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calamitywindpetal's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Vomit, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Violence
inp9extra's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Characters: 4.8/5
Depth: 3/5
Plot: 4/5
Writing Style/Voice: 5/5
Romance: 4.5/5
People who might be interested this book:
People who like inspiring personal journey/development stories, people who like diverse characters, people who like music or poetry, people who like stories about difficult family relationships.
Overall Review:
This book is beautiful, both in writing style and musical conveyance. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook, as it is read by the author who sings songs the main characters write as they come up in the plot. Solo was easy read and fast to get through. I ended up falling in love with the unique and relatable characters—each with their own flaws and sense of humor. The narrative is intertwined with soul, culture, and the dialogue is full of texture as we follow a journey of hurt on its way to being healed.
Complaints:
1. I almost wish the book had gone deeper and darker in relation to the side characters and their backstories. It feels sometimes as though the side characters exist for the sake of the main character and that their lives just revolve around him.
2. I’m not a huge fan of the”going to Africa and everything is solved trope” though I do feel like the author handled the setting well and some topics around it with nuance, I felt that it could have delved deeper with less clichés.
3. I think the story could have been more blunt and graphic with its descriptions of addiction. The book mainly describes the father’s actions as a result of drug use but not the usage itself. However, especially from the perspective of a son of a drug addict, I think that more intense descriptions would have added more pull and realism than the “rock n’ roll baby!” depictions of the main character’s father.
Depth: 3/5
Plot: 4/5
Writing Style/Voice: 5/5
Romance: 4.5/5
People who might be interested this book:
People who like inspiring personal journey/development stories, people who like diverse characters, people who like music or poetry, people who like stories about difficult family relationships.
Overall Review:
This book is beautiful, both in writing style and musical conveyance. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook, as it is read by the author who sings songs the main characters write as they come up in the plot. Solo was easy read and fast to get through. I ended up falling in love with the unique and relatable characters—each with their own flaws and sense of humor. The narrative is intertwined with soul, culture, and the dialogue is full of texture as we follow a journey of hurt on its way to being healed.
Complaints:
1. I almost wish the book had gone deeper and darker in relation to the side characters and their backstories. It feels sometimes as though the side characters exist for the sake of the main character and that their lives just revolve around him.
2. I’m not a huge fan of the
3. I think the story could have been more blunt and graphic with its descriptions of addiction. The book mainly describes the father’s actions as a result of drug use but not the usage itself. However, especially from the perspective of a son of a drug addict, I think that more intense descriptions would have added more pull and realism than the “rock n’ roll baby!” depictions of the main character’s father.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Violence, and Alcohol
Minor: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Vomit
brookey8888's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I did enjoy this, but I just felt like a lot of the plot was rushed and a lot was just left hanging. I did like Blade as a character even though he was a little clueless. I really did not like any of his family to be honest. I do highly recommend the audio book because the songs are actually songs and are sung and have music.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation