Pepperland

Rating:
Summary: sequel, yes!
Review: I've always enjoyed Mark Delaney's books, and this one in particular. He's chosen a very difficult subject to tackle and has pulled it off with a naturalness and true emotion. Star is very real--he's impressively filled her with the sadness and the anger that her situation would bring while still making her extremely likeable. There are funny moments and exciting moments and his vivid, poetic language, but what stands out the most, for me, is the beautiful way Star's underlying strength and her love for music (shared with her mother) help her to work through the grief and the anger over her mother's death. This book moved me to tears a number of times. I loved the running thread of John Lennon--and the clever way the chapters were named after Beatles tunes. I loved the way Lennon's appearance, though strong, is only figurative, just as the letter Star's mother wrote to him is never actually presented to us to read--reminding us that everything, even Star's beloved music, is only secondary to the love of a girl for her mom.

Rating:
Summary: Something Different for Beatle Fans
Review: Okay, yes, I'm the same Mark Delaney who wrote Pepperland. But since Amazon has yet to add any reviews or ad copy, I'd thought I'd at least take this opportunity to tell potential readers what the book is about. I know the five stars has no credibility coming as it does from the book's author, but I had to put down something to post this notice, and what do you expect?

Here's the publisher's copy on the book...

Pamela Jean (a.k.a. Star) is sixteen when her mother dies of breast cancer. Star is angry that her mother has died and left her, and nothing seems to make her feel better: Not talking to her shrink. Not playing music with her best friend Dooley. Not even listening to her mother's old familiar Beatles albums.

It is not until Star finds an unsent letter addressed to John Lennon and a broken-down vintage Gibson guitar that she begins to find a way out of her grief...and maybe even a way to take care of some unfinished business left by her mother.

That's Peachtree's description of the book. Now here's an early review...

"The fragrance of the long-past sixties suffuses this perfect YA novel. Mark Delaney shows a mastery of the genre in a touching and beautifully constructed story of two decent kids whose intelligence and talents make them special outsiders and whose simple caring for each other is messed up by the world around them. A tender and real love story and an enormously satisfying read."

--Patty Campbell
Editor of the Scarecrow Studies in Literature and
President-Elect of ALAN

(And if I may say so, thank you, Patty!)

From me: The book is an homage to the Beatles, to the healing power of music, and to the depth of the mother/daughter relationship. I'll let subsequent reviewers decide whether or not the story succeeds on those levels, but I can say I've never been more proud of anything I've written. Readers will meet Star's mother in a series of flashbacks, and they will watch as Star fumbles through a clumsy romance. Beatle fans will love the fact that the chapters are (I think aptly) titled after Beatle songs, and musicians should enjoy Star's attempt to restore her mother's vintage Gibson J-160 (that's the same model guitar Lennon plays in the train scene in the film A Hard Day's Night).

Thanks for listening!




Rating:
Summary: This is the book I was going to write!
Review: The main reason I'm writing a review of this book is that the author seems to want some feedback. I enjoyed the book but felt it could have been better. When Star finds the letter her mother wrote to John Lennon I was sure the reader was going to be treated to what the letter said and I kept on waiting to read the letter. In the end, maybe it's right for us not to read it. (As it is also right for Star to get caught backstage.) One reason I liked the book is that it's great to read a young adult novel partly about Lennon. Brought back memories! The reason this is almost the book I could have written is that I always wanted to write about how The Beatles--John's music in particular--actually saved my life after my father died. So, I can relate to how Star feels about John and music in relation to her mother's death. The novel deals with guitar playing (and repairing) a lot too. This book is must reading for young adults who play the guitar, are Lennon fans, or are getting therapy to deal with a death in the family. It kept my interest throughout but, since it ends immediately before John is murdered I had to wonder how Star would react to his murder. (It devastated me!) Maybe we could have a sequel to see how Star is coming along and how she feels about John's death. If you're a Beatles fan, be sure to read it!