Genre: Contemporary
Fiction
Description:
“On Halloween Eve, 1961, in his dingy Bronx walkup apartment,
17-year-old Jimmy Welton hears the opening notes of a song in his head. Jimmy’s
still mourning his firefighter father, who taught him to play the guitar but
recently died in a house fire, leaving his family destitute. Jimmy takes this
song, about all he misses from his life now, to his after-school job at a New
York amusement park, where he meets Mark Morgan, a rebellious teen with his own
band, who eventually invites Jimmy to join them. And the rest is rock'n roll
history...
The GooseBumps become a worldwide phenomenon, and the songs they write
and sing together become the backbone of rock musical history. And the song
Jimmy first heard on Halloween, Wrapped in Gauze, becomes the song that
not only comforts him but also comforts others in life-changing moments:
Victoria, recently divorced and dealing with an unthinkable family tragedy;
Carolyn, whose final flippant words to someone in pain can't be taken back; and
Jack, battling back from unimaginable loss with the help of his cheeky
therapist and a song he thinks he hates.”
Author:
Award-winning author Susan Sloate is the author of 26 published books
in multiple genres, both fiction and non-fiction. Her hometown is near
Charleston, SC where in addition to writing her own books she is involved in
politics and helping other aspiring writers.
Appraisal:
The main story thread of this book is of a band who through hard work,
musical skills, and probably a bit of luck as well hit it big on the music
scene. You can imagine if The Beatles had formed in the US, but otherwise their
story was the same as in real life and you’ll have a good idea of the timing
and trajectory of The GooseBumps, the band at the heart of this book. This part
in itself makes for an engrossing story. But note the title of this book. It
isn’t about a band, it is about a song.
One of the original songs the GooseBumps write, sing, and have a hit
with is the real star of this book. It not only is the big hit that everyone
knows has to be played at every GooseBumps concert if you don’t want the fans
to go home extremely disappointed, it is a song that inspires, comforts, and
helps people in different ways. One of those songs that has a lot of meaning
for people. Scattered through the book are stories of some of the fans of the
song and how the song helped them. If you’re a music fan, especially one who
pays attention to more than just whether it ”has a good beat” and you also notice
the lyrics and what they mean to you, this book will strike home.
Buy now
from: Amazon US Amazon UK
FYI:
A small amount of adult language.
Format/Typo
Issues:
No significant issues.
Rating: *****
Five Stars
Reviewed
by: BigAl
Approximate word count: 65-70,000 words