5 out of 5 stars
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A rock star, the one every young folk takes as an idol, has just been announced dead in his swimming pool. The death is not just going to cause a break in the continuation of the soul-suiting music by the rock icon; it will also open the door to the actions of some connected individuals, some of whom need to make money off it and some of whom tend to fight and prevent any seemingly false information from being published. Precisely, the climax of the plot's conflict is reached when a guy named Roddy Copeland, whose physical appearance proves him as Tell's replica, shows up again to continue claiming to have been ripped off of his stardom and belongings as the supposed rock star. He is claiming he's the real Tell Garrison and not the one that everybody believed and saw dead. Hence, despondency and trepidation grabbed Shay Bennett, Tell's fiance, as she would have to stop Roddy from claiming he's the real Tell. However, for Shay to get rid of the bad emotion as a result of the bigger problems that she believes loom over everything Tell left, including her, she needs to discover the secrets that Tell has been trying hard to bury before he died. Will she get to know about this secret, or will she continue to fight blindly?
Waking Up Alive: A Rock & Roll Mystery by Jaylynn Wylie is a fictional story that explores the mysterious happenings in the personal and professional lives of music stars and icons. It seeks to resolve the conflict that arises as a result of how Tell continues to hide one secret after another from everything he's got, including his lover, Shay, and his global fans.
This book indeed presents the raw happenings in the entertainment industry, including the joy and bitterness that come with being a public figure. I enjoyed the perspective from which the author tells the story, which is the first-person perspective of each major character. I was able to read into the heart and mind of each character and feel their joy and emotional outpouring due to their life regrets. It shows that the author has really captured how the world of rock stars looks, as the book involves their philosophy about love, sex, family, and God.
Another thing I love in the book is the arrangement of events the author used. The arrangement allows for suspense; as I read, I became curious to know what was next for the plot's conflict to reach a resolution. Also, the author is able to present the tone and personality of each character distinctively; this makes the reading more relatable and enjoyable for me. I was especially thrilled by how the author presented the nature of Blair Clark, a lady attorney who once handled Roddy's case. For example, when Jack visits her to get some information about the truth value of Roddy's claims, she radiates an intelligent and stern stance, which is always rare with female folks. Generally, I love each character's contribution to the plot; all were presented as significantly contributing to the plot, including others that showed up along the story aside from the main characters.
On the literary side, the book is professionally edited, as I could only find two instances of grammar errors in it. There are no mince words, as every sentence counts toward the plot's comprehension. All in all, I have nothing to dislike about the book. So, I'll rate the book 5 out of 5 stars.
I'd recommend the book to lovers of realistic fiction. Specifically, if you want to be shown the world of musical artists, including their source of happiness and their common source of sorrow, you will find what you are looking for in the book. However, if you don't like to come across vulgar words and sexual dialogues, you should give this book a second thought before picking it up. It contains many vulgar statements, references to drug abuse, and dialogues referencing licentious sexual acts.
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Waking Up Alive
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