Perpetually optimistic and hopeful, seventeen-year-old Amber is living a rather strange existence. Amber, her dog, and her alcoholic mother are homeless and live on the school bus her mother drives. Her best friends are an oddball mix of outcasts (Franks Freak Force Federation), she teaches English to the "Korean Divas for Christ," visits and trades insults with a particularly cranky old lady in a nursing home, and trades haiku poems with a Vietnam vet. When Amber has cause to question everything she believes and starts to lose all hope, the eccentric and eclectic community she has built around herself rallies together to see her through.

Equal parts humor and heartbreak, Sorta Like a Rock Star is a moving and worthwhile read. Amber Appleton is a truly unique and endearing character. Subject matter is mature, as spirituality, homelessness, alcoholism, murder, autism, and grief are all central to the storyline. Language is graphic, though infrequent. A sperm donor is mentioned and reference is made to a dog's "stiffy." Amber's promiscuous, smoking and drinking mother is murdered partway through the story, which marks a significant turning point in Amber's life. An incredibly supportive community makes heartwarming gestures in order to keep Amber afloat and let her know that she is truly cared for. This story is rich with discussion material, and the haiku poetry interspersed throughout adds greatly to the story in a very simple way.

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