín and Sofia weren’t good friends to each other. They shouldn’t have to stay friends due to their history—people change and move on. I appreciated that message at the end.

As for things that I didn’t like so much, the prose doesn’t particularly stand out. I’m tempted to say “well, it’s YA!” but I don’t think that’s a valid reason. The pacing in the first half of the novel was WAY too slow. I understand that the author had to show Yasmín organically developing her friendship with the low brass boys, but I found myself dreading reading the book because it’s mostly set at band camp, which I know (from my own friends) is pretty boring. Finally, I’m surprised the book didn’t end with Yasmin realizing she’s aro and/or ace. Based on her inner dialogue and conversations with her peers, I assumed that’s what the author was setting up. (There are a few lines in the novel where Yasmin complains about how much people her age only care about dating/romance. Plus, she has personal conversations with Bloom about aromanticism and asexuality.) Obviously, Yasmín doesn’t have to figure everything out at 15, but I felt like that thread was abandoned at the end of the novel. While I wanted to love this book based on the asexual-spectrum representation, it just didn’t reach my full expectations.

Thank you so much again for sending me an early copy!

Ive been looking for a 'band geek' book and this filled all my needs. I loved the representation in this book as well as the mention of cyber bullying which is a huge problem in the world.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! I highly recommend this! It was absolutely adorable!

This was cute. I did find myself a little uninterested at times but overall it was a cute read with some good lgbtq rep

After her debut novel This Is How We Fly, Anna Meriano returns to the YA stage with a kind of spin-off book featuring Ellen’s half-sister, Yasmín. Filled with high school angst and drama, It Sounds Like This (which comes out on August 2nd) takes readers into the inner workings of high school marching band!

This book had a lot of characters I wasn’t a fan of and the plot felt a little drawn out in the beginning; however, once I got about halfway through the book, the storyline picked up a bit and some of the characters became likable.

The marching band theme of the book was interesting to learn about, since I never did marching band as a teenager, and it gave an inner look at the dedication band kids have to make many moving parts into a cohesive piece of art. This book also touched upon themes of sexuality, bullying, peer pressure, and mental health which made it a pretty relevant read.

Ultimately, the story was okay... I don't think I'll be reading any of Meriano’s other books in the future just because the struggle to get into the story wasn’t worth the ending in my opinion. However, a younger reader might feel differently than I did.

*I received an ARC from Penguin Teen in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 3/5 ⭐️
TW: toxic friendships, bullying & online harassment, and misgendering

“A good year, I intent as hard as I can. Let us all have a good year. And specifically, let me get first chair, I have to add. I figure it doesn’t hurt to ask.”

Yasmín Treviño didn’t have much of a freshman year thanks to Hurricane Humphrey, but she’s ready to take sophomore year by storm. That means mastering the marching side of marching band—fast! But Yasmín steps off on the wrong foot when she reports an anonymous gossip Instagram account harassing new band members and accidentally gets the entire low brass section suspended from extracurriculars. With no low brass section, the band is doomed, so Yasmín decides to take things into her own hands, learn to play the tuba, and lead a gaggle of rowdy freshman boys who are just as green to marching and playing as she is. But when the secret gossip Instagram escalates their campaign of harassment and Yasmín's friendship with Sofia deteriorates, things at school might be too hard to bear.

To be completely honest this story was one I had a difficult time connecting with. For me I think the story started off a bit slow and unfortunately the end felt a bit rushed. The conflict in the story covered serious issues of bullying, something I myself have experienced, but the resolution came a bit fast and didn’t fully appreciate the seriousness of the topic which was a major disappointment for me. While there are aspects I would change, overall the story was well written and filled with incredible LGBTQ+ and BIPOC representation.

I recommend this novel to lovers of marching bands and music, fans “Forward March” and “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda,” and anyone looking for a read filled with tons of wonderful representation!

As a former band kid, “well behaved” kid, “ideal Catholic” kid, figuring-myself-out kid, It Sounds Like This shines with its relatability and heart. Yasmin and her seven Low Brassholes are a beautifully chaotic addition to the current body of queer, diverse, Texas-set young adult stories and characters.

Also, Elias is absolutely one of my favorite side characters in all of YA literature.

Calling all former band nerds! I have a major book rec for you. I have never been a part of band but I was happily geeking out to all the marching band hype!

It Sounds Like This is a YA contemporary that follows Yasmin Treviño into her sophomore year of marching band season. Hurricane Humphrey took away her shot freshmen year so this year she’s ready to take Flute Chair-- even if it means competing with her best friend. Everything goes crashing to a halt when Yasmin reports an anonymous band gossip account and it results in nearly the entire low brass section getting suspended from band. What can Yasmin do? All she can do—fill in one more spot in the gaping hole of the low brass section and hope it’s enough not to ruin the season.

This story not only made me feel like an honorary band member (put me in low brass any day!), but it tackled some important issues. Toxic friendships, internet harassment, and the importance of speaking up for yourself all get addressed in this story.

This was also the first YA story I read that also introduced an asexual character. I really appreciated that character’s point of view and what they brought to the story.

The only struggle I had with this story was just letting Yasmin work out her people pleasing and prioritizing literally everyone else. I have some major triggers when it comes to not being heard/not speaking up and also making oneself the last priority. I was cheering for her while shaking my Kindle (lightly) in frustration but never fear, Yasmin has what it takes to come out of this book stronger than ever.

Would definitely recommend to a young YA reader, especially if they have any band nostalgia.

4 stars

This was a really cute YA story. I was in marching band in high school, so I totally understood a lot of the feelings and activities that were discussed in this book. There was a lot of great representation for young people to identify with. I enjoyed this book and was interested in where the story was going throughout. I liked the growth of some of the characters even though the overall plot wasn't particularly deep. I'd recommend it to high school age readers, especially those in band like I was!

Thoughts and Theme: I really enjoyed reading Anna Meriano’s other book, This is How We Fly, so I was quite excited to get a chance to read this one.

I really like how so many things are all new to Yasmin and how this makes it so that she doesn’t exactly fit in with the rest of the high school band kids. I really liked this because there’s a stereotype of the band kids and you would expect that Yasmin would fit in perfectly with them.

Something that I liked about this book is the ways in which religion is mixed into the story. I like how Yasmin thinks that a lot of her feelings have to do with religion and I like how they include these conversations there. I also really enjoy how this book includes conversations on sexuality throughout.

Characters: In this book you are introduced to a few characters through their interactions with a main character, Yasmin. You get to meet her best friend, Sofia, a few of the kids on the brass team, Sophia’s boyfriend, and Yasmin’s mom.

Something that I really loved about this book was how supportive the brass section is of Yasmin over time. I really like how they try to cheer her up when things go wrong and they all trust her. I like how she slowly starts to let them care about her even if at first she was disappointed in switching to this section.

I really liked getting to see Yasmin’s friendships with several of the band members and how these friendships develop throughout the book. I also like getting to see the shift in her friendship with Sophia and love how that wraps up. I liked that this book wasn’t neat and perfect because it felt real.

Writing Style: This story is told in first person through the perspective of Yasmin. I like things being in her point of view because all we know is how she feels and the things people are telling her. I really liked that we got to see things through only Yasmin’s perspective because we don’t see what others are saying about her. We don’t see her as selfish and mean, and we don’t know things about her that she doesn’t know.

I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. I felt so nostalgic reading it, as it constantly reminded me of my time in band. While there were great points of band life, this book also showed the toxicity around it and being a high school kid in general having to deal with bullying and terrible friends. But I think that I loved the resolution that Yasmin was able to achieve and that she was able to speak her mind the way she wanted to after holding so much. I loved all of the different rep in this book! I really appreciated seeing how diverse this school band was, as my band experience was not filled with diverse people at all. I thought that this was such a fun and easy read, especially if you are a band nerd who wants to remember their time in band.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants to read a good book about band stuff and being able to stand up for oneself.

Content Warning: This book does contain cyberbullying and toxic friendships