Part of Middle School, book 17
First published 2025
Rafe Khatchadorian has spent his entire middle school career at the bottom of the social ladder. Everything changes when he lands a guitarist spot in a rock band and scores a job at Hills Village's hottest new coffee shop and yoga studio combo. Finally, popularity seems within reach. But Rafe's dreams of coolness come with major complications. The rock band is fronted by his school's biggest bully, and their music is absolutely terrible. With the Best Band Competition approaching, Rafe must somehow transform these musical disasters into something worth hearing. Meanwhile, he's juggling his trendy new job and trying to maintain his suddenly elevated social status. The pressure mounts as the competition draws near. Rafe faces a choice between his desire to fit in and his need to survive middle school politics. His newfound position in the spotlight could either launch him into lasting popularity or send him crashing back to his former outcast status.
Genres: coming-of-age, contemporary, adolescence, music
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, social-climbing
Setting: Hills Village
256 pages · Hardcover · jimmy patterson