If Finn Hudson’s life had a soundtrack, it would probably include The Lovin’ Spoonful’s 1966 hit “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?”
Remember how it goes?
Did you ever have to finally decide?
Say yes to one and let the other one ride?
There’s so many changes and tears you must hide.
Did you ever have to finally decide?
Because for everything the Glee character has going for him — starting quarterback on the William McKinley High School football team, co-captain of the Glee Club, homecoming king candidate — his laid-back attitude tends to get him into trouble.
The most obvious example is with girls.
In season one, Finn dated Quinn and made eyes at Rachel. Then, he dated Rachel and looked longingly at Quinn. Then, he dated Quinn and gazed at Rachel. And in the last episode of season two, he kissed Rachel.
What’s odder still is that both Quinn and Rachel continued liking Finn in … um … that way, even when he dated the other one. Maybe it was because he said things to them like, “Just because I can’t be with you doesn’t mean I don’t believe in you.” And, as he was breaking up with Quinn, “I still love you.”
Dude … seriously.
So, if I were a librarian at William McKinley High School, I’d give Finn, who’s convincingly played by Cory Monteith, the book Struts and Frets by Jon Skovron (Amulet Books, 2009).
Why?
Because it’s about Sammy Bojar, a fatherless boy with a guitar who has to make some decisions.
Like how to keep his struggling band together. How to survive school when he’s really only interested in music. What to do about a girl he likes in … um … that way and another girl who likes him and he might actually like, too. And what to do about this grandfather who’s no longer the warm, smart, supportive person he used to be and seems to be falling deeper and deeper into dementia.
And then, there’s what may be Sammy’s biggest worry. He knows he can play the guitar, and he’s happy with the songs he’s written recently, but he worries that he doesn’t have enough confidence or charisma to be the lead singer for a band.
I’d give Finn the book and ask him to read it all, paying special attention to the scene that starts on page 99 where Sammy realizes how he truly feels about Jen5, the scene that starts on page 221 where he talks about relationships with his best friend Rick, who’s gay, and page 273 when he realizes the difference between being in a band that doesn’t work and being in one that does.
Seeing how Sammy makes his decisions might help Finn make some important ones in his own life.
Like, how he wants to spend his senior year. What he wants to do after graduation. And where, if anywhere, Rachel and Quinn fit into his plans.
Another good thing about this book that makes it a GLEE-ful read is a playlist of songs that served as the soundtrack as Skovron wrote. Artists include Jane’s Addiction, The Pixies, Camper Van Beethoven, Mercury Rev and more.
If you’d like to see which books I’ve recommended to other Glee characters, they are:
• Finn Hudson – Struts & Frets by
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