Official Review: Play Sgt. Pepper One More Time

[Anon_Reviewer]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Play Sgt. Pepper One More Time" by Chuck Wanager.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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An impending move from his current house keeps Jason occupied. What should he keep? What should he leave behind? The company he worked for has gone belly up and he has been forced into retirement way sooner than he anticipated. Thoughts about his failed marriage, memories of his childhood, and unpleasant recollections about his bumpy career as a writer haunt him day and night. Play Sgt. Pepper One More Time is a fictional memoir by Jason V., written by Chuck Wanager.

The memoir is written in the first person and reads much like a diary, just without dates. Sixty-two-year-old Jason tries to make peace with his current situation while also attempting to tie loose ends from his past. He does this with the help of his new-found friend, Skylark Blue, and his unconventional psychologist, Dr. Sylvester Stewart.

More than anything, the book stressed the importance of self-discovery. This is what attracted me to it in the first place. I was, unfortunately, disappointed by its structure. In telling his story, Jason jumped between events in a haphazard way. He switched between the present and the past without warning. Also, some parts of the story happened while he was unconscious or dreaming. The chapters were short and many of them left me hanging. This made it hard for me to connect with the book.

I also struggled to connect with Jason, the protagonist. He came across as narcissistic. For most of the book, all he did was talk about himself and his sad past to anyone who would listen. Because of this, the other characters featured in the book were hardly developed. Most were simply sounding boards for Jason.

The book can do with another round of editing because I spotted multiple grammatical and spelling errors. Some sentences were just plain awkward to read. For example, in one place the author wrote, "… my sleeves slipped back down my arms, unfolded and caught tight with buttons." After reading that, I thought to myself, "Are your sleeves alive, mate?" In another place, the author wrote, "Her eyes darted right and up rapidly and returned to me." "She rolled her eyes," would have sufficed.

I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. It deserves two stars because I learned a lot from it, especially about genomes and about ways to trace back one’s ancestry. If you are not into biology, some parts of the book will definitely turn you off. The book does not get a higher rating due to poor formatting, editing, and character development.

Please note that this book does not follow any particular genre. It has elements of non-fiction, spiritual/Christian fiction, romance and a little bit of urban fiction. A lot happens but there is no clear climax or conclusion. If you are looking for a book with a conventional or logical structure, this one is not for you.

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Play Sgt. Pepper One More Time
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Like Ever_Reading's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Debjani Ghosh]

Disjointed plot structure along with a "me, me, me, me!" chant throughout the book will surely bore me. I will skip this one. Thanks for the review!

[AliceofX]

Judging from your review I won't enjoy this book either. The story sounds like rambling to me. What I am curious about though is what does the title mean exactly. In your review, you didn't say what the book has to do with the song.

[HollandBlue]

I thought from the title it would relate more to the 'Sgt. Pepper' album, but it seems like a difficult book to get through. Disappointing considering the potential of the title.

[Allyseria]

Thank you for your review. It sounds like an interesting book about self-discovery. It's a shame that the book was poorly edited though.

[Emi_Review]

I think I may find this book a bit boring and I will not find the protagonist relatable at all. It seems a shame about the editing errors also. Thank you for the review.

[Mindy Conahye]

I like that the book is about self discovery, but not that the main character became a narcissist. I also don't like how you mentioned about the structure of the book and parts leaving you hanging. I don't think I would enjoy that much and I would struggle to be able to get into the book.

[Anon_Reviewer]

Disjointed plot structure along with a "me, me, me, me!" chant throughout the book will surely bore me. I will skip this one. Thanks for the review!

It definitely bored me. Thanks for stopping by!

[Anon_Reviewer]

Judging from your review I won't enjoy this book either. The story sounds like rambling to me. What I am curious about though is what does the title mean exactly. In your review, you didn't say what the book has to do with the song.

I was also very curious to find out. Jason is a huge fan of the Beatles and "Sgt. Pepper," as he calls it, is one of his favourite songs. Playing it helps him remember events from his past. The song's role was not explained in enough detail to make the title make sense, in my opinion. That is why I did not speak about it in the review. I hope that answers your question.

Thanks for dropping by!

[Anon_Reviewer]

I thought from the title it would relate more to the 'Sgt. Pepper' album, but it seems like a difficult book to get through. Disappointing considering the potential of the title.

I completely agree. Jake loves the Beatles and does make mention of the album a couple of times in the novel. However, the meaning gets lost in the chaos of events and random ramblings. With a little more work, this book can reach the potential you speak of.

Thanks for commenting!

[Anon_Reviewer]

Thank you for your review. It sounds like an interesting book about self-discovery. It's a shame that the book was poorly edited though.

The book definitely does have potential. I hope the author works on it a little more. Thanks for commenting

[Anon_Reviewer]

I think I may find this book a bit boring and I will not find the protagonist relatable at all. It seems a shame about the editing errors also. Thank you for the review.

The book could do with a little more work. Thanks for your comment!

[Anon_Reviewer]

I like that the book is about self discovery, but not that the main character became a narcissist. I also don't like how you mentioned about the structure of the book and parts leaving you hanging. I don't think I would enjoy that much and I would struggle to be able to get into the book.

The book could be good with a little more work. It's a shame the publisher and editors, if there were any, let these major errors slide.
Thanks for dropping by and commenting.