Book Summary:
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah!
When Regina Bloomsbury’s band, the Caverns, breaks up, she thinks it’s all over. And then she makes a wish –
“I wish I could be as noted as the Beatles.”
The Beatles are her music idols. The next day, she gets up to find that the Caverns are not just as celebrated as the Beatles, they have substituted them in history! Regina is living like a rock star, and loving it. There are talk shows, music videos, and live concerts with thousands of screaming fans. And Regina is the star of it all.
But fame is getting the great of Regina, and she has a decision to make. Does she want to replace the Beatles forever?
Here is a rocking novel about the good and the bad of Hollywood, fame, and rock ‘n roll.
How I Came across This Book…
As I am always animated to read book s that involve music in the plot, this book caught my attention. At first I notion the book was about a girl whose fairy godmother brings her back to the 1960′s so she could come to be the fifth Beatle. (That would have been an awesome installation for a novel!) Soon into the book, I realized the story was different than I expected.
Always Appreciate a Book That Inspires You to Re-Watch “A Hard Day’s Night”
When it comes to novels, I will forgive a lot if the main character’s passions stir an interest within me. In this book, Regina’s love of the Beatles and the many references to their music (from playing their songs as her own to creating a music video using ideas from the movie A Hard Days Night) that were made throughout the novel, left me putting down my Kindle to crusade for Beatles songs I haven’t heard in ages and re-watched a couple Beatles movies. I loved that.
Being faithful For What You Wish For
While there is a minor love story woven into the book, the majority of the plot follows Regina as she makes a wish and then gets to live it out. It’s a first-rate factory we’ve all read in books or seen in movies. With a wish granted come problems the main character never understanding would come with living out a dream.
The lesson in a story like this is always, “Be grateful for what you have”. I liked that author didn’t go overboard to make this point by manufacture Regina’s wished-for world so awful that, of course, she would return to general life being that much more aware and grateful than she was before. While Regina encountered her fair share of drama, the thing I appreciated about this story is that her rock star life was in fact cool and she made the most of it.
How the Book Shone (and How It Didn’t)
One of the most prominent parts of the book was the evolution of Regina looking (and trusting) her own voice. I notion it was quite clever for the author to have Regina immerse herself so much into the music of, all bands, The Beatles. Who wouldn’t think their talent was less than compared to them? The best occasion of the book was when Regina takes the risk of leaving The Beatles music behind and is a changed man because of it.
The one gripe I have with this book is with Regina’s personality. While I wouldn’t say she is unlikable, she often came over as cold. I get that she was focused on her band and was dealing with family issues-all things that were stressing her out-but, while other characters came over as more grounded and calm, her intensity made it a kind of difficult to root for her.
Overall, I Have to Say…
While this wasn’t a book that stayed with me long after I read it, I still enjoyed it. I opinion the idea for the story was a good one and the takeaway lessons were well executed.