This was great from beginning to end. The story gets how kids worry about things, mostly things out of their control: middle school drama, parents, finances, a parent with addiction issues and (subtly) depression, home life problems, etc. 

<i>Band Nerd shows</i> a messy portrayal of the family dynamic here, coupled with middle school drama, but it’s realistic. Her mother works long hours as a nurse, and her father is okay when he’s sober but unpredictable when he’s not, which is most of the time. Lucy is also the typical oldest daughter, saddled with responsibility that isn't heaped upon her younger siblings.

She's constantly thinking about other people and others' feelings, so the one thing she wants for herself is to be first chair at her new performing arts school.

Although unfinished-looking at times, the art style is cozy and charming. I think it was expressive, too.

I enjoyed reading this and was eager to turn the page. The characters weren't flat. ENDING SPOILER:

I like that lucy doesn’t become first chair. Sometimes, we don’t always get what we want. I thought with the stolen music tolli would fail, but she didn’t. The parents are also more dimensional. They’re not all bad, though you see their parenting is poor