A Little Bit Country

Chicagoan Emmett Maguire wants to become country music’s first gay superstar. His summer gig performing at Wanda World, a Dollywood-inspired theme park in Jackson Hollow, Tenn., that’s owned by country music legend Wanda Jean Stubbs, is the first step. Luke Barnes is a Sleepy Hollow local who hates country music and wants to be a chef, but that’s on the back burner—his mother’s medical bills take priority, so his dishwashing job at a Wanda World restaurant is the closest he gets to the kitchen. For Emmett, Wanda Jean is an icon, but for Luke, she’s a painful part of his family’s history—a part that means his sexual orientation, his intensifying relationship with Emmett, and even his job must remain hidden. As Luke navigates his many secrets and Emmett struggles with the changes he’s expected to make for his dream, the white 17-year-olds must work together to overcome the many roadblocks to achieving their goals. Though Luke’s intimately rendered familial and financial hardships feel weightier than Emmett’s surface-level pursuit of fame, generating an unbalanced narrative, Kennedy’s dual first-person perspectives earnestly showcase Emmett’s irrepressible passion for his dreams and Luke’s courage in the face of vulnerability, making for a light and hopeful debut. Ages 13– up. Agent: Lauren Spieller, Triada US. (May)

Correction: A previous version of this review misstated the book's setting.