Review: Excellent!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 3, 2014
4.5 Stars ~ This was my first Melanie Tushmore book and she came very highly recommended by a friend I admire and respect. When I opened the book and it began in 1986, well that just brought a whole ton of memories swarming in, since I was seventeen that year and the big hair bands were it for my generation. I think I could practically smell the Aqua Net in the air. The atmosphere was familiar and comforting, in a way. 'The Green-Eyed Monster' is the story of a band, Crucifox, from their days of playing in the underground basements to their rise to international fame and all the joy and sorrow that comes with it.Sky and his friends, Jamie, Ritchie, and Pepper, have a band, but really need a better singer, as the one they've got just isn't a match with their personalities. One night at the bar, Sky rescues Brandon from some poncy wannabe vampires, and a friendship begins. Brandon is attracted to Sky but when he makes a pass, and Sky turns him down explaining he's straight, no harm no foul. Much to Sky and his friend's delight, Brandon can sing, and so begins their journey as a band making their way, getting a manager, and slowly getting known in the alternative music scene of the late 80s and early 90s. With their friend, Spider, as their roadie, and Dawn as back-up vocals, Crucifox is on their way.I love a tortured soul and a tormented psyche in a main character and I found those in Sky. I saw Sky as more wary of the world and the pain it and others could impart on him if he allowed it. He was bossy about the band, but I loved how hard he wanted everyone to work so they could be the very best band out there. He definitely had a little OCD and control freak issue when it came to the band. Interestingly enough, I saw Sky as a little shy and definitely vulnerable when it came to being something other than lead guitarist for Crucifox. In that role Sky is golden. It's the rest of his life he's insecure and hopelessly lost about. He definitely had his moments of severe arrogance, but, to me, they seemed tied up in his insecurities and a way to buffer himself from being hurt.One night the inevitable occurs and while they're both on Ecstasy, Brandon makes his move and Sky accepts. The sex is awesome, but the next morning Sky is confused and doesn't know what to make of his reaction to his band mate. Brandon is a rock n' roll star to the nth degree and has been whoring it up with guys and girls, whereas Sky seems to be just as shy and insecure about his sexual abilities as he is about everything else BUT playing guitar. A scare puts a somber mood on the band the next day and whether it's because of that or just plain desire, Sky and Brandon end up together again. Minus the E. When Sky tries to talk to Brandon about it the following morning, Brandon shuts him down by telling Sky it was just really good sex. Sky's entire view of himself and sex has changed but Brandon basically blows him off. Huh. I wasn't so sure that I was liking Brandon at that point.The next months were a love/hate for me with this book. I wanted to punch Sky and Brandon, sometimes at the same time, for being such stupid gits. They both personified the stereotypical juvenile rock star behavior simply because they weren't able to express their feelings about each other to each other. Everything with the band felt like it was beginning to unravel and the tension and stress were at their highest points. And the author definitely titled the book correctly as Sky and Brandon both dealt with the green-eyed monster of jealousy in regards to one another.I can't actually say that I liked this book as 'like' is too tame of a word. It piqued my interest, pissed me off, brought back memories, and overall intrigued me with its characters and story. The book ended very abruptly and I do hope to see a sequel to possibly get a few questions answered. The writing was excellent and I can certainly recommend it, particularly if you enjoy a lot of complexity to your love stories. Thank you, Melanie!NOTE: This book was provided by Storm Moon Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews