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A review by chrissie_whitley
The Lightning Bottles by Marissa Stapley
4.0
4.5 stars
Jane Pyre was one half of The Lightning Bottles, a rock duo that burst out of the Seattle grunge scene and took over the world. But after her bandmate — and soulmate — Elijah disappeared, everything fell apart. Already one of the most vilified figures in music, dismissed as a talentless hanger-on and blamed for Elijah’s wild behavior, Jane faced even more hatred after his disappearance. The world refused to believe she wrote the songs that made The Lightning Bottles legendary and pinned his vanishing squarely on her. Seeking refuge from the noise, she retreats to a remote German village, but peace proves elusive. Her new neighbor, Hen — a moody teenager and hardcore Lightning Bottles fan — claims to have a clue about Elijah’s fate. Their unlikely connection sparks a road trip filled with music, heartbreak, and hard truths about the cost of fame and the people it leaves behind.
Stapley captures the raw, electric charge of the early '90s perfectly. The era was toothy and somber yet full of possibilities, and Stapley nails that energy. With themes spanning gender politics in music (particularly the treatment of women by fans and the media) substance addiction, grief, artistic inspiration, relationships, and fame, there’s a risk of the plot and characters being overwhelmed. But Stapley balances it all with precision, tapping into the chaotic, beautiful energy of the music scene that birthed alternative rock and its synonymous offshoot: grunge.
What kept this from being a full five stars were some minor bumps. There was a slight imbalance between the flashbacks and the present-day timeline, though this evened out as the story progressed. And, if I can be picky (I can—it’s my review), I’m not sure why Hen’s perspective opens the novel only to largely disappear. But those are small quibbles. Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend this one.
I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This affected neither my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.
Jane Pyre was one half of The Lightning Bottles, a rock duo that burst out of the Seattle grunge scene and took over the world. But after her bandmate — and soulmate — Elijah disappeared, everything fell apart. Already one of the most vilified figures in music, dismissed as a talentless hanger-on and blamed for Elijah’s wild behavior, Jane faced even more hatred after his disappearance. The world refused to believe she wrote the songs that made The Lightning Bottles legendary and pinned his vanishing squarely on her. Seeking refuge from the noise, she retreats to a remote German village, but peace proves elusive. Her new neighbor, Hen — a moody teenager and hardcore Lightning Bottles fan — claims to have a clue about Elijah’s fate. Their unlikely connection sparks a road trip filled with music, heartbreak, and hard truths about the cost of fame and the people it leaves behind.
Stapley captures the raw, electric charge of the early '90s perfectly. The era was toothy and somber yet full of possibilities, and Stapley nails that energy. With themes spanning gender politics in music (particularly the treatment of women by fans and the media) substance addiction, grief, artistic inspiration, relationships, and fame, there’s a risk of the plot and characters being overwhelmed. But Stapley balances it all with precision, tapping into the chaotic, beautiful energy of the music scene that birthed alternative rock and its synonymous offshoot: grunge.
What kept this from being a full five stars were some minor bumps. There was a slight imbalance between the flashbacks and the present-day timeline, though this evened out as the story progressed. And, if I can be picky (I can—it’s my review), I’m not sure why Hen’s perspective opens the novel only to largely disappear. But those are small quibbles. Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend this one.
I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This affected neither my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.