The Bad Decisions Playlist

“Funny and painful, it’s a sharply etched portrait of fallible human beings living, loving, screwing up, and making do.” —Publishers Weekly

Sixteen-year-old Austin is always messing up and then joking his way out of tough spots. The sudden appearance of his allegedly dead father, who happens to be the very-much-alive rock star Shane Tyler, stops him cold. Austin—a talented musician himself—is sucked in to his newfound father’s alluring music-biz orbit. None of Austin’s previous bad decisions, resulting in broken instruments, broken hearts, and broken dreams, can top this one. Witty and audacious, Austin is dragged kicking and screaming toward adulthood in this hilarious, heart-wrenching novel.

Finding out your dad isn’t dead is one thing. Finding out he’s a rock star who wants to pull you into his orbit is something else entirely.

• Father-Son Relationship: Austin’s dad, Shane Tyler, is a legend with a guitar and a total stranger. As Austin gets a taste of the rock-and-roll life, he has to decide if the man who abandoned him is one he can finally trust.
• Teen Romance: He’s a screw-up who jokes his way out of everything. She’s the brilliant tutor who sees right through him. Their connection is undeniable, but Austin’s talent for bad decisions could ruin everything.
• Finding Your Voice: A gifted singer-songwriter who freezes on stage, Austin has a million half-finished songs. But to survive his dad’s world—and win the girl—he’ll have to find the courage to finish one.
• Witty Protagonist: Laugh-out-loud funny and painfully real, Austin's sharp-witted narration turns a story of heartbreak and bad choices into an unforgettable journey.

"A fun, smart, at times heartbreaking read about families, love, choices, consequences, and the power of music." —School Library Journal   "An infectious read. . . . The key is the amount of heart with which Rubens infuses his characters. They are flawed, authentic, and tragically real. . . .Tailor-made for teen boys and the people who, for better or worse, know them." —Booklist   "Funny and painful, it’s a sharply etched portrait of fallible human beings living, loving, screwing up, and making do—and a fine look at the Twin Cities music scene." —Publishers Weekly   "A charming, at times brutally funny peek inside a slacker's mind." —Kirkus