One Song

Eva Sidebottom, a 17-year-old musician, wants more than anything to win the Triple J Unearthed High competition before she finishes high school. She’s entered plenty of times before, but this weekend is her very last chance. She assembles a motley band: along with her friend Cooper, who she has kissed a few times and still has a crush on, there’s a snarly girl who doesn’t seem to like her very much, and a drummer who’s in two other bands. They are meeting in Cooper’s granny flat at the back of his house to record and lay down their potentially award-winning song, which will rocket them to stardom – or so they hope. Fly-on-the-wall documentarian Mim films the recording and interviews each of the band members, capturing their chaotic process on video. When the snarly guitarist, Ruby, declares the song is ‘shit’ early on in the evening, the wheels start to fall off from there.

Set over one chaotic weekend, this is a funny and insightful story about rock-god ambitions, misdirected romantic inclinations, and genuine teenage angst. It captures the desperate need to achieve something before you finish high school, along with some truly memorable moments, including a laugh-out-loud episode with a dog stealing a used menstrual pad and racing around the garden with it.

Completely different from the author’s two previous dystopian novels, Hive and Rogue, this is a fresh, funny, and contemporary novel that will be adored by readers aged 14+.