Janet loves the kind of rock music her strict, single mother considers inappropriate. She finds a kindred spirit in Elijah Hart in an online chat room. In 1990, as soon as she turns eighteen, she leaves her home in Ontario, changes her name to Jane Pyre, and heads to Seattle to meet Eiljah and explore creating music together. They form the musical duo Lighting Bottles with Elijah on vocals and Jane as the primary songwriter. They are destined to become the next big thing. Fast forward to 1999, Jane has moved to Germany, and it's been five years since Elijah has disappeared and is presumed dead. The public blames Jane for everything bad that ever happened to Elijah. Jane is in seclusion until she meets her 17-year-old neighbor Hen, a devoted Lightning Bottles fan who believes she has discovered messages from Elijah through street art in Berlin. Could these messages truly be from Elijah?
Marissa Stapley's novel The Lightning Bottles is a love story, a mystery, and a cautionary tale about the perils of fame. Drawing inspiration from the music scene of the 1990s, this book offers a real and raw look at the emerging musicians who hung out together, competed with one another, and engaged in self-destructive behavior. Rapid success and the wide availability of drugs destroyed many talented people. Elijah and Jane get caught up in this world with Jane facing the added challenge of dealing with the record company's desire to minimize her creative contributions. The dual timelines effectively tell the heartbreaking story as Jane and Hen search for clues about Elijah. I was glued to this book!
When teenage Jane and Elijah shared the names of their favorite alternative rock bands, which included R.E.M., The Smiths, The Vaselines, Pixies, Jane's Addiction, and Sonic Youth, I knew I would enjoy the story. (A Nirvana-inspired band is also featured in the book.) Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read this engaging book before its release.
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Fiction | Mystery | Music.
Publication Date: September 24, 2024.
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