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

Looking for Willing Victims

I've decided I'd like to expand my photography skills and experience. This means I need willing models. So far I've got a couple of people who might be willing to let me practice on them. I'm excited but nervous. I want so badly to take amazing pictures and give them each something they like. Shoot #1: Mom wants me to take Christmas pictures of her three daughters. I'm very excited, but I also want a lovely background. I was thinking of taking them to a park or some other such setting where there's a lot of pines. The problem is that Fall has just arrived and these are supposed to be Christmas pictures. Any suggestions? Shoot #2: A senior. I think I'm okay on this one. She wants fall colors in her pictures, so I just need to wait for the trees to do their thing. Then its a matter of finding the right location. Now here's my real delimna: Where do I upload them so they can be printed to look like professional pictures? Rounded corners and im...

Poor Little Doggie

The dog and I both had dentist appointments yesterday for teeth cleanings. While my appointment turned up a crack in a couple of old cavities, one of which will require a crown (ouch!), I was at least able to walk out of my appointment without feeling miserable. Not so for this little fella.. Cash's cleaning turned into a tooth-pulling frenzy. He lost a total of fifteen (15!!) teeth yesterday. The rot was so advanced in some of the teeth that an infection had spread throughout his little mouth and into his blood stream. If we wouldn't have taken him in to the vet for this cleaning, we may have lost him. According to the vet, the infection would have eventually worked its way to his heart and given him a heart attack. For the next five days he's on a liquid only diet of chicken noodle soup and water; he is not happy about this decision and is convinced he's starving to death. There is a lot of whining and pacing back in forth in front o...

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 ...

Castle in the Clouds

Search This Blog