Review: Come For the Premise, Stay for the Characters
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 9, 2014
Lots of people have stories from their youths in the 50's, 60's, and 70's that are funny or touching or exciting. But it takes real skill to turn that raw material into a readable book. A lot of skill. You have to be able to set a scene, create multi-dimensional characters, construct a plot, write convincing dialogue and then turn this whole wooden contraption into a real boy. I salute anyone who has the nerve to take a shot at that.Not to be a wiseguy at all, but when I saw that this was a Kindle freebie, was set in Iowa in a non-digital dead-zone, and involved Buddy Holly's lost Stratocaster I suspected this book was going to be all premise and little execution. I was wrong. Really wrong. This is an accomplished, rewarding and entertaining book.We start with a Prologue that establishes how the guitar came to be lost. In a few pages we are drawn into and believe that little tale, and meet a number of nicely sketched incidental characters who feel fundamentally real. Then we move to the heart of the story and begin to meet the main players. They are deftly sketched in and they will be developed as the book proceeds. But each character, introduced with economy and restraint, makes an impression, and each is an inviting and interesting character. Between them and even just a little taste of Dodge, Iowa, the reader is drawn in immediately. The plot rackets ahead from there; it is satisfying, but we'll have NO MORE SPOILERS, from this point on.This book has an affectionate, generous, cheerful undercurrent that carries the tale and the characters along. No one is evil, or even particularly mean. They may be shy, or cheap, or greedy, or untrustworthy or lacking in nerve, but even such failings are treated with good-hearted acceptance. And there is a hint of edginess, a touch of vinegar, a bit of restiveness to the best characters. This town may be peaceful and heart of America and all that, but our kid heroes want out and they want out for good reasons. This yearning to hit the road to see the big world adds a lot of tartness and wistfulness to the story, and keeps us engaged with the kids. It doesn't hurt that the tale is peppered with graceful, entertaining and keenly observed asides and digressions about even the most passing characters.So, an excellent Kindle freebie find and a satisfying work that gives the impression of being effortless even while it's working away like crazy under the surface. A nice reward for a diligent Kindle browser, like you.Please note that I found this book while browsing Amazon Kindle freebies. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.