Word to Dreams

I would like to thank the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was really stoked to read this book. Having been a teen in the 80’s I had grown to love music from just about every musical genre out there, but my heart belongs to the 80’s pop, punk and alternative scenes. I love to watch movies that show how some of the groups got together, i.e. The Runaways or read books about how members of bands interacted with each other, i.e. “Wild Boy: My Life in Duran Duran.” Reading through the first quarter of the book, I could see the making of a band that would rival the best of the garage bands. The back stories of pain, curiosity, insecurities, revenge, heartache, etc. were there and waiting to be brought to the forefront.

Unfortunately, the story itself didn’t give me the impact that I had hoped for. The chemistry of the girls just didn’t interweave the way it should have. Some of them, even having been through so much together, seemed like almost complete strangers. The lack of chemistry in turn made the story come out a bit flat and monotone. Another issue I had was that sometimes I wasn’t sure who had said or done what because there was a lack of distinction of which character it was. With this I’m talking about dialogue. Two people in the room but unsure of whom said the first line which means the whole conversation could go either way.

An interesting book, an interesting look into the band scene, and an interesting look at lives that some would consider cookie cutter but are the complete opposite. The Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover totally represents Cassie. The Barbie girl looks, complete with the family that has gone through implosion after implosion, she is the one that I felt for the most in this book but who also took a wicked turn in her life that brought a different side of her out. The others seemed to have their fingers on their own fates and knew when it was time to turn their lives around.

Anyone who is into the band scene, both the highs and lows of them, would appreciate this book and find themselves rereading it and reliving different stages in their own lives. I look forward to reading further books from this author.