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A review by paperbacksandsketchbooks
The Lightning Bottles by Marissa Stapley
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I devoured this story and I need more of Elijah and Jane's life after the book ends 😫
The Lightning Bottles is a husband/wife alternative rock duo that hit the ground running in the 90s music scene. They skyrocketed to fame - but not without challenges. Years after Elijah's disappearance and presumed death, Jane settles in Berlin next door to a Lightning Bottles superfan, Hen. Together, they go on a sort of scavenger hunt after Hen convinces Jane that Elijah might still be alive...
The story of the Lightning Bottles and how their band rose to fame was absolutely captivating. It was so gritty and raw and real. I loved how Elijah and Jane met. I loved Jane's determination to make music. I loved how they seemingly got on so well together.
The dual timeline of past and present Jane made for such a great story and showed so much character growth. We got to see how fame changed her, her relationship with Elijah, and even her relationship with herself. More importantly, we saw how fame broke Elijah.
So many events in this story broke my heart into a million pieces. I felt so bad for Jane and Elijah's situation, and this story really shows how fame isn't always everything you imagine it to be.
The ending of this story was so bittersweet - it's probably one of my favorite book endings ever.
I will say, Jane and Elijah's relationship turns toxic very fast, so please take care while reading this. Drug and alcohol use and addiction is also heavily present in this story.
If you want to take a nostalgic trip into the 90s music scene and want that deeper look at fame, I highly recommend this book!
Thanks Book Sparks for the gifted copy of this one!
The Lightning Bottles is a husband/wife alternative rock duo that hit the ground running in the 90s music scene. They skyrocketed to fame - but not without challenges. Years after Elijah's disappearance and presumed death, Jane settles in Berlin next door to a Lightning Bottles superfan, Hen. Together, they go on a sort of scavenger hunt after Hen convinces Jane that Elijah might still be alive...
The story of the Lightning Bottles and how their band rose to fame was absolutely captivating. It was so gritty and raw and real. I loved how Elijah and Jane met. I loved Jane's determination to make music. I loved how they seemingly got on so well together.
The dual timeline of past and present Jane made for such a great story and showed so much character growth. We got to see how fame changed her, her relationship with Elijah, and even her relationship with herself. More importantly, we saw how fame broke Elijah.
So many events in this story broke my heart into a million pieces. I felt so bad for Jane and Elijah's situation, and this story really shows how fame isn't always everything you imagine it to be.
The ending of this story was so bittersweet - it's probably one of my favorite book endings ever.
I will say, Jane and Elijah's relationship turns toxic very fast, so please take care while reading this. Drug and alcohol use and addiction is also heavily present in this story.
If you want to take a nostalgic trip into the 90s music scene and want that deeper look at fame, I highly recommend this book!
Thanks Book Sparks for the gifted copy of this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol