When the Beat Drops by Anna Hecker

Thank you to BookSparks and author, Anna Hecker, for sending me a free copy of When the Beat Drops in exchange for an honest review in the #readbythesea2018 blog tour. All opinions are my own.

If I could describe When the Beat Drops in just a few words, I’d have to choose friendship, sisterhood, unconditional love, personal trials, and, of course, music! Best consumed while listening to your favorite EDM DJ, it’s perfect for fans of Love, Hate, and Other Filters and Listen to Your Heart! Read more to find out why I found myself unable to put down this lovely YA novel.

In When the Beat Drops, we follow 17-year-old misfit, Mira, a talented jazz musician, who just can’t find a place to fit in among her athletic family. When financial troubles leave her to go to music camp, she feels like her one opportunity to really shine has been lost. Mira’s older sister, Britt, comes home for the summer and offers Mira a glimpse into the world of something she’s never experienced: warehouse parties and EDM. After some wild circumstances, Mira soon learns that her musical talents have translated into some stellar DJing skills. Now she’s made new friends, (and met new potential loves), but the lights and sounds of the parties aren’t all they are all cracked up to be. With the experimental music, Mira finds that her new friends may be experimenting in a bit more than she bargained for. Her new-found love for EDM brings her places she never expected and it may even tear her life apart.

When the Beat Drops was another perfect blend of serious and fluff that I like in my summertime reading. Author Anna Hecker creates exciting situations for the characters and then leads readers to see that everything isn’t always as it seems on the surface. I have to say, this one deals with some tough issues like drug abuse and teen death that may not be suitable for all readers. These moments take up a good portion of the second half of the novel. While they are heavy topics, they would truly serve as a great opportunity to talk to young readers about what to do if a friend is in trouble and how to handle themselves when faced with a moral dilemma. I’m sure many teens or new college students could easily find themselves in these situations. Seeing a character step into their own shoes may make that conversation just a little easier.

My only qualm with this book was that the ending felt rushed. I was satisfied with the outcome of several of the plots, but I also wanted just a little more after the journey we took with Mira. I would definitely pick up a follow-up to this story in a heartbeat.

I really enjoyed my time reading this book, which, admittedly, was whenever I was on the elliptical. (If you haven’t tried workout reading, you’re not living your best life.) I turned on my EDM (electronic dance music) channel on the radio and lost myself in Hecker’s world. I highly suggest you do the same.

TL/DR: If you ever wanted to know what it’s like to become a DJ, When the Beat Drops is your jam.
Rating: 4 / 5 stars