Review: Black Light by Martha J. Allard

Black Light by Martha J. Allard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hmm..what to say? The writing was beautifully done, the characters compelling, and the plot interesting. As I read, I found myself reliving a bit of my teenage years where parachute pants and big hair bands helped shape my fashion and music preferences. Although I enjoy a great deal of today's music, I must admit sometimes I just need my Def Leppard, Poison, or Motley Crue fix. (Thankfully, I've not had the urge to don parachute pants outside of playing dress up for the local 80s Festival.)

Black Light did an admirable job of imagining the lifestyles of an upstart band rocketing to fame. There were drugs and alcohol, outrageous outfits and larger-than-life behavior. There was also a great deal of tragedy. The moments of joy were fleeting and hard-won, and often overshadowed by the emotional battlefields the band members and their lovers traversed.

One little warning for the lover of in-your-face paranormals, though. The magic here is subtle. There are no blood-sucking vampires, howling werewolves, or poltergeists threatening the well-being of our cast and crew. Instead, as you read, I recommend considering either the lore surrounding succubi or emotional vampirism; it might help explain the paranormal tag.

View all my reviews

Comments

They saved the finger..

This was supposed to be an easy, carefree weekend. One of those rare weekends where spontaneity is possible because plans were not made ahead of time. We could lounge on the couch, work on our hobbies, or even do a little shopping. And, no, I'm not referring to the necessary evil of grocery shopping, but the much more enjoyable version where you get to buy things that actually make you happy. Because the oldest boy needed some pants and the youngest could use a new pair of shoes, I decided to head into the city to do some shopping at Kohl's. Of course, my decision to shop there was not quite so altruistic. Mama needed a new bathing suit! So, I pack the kids up and head into the city. The youngest picks out his shoes . The oldest tries on a few pairs of jeans and ends up with two in the basket. Did I mention we have to shop in the men's department now? That he's wearing size 29? My baby is growing up! Then it was Mom's turn. I was looking ove

Camping with Little Boys

Our first travel trailer. I don't remember camping much with my family as a kid. This is likely because we always had the same vacation destination: a family plot in Baldwin, MI. There was no cabin there. Instead, there were two structures: a small, silver camper and an old single-wide trailer. The silver camper is gone but the single-wide still sits there and is used by extended family members to this day. It wasn't until I was a teenager that my step-mom and dad bought a pop-up trailer and we started camping elsewhere in the state. My memory isn't the greatest, but I'm almost certain they got the pop-up after I started dating Ken. Eventually, my parents upgraded to a fifth wheel that my dad still pulls around to various nearby camping spots. Ken, by contrast, didn't have a set vacation destination growing up. His family camped. They started out with a truck-bed camper, I believe, and eventually upgraded to a fifth wheel. Ken and I vacationed both in Baldwin an

Shopping & Packing

This may come as a surprise, but I don't consider myself much of a shopper. Don't get me wrong, I could be! I could easily spend my weekends hopping from store to store, searching for that perfect pair of jeans or a cute little shirt to go with those shorts I have at home. I could also spend hours browsing the local B&N in search of the next best read. Oh, yes, I could easily become a hardcore shopper if the funds were available. But I don't frequent the mall because there's always something more pressing to spend my paychecks on and I'm not very good at window shopping. If I'm browsing, I'm buying. So I don't go. At least, not often. However, as we all know, there are times when shopping is necessary. Family vacations happen to be one of them. My feeling on the matter is that everyone needs to look good in the hundreds of photos I will undoubtedly take. Last year's wardrobe just won't do, not even if it still fits! Besides, I doubt

Castle in the Clouds

Search This Blog