Review, Interview & Guest Post with Casey Barnes Eponymous Author E.A. Rigg

Author: E.A. Rigg
Title: Casey Barnes Eponymous
Publication: December 29, 2011
Audience:Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 4 out 5
Source:Author
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Thoughts: She is in your face and really true to who she is, well other than when Alex Deal is in the picture. She toots to her own tune and is truly one of a kind. I ABSOLUTELY love Casey. Her story begins with the secret playlists she makes for classmates she feels need the music to help them get through. At first, I thought this is what the book would be about but it was more than that. Music is the key to Casey figuring out who she wants to be. At the moment she is all about getting Alex to like her and is willing to sacrifice herself to be with him. Ben her classmate that she cheats off of, if only he would move his arm so she could see, is trying to get Casey to see that Alex is not all that. Casey seems to be one of those people you can't tell but have to show for them to realize the truth. I could identify with her humor and insecurities about her life. This is a really cute story and it was good to see how all the characters grow into individuals. The pace   is steady and the writing is witty but realistic.


Favorite Quote: "I may not be female but I do know this: most female creatures our age are under the impression that the boyfriend's going to get them where they want to go. And I'm here to tell you you're the one who has to do it. He will follow."

Guest Post with E.A. Rigg 
To be Biebered or not to be Biebered

My book is about a teenage girl obsessed with music so I think it only appropriate that I blog about music.  Namely, a pop song, and the pop singer who made it famous...the interesting part being that the singer isn’t the one who sang the song.

The story goes like this: Justin Bieber said in an interview that “Call Me Maybe,” an obscure Canadian ditty by Carly Rae Jepsen, was the best pop song of the year.  From the moment that interview ran the song and Jepsen shot to stardom.

Now don’t get me wrong.  I believe in the power of a great pop song.  I generally listen to indie rock but “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry is one of my all-time favorites.  It is so good that I think she deserved to be catapulted into fame the way she has.  

When I read about “Call My Maybe” I could not wait to download it.  But then I listened and, to be honest, was confused.  The hook, the string sample in the middle of the chorus, is classic recording studio theatrics.  And the lyrics are dumb. 

But that has not in the slightest way stopped the rise of the song.  It is everywhere.  There’s even a video of Carly doing an interview on the WARPED tour website, which begs two questions.  One: Why?  Two: Which presidential candidate is getting the Bieber endorsement?  Clearly it’s a powerful one.

Interview with Casey & Ben

LLM:Casey, why did you decide to start writing the play lists? What impact do you feel they have? 

 I think the fate of the world lies in what people choose to listen to.  Call me extreme, people have, but that's my deal. There are a few people at my high school who have admirable taste in music.  The other day I was walking down the hall and heard Death Cab For Cutie tinning out of a guy's walkman.  I went to pat him on the back only right at that moment he bent over to get something from his locker so I ended up patting his butt.  Whoops.  I got out of there fast!  Point being, I have classmates who know what to listen to.  But then there's the rest of them.  To be honest it's not their fault.  It's not like popular radio is feeding them good tunes and how do you expect girls to act when they have Carly Rae Jepsen on their iPods?  Of course they're going to scream in the halls and form cliques and act like bullies. It's like giving a child a nonstop diet of sugar.  So, to answer your question, I write my playlists because I think the quickest and happiest path for an annoying classmate to become a cool classmate is by listening to good music.  My playlists facilitate that.  And, yes, I definitely think they're working.  A few weeks back I slipped one to a girl in my history class who always told on people when they cheated on tests and she hasn't done it since. See?

LLM:Casey, What is about Alex Deal that you find appealing?

I don't know.  Rather, I know there are some things about him that are not so appealing.  But it's one of those situations where from the first moment we spoke I had this reaction to him that was uncontrollable.  Maybe it was because he's a little older, a bit mysterious, kind of a jerk... maybe it was those eyes of his.  Whatever the reason, I had to be with him.

LLM:Casey& Ben...If you could travel back through music history, where would you go and why?

Casey: I would go to Seattle when the grunge bands were first getting big.  It seems like that was an exciting scene.
Ben: Really? I'd go back to the 60s and play Woodstock.
Casey: I'm sorry but, what are you, 85?
Ben: Shut up.
LLM:Casey, If you could change one thing, what would that be?
I would make sure a talent scout from a record label was there for our talent show performance so me and Pop Wire could get signed.
LLM:Ben, what is the hardest part about knowing Casey? Best Part?
Ben: The hardest part is that she's a little crazy and self-centered.  Casey: What the--?   Ben: Just listen!  The BEST part is that she's fearless, funny, kinder than she lets on, and very talented.
Casey: You're forgiven, but only just.
LLM:Casey, where do you get your inspiration to write your songs? Casey: From school and my life. From you, Ben.  Ben: I paid her to say that.

LLM:Casey, You seem like such an outspoken person, so why are you afraid to sing in front of a crowd?

Well I got over that fear, but I was scared in the beginning because writing songs was so important to me and I was nervous that if I played in front of people and they didn't like it, it would totally kill me.

LLM:Ben, why do you think Casey is such a rebel? Casey, your thoughts about this?

Ben: Well I think it's a bit of a shield of armor.  
Casey: Oh my God. 
Ben: I'm still answering the question.  I THINK being funny and irreverent makes her feel like no one can hurt her.
Casey: Or maybe I'm just funny and irreverent because that's just the way I am. 
Ben: Or maybe that's it.
LLM:Why is music so important to you both? 

Casey: It just is.  It's one of the few things that can immediately change my mood.  And writing songs is like this escape from everyday life.  It's a gift.  I get to come from awful high school every day and create my own world of music.
Ben: Yeah I'd pretty much say the same thing.
LLM:Casey, Ben...Finish this sentence. I hope ____

Casey:You go first.
Ben: No you.
Casey: I hope our first album goes platinum.
Ben: I hope we're still, um, hanging out, in a year.
Casey: Damn, I knew you were going to say something about us.
Ben: Now who feels like a jerk?