The second Francie met Chet, her poetic memory danced.
Meet Francie Mills. She’s sixteen. Lives in the boring burbs of L.A. Is super determined and hopeful. And wants one thing: to be an amazing tennis player. Because if something exponentially, brilliantly wonderful like that happened, like winning the U.S. Open or even getting to nationals, everything would be okay. Her life. Her family. Her. She would matter. Be part of something important. And wouldn’t have to feel so unbearably sad and alone every time her dad gets drunk, again.
But the likelihood of amazingness starts to seem impossible when Francie injures her knee…that is, until she meets Chet Jones, lead singer of the band Blues Harp Jones, in Austin, on location for her dad’s movie job. Francie instantly falls for Chet, in his weird blazer and “God Save the Queen” t-shirt, sexy, genuine, funny. And she’s sure something wonderful is finally happening, especially when Chet miraculously falls for her too. But the closer Francie gets to Chet back in L.A. and the more her dad’s drinking tears her apart, the more she realizes the best kind of something wonderful isn’t at all what she expected…
This beloved debut novel from Nicole Schubert brings you an honest and painfully relatable coming of age story about first love, loss, music, sports, alcoholism, family and friendship that will have you cheering, crying and singing with the quirky, pensive Francie Mills. Compassionate, heartbreaking and hopeful, this novel for teen readers is a favorite of adults of all ages as well! If you like Sherman Alexie, John Green, JD Salinger or books like Perks of Being a Wallflower or movies like Loves of a Blonde, this might just be your cup of tea.
Blues Harp Green is Nicole's first novel! Read it now.
Listen now on Audible, Amazon or iTunes.
BLUES HARP GREEN on audiobook at Audible, Amazon & iTunes. Narrated by Amelia Clover. So amazing! Here she is reading at the book launch.
Blues Harp Green is in the Santa Monica Public Library and a library in Oregon!
RAVES & LOVE
​
2017 Independent Publisher Book Award, Young Adult Fiction eBook
2017 Readers' Favorite Book Award, Young Adult Social Issues
"Schubert captures the melodramatic roller-coaster emotions that come with being a teenager...Chet and Eddie aren't black hat/white hat romantic choices but complex individuals..." - Kirkus
"First crushes can be exhilarating--and excruciating... Schubert walks us through that emotional obstacle course with a protagonist struggling to find herself in a sea of competing influences...Readers who click with Francie's rapid-fire thinking will root for her to find happiness, even if it's not where she expects it to be." - BlueInk Review
"Blues Harp Green is an enjoyable YA novel about love, family, and friendships..." - IndieReader
"A book about self-exploration and discovering who you are... Francie learns that things ultimately cannot distract her from real life and how she is feeling...she does not have to have her whole life figured out and, honestly, that is okay..." - Readers' Favorite, five stars
"An empathetic coming of age novel about trust, friendship, and love, follows Francine Mills dealing with a debilitating tennis injury, her father's alcoholism, and falling in love all for the first time, and all at once. Fast-paced and fun to read, I honestly couldn't put it down. If you're looking for a funny, quirky, and realistic tale about growing up, definitely read this book!" -Kathryn Mazur, Editor, Publishing 101 Digest
​
"A fresh and relatable coming-of age story about the roller-coaster of first love, the complexities of family dynamics, and finding yourself in the process." -- Meredith Mara, author, bookstagrammer
​
“Compassionate and strong, Francie Mills is the voice of Generation Z.” --Iris Tate, author, UK
​
“A fresh, quirky perspective of a pensive, backwards teen and her risky friends. L.A. sets an exciting backdrop for this delightfully personal coming of age story. This book is awesome.”-- Jenny Zepp, singer-songwriter, Mercy Jones
​
“Painfully relatable. My heart is BROKEN. So sad and real, waaaahhhh.” — Sarah Samuel, author, Heavy with Water and Music
​
“Refreshingly honest! A very-relatable heroine navigating her troubled family while demonstrating a resilience that is both heartbreaking and hopeful.” — Inessa Manevich, PhD, psychologist
“This novel is a beautiful exploration of a young woman discovering how to separate her identity from the tragedies which have defined her parents.” — Elaine Chu, filmmaker, The Purgation
​
“The father’s drinking and the tennis injury just set it apart. Love that it presents a young woman in relation to sport and ambition.” — Noelle English, PhD, French lit professor, Ireland
Bloggers, Bookstagrammers, Booktubers & other reviews
Readers' Favorite
Kirkus Review
YA Guitarist
Biblio Beauty
Katherine's Book Reviews
GinnaMoran.com review + interview
