Review of The Longest Road

[Mtibza eM]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Longest Road" by Rad Crews.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Longest Road is a romance novel written by Rad Crews. It follows two people who are brought together by the love of music. These individuals have been impacted greatly by the music in the 80s that they aspire to attend a global concert where big musicians of the time will be performing. It is all about love, lights, and music.

At the beginning of the book, we are introduced to a fifty-one-year-old Mark, who is in a plane lavatory. Staring at the mirror, he sees that years have passed by. He starts to reminisce. We go back to his childhood when he was young. His father died when he was only seven years old. Mark is now raised by his mother and grandparents. He is particularly close with his grandfather, Marcus Van Word, fondly known as Red.

As the book progresses, Mark is now a teenager. We meet him when he is on an open road, running away from the bad weather that is approaching fast. He sees two girls walking, and he suddenly hits the brakes hard. That is when we get introduced to two flamboyant girls by the names of Sheila and Dena. They are both heading to a big, global music concert called Live Aid, where big music acts will be performing to raise funds and awareness for the poverty-stricken country of Ethiopia.

Mark finds that he has a lot in common with these two somewhat strange girls. He particularly gets close to one of them called Dena. Even though he didn’t plan to, he finds himself attending this concert that everyone has been raving about.

This was the most different romance book I have read in a long while. Almost everything about it was unique, which makes it stand out from the rest. This was not a typical love-at-first-sight type of story. There was no chemistry the first time Mark and Dena saw each other. Maybe it was because the way they met was very unconventional. Mark was trying to help these two ladies who would have otherwise been in great danger if he'd let them walk alone like that. At the same time, he wasn’t a knight in shining armour, or should I say in a shining truck? What I am trying to say is that everything that developed between these characters was realistic.

I didn’t feel like I was reading romance fiction. I thought I was reading a memoir or something of that nature. Especially when I learned about the history of both Dena and Mark’s parents. Not that this was a bad thing, it was good. It brought a different flavour. It set me up for what was to come. When the relationship between Dena and Mark developed into something more, I was rooting for them because I knew what each one had gone through.

The author took time to develop these characters. There were no plot holes. The story was enjoyable. I can tell the author did extensive background research about the music around the ‘80s because I felt like I was in there. When the concert happened, it felt real to me. The author described everything so well. I got to experience it with the characters.

The book’s pace was steadily slow throughout. This will make sure that you familiarise yourself with the characters, their past, state of mind, and such, and the environment they grew up in, how it was like being raised in those times. This was an enjoyable tale.

I did not dislike anything that much about this book. The dialogue and narration were eloquently balanced.

I came across multiple errors, which diluted the quality of the book. The book contains profane language, and it has sex scenes, although they are not that explicitly depicted. This is certainly should be read by mature readers who are into music, especially of the ‘80s era. I rate it 3 out of 4 stars. People who are into the pop culture will enjoy reading it. It was such a smooth book.

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The Longest Road
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Astral Magi]

I don't see myself reading this one. Thanks for a great review.

[Mtibza eM]

I don't see myself reading this one. Thanks for a great review.

I understand, Niens. Thank you for commenting.

[NancyDrew12]

I love a good romance novel! Romance novels are always better to me when they are realistic. I wonder what bad thing happens between Mark and Dena . Wondering review!

[Mtibza eM]

I love a good romance novel! Romance novels are always better to me when they are realistic. I wonder what bad thing happens between Mark and Dena . Wondering review!

I am glad to hear that. Ha-ha! You will have to read the book yourself to find out. But what I can tell you is that it was tragic and heartbreaking.

[Desmond Thapelo]

I love this story but I wouldn't want to see myself in mark and Dena's situation
Thanks for the great book

[Hyacinth Bella]

This book seems to radiate passion for dreams and the shine of love. Really wondering how the story unfolds. Great review!