Joey Moonhead is just like any other teen... a bit average in grades and popularity. He has a good friend who's nicknamed Spokes, and crushes on the prettiest girl in school. Moonhead and the Music Machine follows Joey on his quest to win the school's talent show and the pretty girl's heart. Along the way he discovers a hidden talent and the true friendship that he has with Spokes.
So what makes Moonhead and the Music Machine unique? Joey literally has a moon for a head. When school and bullies get to him, his head can just leave his body and go floating off on adventures in space or the jungle or the deep sea or whatnot. There's kind of a hidden pun in the description of Joey's demeanor: he comes across as very spacey! (Ha ha ha ha ha... I think my job in youth librarianship gives me license to make puns like that, right?) It's not just him, either: his parents (who both also have moons for heads) are also very absent-minded about him. When Joey decides to make his own instrument for the talent show, he just kind of halfheartedly throws things together. He needs help in order to make a truly functioning "music machine," and this help comes from another supernatural kid: Ghostboy. (Yup- he's a ghost.)
Another unique feature to Moonhead and the Music Machine: it's format. It's a graphic novel! It's in full color with bold lines and all text/speech in bubbles to make it "pop" from the artwork. I especially enjoyed the scenes where Joey and/or his friends are playing music, and how that is represented by author Andrew Rae. He uses these sorta psychedelic swirls and pops to show the flow of the music, and it really works! I love it.
The reader doesn't get a ton of insight into supporting characters, but you do get to know Moonhead really well, and it's great to see his character grow and develop. While I was reading the book, I really thought that I had the ending figured out- boy, was I wrong! You'll never see it coming, I promise. It's a good surprise, and you'll have to read the book to find out!
Two thumbs up to this YA graphic novel!
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