Female Drummer Kicks It In "Drummer Girl" by Ginger Scott

Arizona Wakefield is a girl who plays snare drum in her school's marching band. She's not confident about a lot of things, but she knows how to work it on her snare drum and she kicks butt on set with refined precision and expertise. She's got an issue she can't talk about. Even her parents are in chosen denial about it.

Jesse Barringer has a once famous, "one hit wonder" deadbeat dad, who is still trying to find ways to use Jesse's singing talent for his own gain. His father has no shame in trying to exploit his talented son who only wants to sing in his band, and like many other teenagers, wants to make it in music. Jesse's also bipolar. He's emotional, he's got a temper, he's coming unglued under all of the stress from his father, and he's barely holding onto his sanity.

Ginger Scott has always included issues like gang violence, the ups and downs of high school, Autism, suicide, the barriers of social status, physical disabilities (seen and unseen), the aftermath of surviving a school shooting, alcoholism, being a teenaged father, and so much more.

Some people know someone who has Autism. Some people know someone who is physically disabled. Some people know someone who is an alcoholic. EVERYBODY knows someone who has a mental illness or mental health issue, diagnosed or undiagnosed, even if that someone is themselves.

In Drummer Girl...THIS BOOK IS AMAZING...the issue tackled here is mental illness, the stigmas attached to them (which Ginger Scott strips away), and how to talk about it openly. And like every other book Ginger has written, she geniusly weaves an extremely real issue into a fictional, contemporary romance, that is thrilling, filled with emotion, and enjoyable.

If you expect a clean, sugary, and sappy love story, you won't get that here. But you will get a love story that shows how relationships take work. Hard work. Any relationship worth having, is worth the work you put into it. Jesse and Arizona's relationship is no different.

To read Jesse and Arizona's journey will give you all "the feels." 

You will get mad when Jesse gets angry. You will feel the angst that Arizona feels when she takes on the pain that Jesse feels. You will probably SCREAM at Arizona's parents to open their eyes and deal with it. I did. 

I want a book that can rip my heart out, tinker with it, and then put it back, all fixed up, without leaving me hanging. "Drummer Girl" gave me all of that and then, more.

You might be overwhelmed by two teenagers, who are not just trying to foster a relationship. But they're also fighting their own demons, trying to help each other cope, and trying to overcome all of the other hurdles that a teenager goes through. And this is on top of the intense, typically hormone-driven life of a teenager. Ginger Scott guides these two through those hurdles with impeccable grace and care. She uses real talk, her characters' love for music, just enough grit, and the power that love can have, to get you there. Trust her to carry you all the way to the end. You'll be glad you did.

One of these characters speaks openly about their mental health challenges. The other really doesn't talk about it, primarily because they don't really know exactly why they're taking medication. Ginger Scott doesn't just give you a romance. Trust me, there is plenty of that along with some mature sexual situations. She will also give you a spot on, honest look at how ALL the characters handle all of these issues. 

Overall, this is majestically written. It's definitely a thought provoker. And it's got everything you want in any contemporary romance. Story depth, character depth, conflict, emotional tugs, and a more than satisfying ending.

Five "KICK ASS" Stars!!!

The Fibromyalgia Suffers' Creed

Feel free to substitute your ailment or the ailment of a loved one and please feel free to copy, paste and share.

1). I accept the fact that I have Fibromyalgia, a condition and disease that will limit my abilities in my everyday life.

2). While I will always have Fibromyalgia, some days will be good and some days will be bad. I will be thankful for the good days and TRY to make the most of them.

3). When I am having a bad day, I will TRY to remember that most likely it will not last.

4). When I am having a bad day, I will listen to my body, and get the rest that I need. I will let my family know that I am not feeling well, because they cannot read my mind.

5). I will NOT feel guilty about resting, because I will eventually begin to feel better, and in the long run, it will also benefit my family. They will not become malnourished if they eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner.

6). I will NOT feel guilty or worry about the work that is not getting done while I am resting. The world will not fall apart without me, even though it looks like it already has.

7). I will NOT let anyone else make me feel guilty for taking time out for myself. They will never understand exactly what I am experiencing, the pain that I feel, and the exhaustion that I feel.

8). They will never understand the fear that I feel when my symptoms creep up on me, and land me flat on my back.

9). I promise not to feel sorry for myself when I am feeling bad, because there are a lot of people out there who are in worse shape than I am. I will not be sorry for what I don't have, but be thankful for what I do have.

10). I promise to learn a lesson from my illness, which is not to take life for granted. I will enjoy every moment that was given to me, and be thankful for the times that I can smile and laugh.

11). I will TRY to help others who also suffer from my condition. There are many confused and frightened people who need to hear comforting words from someone who has been there. There are many people who need me to take his or her hand and be pointed in the right direction.

12). Lastly, I will TRY not to ask, "Why me?" While Fibromyalgia has weakened my physical body, it has strengthened my heart, my soul, and my spirit.

A Letter From Fibromyalgia

A LETTER FROM FIBROMYALGIA

Dear Miserable Human Being,

Hi, my name is Fibromyalgia, and I’m an invisible chronic illness. I am now ‘velcroed’ to you for life. Others around you can’t see me or hear me, but YOUR body feels me. I can attack you anywhere and anyway I please. I can cause severe pain, or, if I am in a good mood, I can just cause you to ache all over.

Remember when you and Energy ran around together and had fun? I took Energy from you and gave you Exhaustion. Just try to have fun now! I also took Good Sleep from you and in its place gave you Fibro Fog (a.k.a.) Brain Fog. I can make you tremble internally or make you feel cold or hot when everyone else feels normal. Oh yeah, I can make you feel anxious or depressed, too. If you have something planned, or are looking forward to a great day, I can take that away too. You didn’t ask for me. I chose you for various reasons: that virus you had that you never quite recovered from, or that car accident, or childbirth, the death of a loved one, or maybe it was those years of abuse and trauma.

Well, anyway, I’m here to stay! I hear you’re going to see a doctor who can get rid of me. I’m ROTFLMAO! Just try! You will have to go to many, many doctors until you find one who can help you effectively. In fact, you’ll see many doctors who tell you ‘it’s all in your head’ (or some version of that). If you do find a doctor willing to treat this ‘non-disease’, you will be put on pain pills, sleeping pills, and energy pills.

You will be told you are suffering from anxiety or depression, given a TENS unit, told if you just sleep and exercise properly, I will go away. You’ll be told to think positively, you'll be poked, prodded, and most of all, you will not be taken seriously when you cry to the doctor how debilitating life is for you every single day!

Your family, friends, and coworkers will all listen to you until they just get tired of hearing about how I make you feel, and that I’m a debilitating disease. Some of them will say things like “Oh, you’re just having a bad day”, or “Well, remember, you can’t expect to do the things you used to do 20 years ago,” not hearing that you said “20 DAYS ago”! Some will just start talking behind your back, while you slowly feel that you are losing your dignity, trying to make them understand, especially when you are in the middle of a conversation with a ‘normal’ person, and can’t remember what you were going to say next!

In closing, you’ve probably figured out that the ONLY place you will get any real support and understanding in dealing with me is with other people with Fibromyalgia! They are the only ones that will understand your complaints of unrelenting pain, insomnia, fibro fog, the inability to perform the everyday tasks that ‘normal people’ take for granted.

Remember, I’m stuck to you like Velcro – and I expect we’ll be together for the rest of your life. Lucky you!

Author Unknown