Friday, January 10, 2014

I AM (NOT) THE WALRUS


I Am (Not) the Walrus
Ed Briant
Published by Flux
Copyright © 2012
Review by Anthony Kendrick


Everyone knows that it’s the good looking jocks that get the girls. There is only one sure fire way around that if you aren’t terribly athletic, and that is to play in a band. But sometimes playing in a band brings more drama than it’s worth. Nahhh, girls are worth it!

Toby is in a two man Beatles cover band with his friend Zack. Zack plays lead and Toby plays Bass, and they are about to play their first gig. But ever since his girlfriend Katrina broke up with him he can’t quite pull off the happy Beatles vibe. No matter what he does or where he goes Katrina is stuck in his head. He sees her face everywhere. And as if girl problems weren’t enough, he’s having trouble with his bass.

While he his fixing his Fender P(recision)-Bass he finds a note inside it that says:

“PLEASE. If you find this note inside the bass, then the instrument has been stolen. Please, please, return it to me as soon as you can. This instrument is everything to me, and without it my entire existence will be meaningless.”

Toby isn’t quite sure what to do about this note, but being the noble soul that he is he calls the enclosed number and asks for the writer, and he is going to wish that he hadn’t. On the upside though, he finds a girl that makes him forget about Katrina. She is short, cute, and impossible. She hates him and she drives him crazy. So he has that going for him.

I love Rock & Roll! (Thank you Joan Jett.) This novel has an enjoyable and simple Rock & Roll feel to it. It’s got a nice little mystery in it: Where did Toby’s brother get the P-Bass, who is this girl who wrote the note, who is the odd man who keeps following him, and where did this bass come from originally. There is a little action, a little suspense, and a little romance. Overall it is an interesting and enjoyable story.

My biggest criticism is with the publisher. There were too many instances of missing words and one instance of character confusion that should have been picked up in proofreading. It didn’t ruin the story it just made it seem unpolished. Another small note is that the occasional daily horoscope posting didn’t add anything to the story for me. It seemed like a waste of space. These are minor problems though, and they don’t harm the story overall. Musicians and romantics should enjoy this quick read.

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