Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: One Perfect Moment
AUTHOR: Alexander C. Eberhart
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 244 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 24, 2022
BLURB:
Seventeen-year-old JAKE ANASTOS just got the chance of a lifetime—an audition to open for his favorite band. With his two best friends, Gage and Marcy, and new drummer, Bran, the band leaves Atlanta determined to make their dreams a reality. But the trip to Portland is a long one, and secrets loom, threatening to tear them apart long before they reach their destination.
GAGE MCLEOD has been searching for the PERFECT MOMENT to confess his feelings for his best friend, Jake. But he just can’t seem to find it. With the end of summer looming, Gage has to make a choice: Risk it all by telling Jake how he feels or accept the fact that sometimes we don’t always get what we want.
Two weeks on the road is enough to turn even the best of friends into enemies. Still, armed with only an instrument stuffed mini-van, a map of roadside attractions, and enough junk food to feed an army, four teens set out to make their dreams a reality while navigating the potholes (both literal and figurative) of life. Can they make it back to Atlanta with their dreams and relationships intact, or will they learn not everyone gets that ONE PERFECT MOMENT?
ONE PERFECT MOMENT will leave you longing for those long summer days on the open road and melt your heart like a candy bar on the dashboard.
REVIEW:
One Perfect Moment is a young adult novel about four teenagers embarking on a cross country road trip. They comprise a band about to compete for the opportunity to open for their favorite musical artist at an upcoming concert. The plot is a bit preposterous: they’re one of only four bands chosen from around the country to compete, yet they appear to be disorganized and relatively inexperienced. For example, they plan to use a song that one of the members writes just a few days before the audition and they’ve barely practiced as a group. In fact, the song isn’t even finished until the night before.
Along with that plot is the storyline of two band members, Gage and Jake, falling for each other. They have been best friends since early childhood. Neither knows if the other is interested in boys, let alone interested in each other. Gage spends the first part of the road trip trying to plan the perfect moment to let Jake know his feelings. This aspect of the book is realistic and their inexperience with such emotions is endearing, but it failed to engross me. I liked both boys and their struggles but there wasn’t strong romantic chemistry.
I generally love YA and coming-of-age or sexual awakening novels, primarily for the angst created by the inexperience of the boys and the heightened emotions of first-time love. That isn’t delivered here, though; it’s okay the author kept the story simplistic and didn’t go in that direction, but it didn’t speak to my tastes.
The book reads very young, most suitable for preteen or teen readers who will relate to all four characters and enjoy the dynamics between them. The other members of the band include Marcy, a cisgender lesbian, and Bran, a non-binary teen. Another subplot is the intrusive, negative thoughts Jake experiences every day. The topic is interesting but not given the attention it deserved.
I think most adult readers of YA will find One Perfect Moment too simplistic. It’s hard for me to gauge the appeal to young readers but my guess is they will enjoy the book and find it satisfying.
RATING: 
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