*I was provided with this book, Poet of the Wrong Generation, for free so I could read it and create this review. All opinions are my own.*
This novel, set in the early 1990s, sees a young talent rocketed to stardom. And that’s just the beginning.
Poet of the Wrong Generation is a tale of star-crossed lovers, isolating stardom, and a lovable underdog with the soul of a poet.
I enjoyed this story very much. The writing was good, but not completely captivating. There were a few places where I felt the life of the narration was draining away, and that maybe it could have been condensed into either a shorter story, or turned into a series.
Lonnie Ostrow paints a vivid picture of what life may be like when a young person is selected for a shot at stardom. The turmoil, the isolation, the non-stop travel and concerts – it wears away at the soul.
Can Johnny, our protagonist, survive the rigours of a hit album and gruelling tour schedule while also being pushed to create new music? Can he have a life outside the music business? Will he be happy, and satisfy his poet soul, trying to please everyone?
The back of the book states: “Poet projects the epic clash between true contentment and the fable of stardom’s rewards; a nostalgic journey through the major events of the 1990s, with a cherished cast of characters and a stunningly unpredictable conclusion.” While I don’t disagree with the statement here, I wasn’t so thrilled with the ending. I was glad to finally get to the ending, however. I felt like there had been quite a few times the story could have ended before the final conclusion.
An easy read, Poet of the Wrong Generation (affiliate link) is an interesting story. The characters were well-rounded and believable, the writing had a good flow and I was happy to follow Johnny’s journey.
~Jess
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