Book Smart Kate

Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Spice: 🌶️

by Marissa Stapley (September 24, 2024) – Many thanks @SimonBooks #SimonBooksBuddy #FreeGift for the print copy and incredibly fun 1990s gifts! Below is my honest review.

The Lightning Bottles were one of the defining rock duos of the 1990s. Jane and Elijah met as teenagers, bonded over their shared love of music, and quickly became inseparable. Jane was the songwriter, and Elijah’s voice brought her lyrics to life, catapulting them into stardom with a multi-platinum album and legions of devoted fans. But with fame came excess. Addiction, greed, and the relentless pressure of the industry ultimately tore them apart. Elijah vanished at the height of their fame, leaving the world to assume the worst. Jane, shattered, retreated into isolation in Germany. Now, in the fading days of 1999, her teenage neighbor—a die-hard fan of The Lightning Bottles—comes to Jane with a clue that Elijah might still be alive. What follows is a global, heart-wrenching search as Jane pieces together the past, chasing clues only she could recognize, in hopes of finding out if the love of her life is still out there.

This novel taps into the nostalgia of 1990s music culture with pitch-perfect references that made my inner teenage music fan rejoice (so many great R.E.M. mentions!). Stapley brilliantly captures the journey of The Lightning Bottles, from their early days as hopeful kids playing in basements to their meteoric rise to fame, and the devastating crash that followed. The dual timeline—shifting between the band’s past and Jane’s present-day search—adds depth, giving us insight into both the band’s history and the emotional toll of their fame.

I especially loved how the book portrays the transformation of music in the 90s, from the grunge scene to the way young people felt they were on the cusp of something new and revolutionary. It’s a deeply nostalgic, immersive read, with vivid characters and a plot full of emotional twists and turns. If you love stories about rock ‘n’ roll, redemption, and lost love, this one is a must-read!