  | Gone viral Author: Soto, Gary | |
| Price: $23.98 | ||
Summary:
At Visalia Middle School, nothing exciting ever happens. For Jason and Sean, eating candy at recess and dreaming of a future filled with fame and fortune is usually the highlight of their day. When Sean stumbles across a video of composer John Cage's deliberately silent performance piece, they come up with an idea, a musical act that performs non-songs. And when a video of their first concert goes viral, they find their dreams of stardom coming true despite their lack of any musical talent.
| Illustrator: | Smith, James Otis |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (12/15/25)
School Library Journal (12/12/25)
Full Text Reviews:
Other - 10/20/2025 Inspired by avant-garde composer John Cage’s seminal 4’33", two California seventh graders become famous for performing "non-music silence" in this madcap wish-fulfillment novel by Soto (Puppy Love). Despite not knowing how to play instruments, friends Jason and Sean start a band called Gormax. The duo’s offbeat gigs-consisting of "gazing at the audience" and making "subtle body movements"-are an instant hit, particularly with officious sixth grader Chase, who becomes their agent and sends them on a world tour. On the road, Gormax discovers that fame has its perks: though they’re expected to keep up with schooling, they eschew hygiene, star in a commercial and a movie, and even have a planet named after them. Following a string of potentially career-ending incidents, Chase dispatches eighth grader Samantha and her multilingual cockatiel, Zep, to manage Gormax. But as they lose cultural relevance, Jason and Sean pine for their families (and their hometown’s delicious burritos). What the 12-year-old protagonists lack in differentiated personalities is made up for in their bubbling enthusiasm. Brief vignettes relay this meandering tale about the highs and lows of fame. Jaunty b&w illustrations by Smith (Born in the USA) depict a racially diverse cast. Ages 8-12. (Jan.) - Copyright 2025
School Library Journal - 12/12/2025 Gr 4–8—National Book Award finalist Soto tells the tale of the improbable rise (and inevitable fall) of two nonmusical budding rock stars. Jason and Sean are just average seventh-graders in California, until Jason decides to form a rock band called Gormax. They'll follow the example of composer John Cage's 4'33"—an avant-garde, completely silent composition. Armed with a sixth-grade agent and new rocker names (Metallic Z and Half-Lo), Gormax becomes an international sensation. The storyline requires readers to suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride as Gormax travels the world without parental supervision and the band grows to include an eighth-grade girl and her pet cockatiel. The chapters are short with ironic titles, and readers will relate to the characters' topical discussions of celebrities (Taylor Swift, LeBron James) and the band members' talks of owning a pickleball team as Gormax's wealth increases. The story is reminiscent of Andrew Clements's Frindle, where the goings-on escalate into the impossible (and sometimes the plot can be hard to follow); yet even in the silliness, there are poignant messages. The text doesn't describe the characters' physical appearances, but the illustrations depict one boy with dark skin and one boy with lighter skin and black hair; the eighth-grader, who identifies as LGBTQIA+, is pictured as white with blonde hair. VERDICT For readers who enjoy Soto's work and farfetched plots.—Elissa Cooper - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
