Review of Handmaidens of Rock

[Beckey B Davis]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Handmaidens of Rock" by Linda Gould.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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Handmaidens of Rock is about three Maryland High School girls: Candy, an aspiring journalist; Hope, an optimistic model and fashion designer; and Theda, an ambitious actress. They hook up with Homegrown, the local high school band, including lead guitarist Preston, keyboardist Neal, and drummer Brad. Clive replaces Brad after a management agreement. Brad harbors some resentments, but there is nothing he can do about this move. Candy is in love with Preston, Hope is in love with Neal and Theda is in love with her co-star, Clive. They all join in a student trip to England, but leave the trip when offered a gig to record an album at Apple Records, where they meet an aging hippie folk writer-singer. After that, they perform at a concert and set off a riot. They flee the riot and travel to Scotland, where they stay with a guru at his commune. Upon leaving the commune, they return to the USA's West Coast. They join in a weekend festival that ends with surprising events, and you will need to read the entire book to find out what happens to this dynamic group!
Having lived through that era, I liked the 1960s feel that the book gave me. The characters were true to life, with a kind of love/hate relationship that comes from being in close proximity to one another. The book tells how the band got started and made their way into the world and how that affected everyone involved.
I had a problem with how the book was written from the viewpoint of each girl. It was sometimes confusing, and I had to go back and re-read parts to remember events or conversations.
There is some profanity and mild sexual innuendo. I found no typo’s or grammatical errors, indicating very good editing for this book.
I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. I deducted 2 stars because it was difficult for me to read in this format.

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Handmaidens of Rock
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