Candidly Cline by Kathryn Ormsbee

Here's my second highlight post for a book that will be featured on my upcoming LGBTQIA+ Middle Grade Novels post! I can't wait for you to meet one of my favorite middle grade book protagonists. It's been said before, but if you enjoyed Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World or any other books by Ashley Herring Blake, you will adore Cline Alden!

Cline Alden dreams of becoming a big-name country star, akin to Dolly Parton or Emmylou Harris. The only problem? Her mother is absolutely opposed to the idea, saying that Cline needs to focus on something more stable that will be sure to give her a comfortable life. So when Cline hears about a young musicians' songwriting workshop a few towns over, she knows she'll have to pave her own way to get there. After a lot of money-saving and sweet-talking, she finds herself the tuition and a ride to take her to her musical dreams. 

But when she arrives at the workshop, she's intimidated by the older kids and their years of experience. Not only that, but she gets partnered up with Sylvie, a rock enthusiast who makes Cline's head full of love song lyrics. 

As she begins to write her own music, Cline realizes how much she's been hiding from her family, and from herself. She has to figure out what it means to be Cline, in her truest version, so that she can sing it to the world. 

Review

This is one of my top reads of the year so far. Cline was an amazing protagonist, with her determination and passion for music and her openness and honesty with her feelings. The setting and general tone of the book were incredibly nostalgic and heartwarming, and the cast of characters felt like the perfect size to contrast with and lift up Cline.

If you like country or Americana music, you'll love the constant references to Cline's favorite artists, including Brandi Carlile and Patsy Cline. And if you hate country music because you think it's shallow and sexist (which is a lot of what the most promoted/stereotypical country music is), you'll love the focus on female singers/songwriters in the genre. I listen to a bit of Americana, and wouldn't consider myself very well-versed in the genre, but I found a lot of songs that I recognized in these pages.

As a bonus, I compiled a list of all the songs mentioned in the books (in order). If you read the book, comment and tell me if you noticed any of these. Which ones are your favorite?

• "Born to Run" by Emmylou Harris
• "Angel from Montgomery" by Bonnie Raitt
• "I'll Fly Away" by Gillian Welch and Alisson Krauss
• "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad" by Tammy Wynette
• "Right Or Wrong" by Wanda Jackson
• "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" by Loretta Lynn
• "How Great Thou Art" by Dolly Parton
• "Just The Way I Am" by Dolly Parton
• "Pursuing Happiness" by Norma Jean
• "Wide Open Spaces" by The Chicks
• "Love Is a Rose" by Linda Ronstadt
• "Violet" by Hole
• "Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
• "Blue Kentucky Girl" by Loretta Lynn
• "My Baby Is My Guitar" by Thunderbitch
• "Crimson and Clover" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
• "Mercedes Benz" by Janis Joplin
• "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by The Beatles
• "Delta Dawn" by Tanya Tucker
• "Walkin' After Midnight" by Patsy Cline
• "The Wayward Wind" by Patsy Cline & The Jordanaires
  
• "A Day In The Life" by The Beatles
• "I Beg Your Pardon (I Never Promised You A Rose Garden)" by Lynn Anderson
• "Beneath Still Waters" by Emmylou Harris
• "Crazy" by Patsy Cline & The Jordanaires
• "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton
• "You Don't Hear" by Kitty Wells
• "I've Gotta Sing" by Wanda Jackson
• "Hard Way Home" by Brandi Carlile
• "Wildflowers" by Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt
• "Oh Atlanta" by Alison Krauss