Let the Music Play
by C James

Reviewer: W_L
Status: Complete
Word Count: 287,713

Before he wrote the epic Circumnavigation, Cjames crafted this fun novel about being part of a rock band, in every sense of the concept. From road crew to bandmate, Brandon's journey is beautifully told from being a lonely poorly-paid sound tech to millionaire-rocker with the dream boyfriend, in addition to a subtle nuclear conspiracy behind the scenes to add a little surrealism to the entire storyline! I was drawn in by the interesting plot and promise of the story as I think many readers upon the first few chapters.

To me, Cjames is a master of incorporating tragic plot elements like abandoned gay boys, lost dreams, and feelings of hopelessness with the adrenaline-pumping action of thrillers like gunfights (He has that in here later on), evil mastermind (Scar!), and a live demonstration that any Bond villain would drool over (Australians beware!). In this novel, he reminds me of a mainstream gay author, Tal Bauer, who shares a similar style. 

Emotionally, there are points in the story that evoke different reactions from the tragedy of Brandon and Chase's family lives to the hate-filled downward spiral of Joe Clump into substance abuse. It's not just one emotion, but the entire gamut that you will see behind the scenes of famous and rich singer/musicians. I re-read this story a few times over the years, most recently after the death of Aaron Carter. Joe Clump's decline resonated for that tragedy and made me wonder how unhappy a life of fame and fortune is behind what we see from the outside with concerts and reality TV.

I highly recommend this story to readers who want to rekindle dreams, seek an adventure, or want a human story about imperfect people seeking happiness. Plus, if you are happy with this story, tryreading its sequel, "Changing Lanes", which focuses on Eric, the wild middle brother of Chase, Brandon's boyfriend and bandmate in this novel (Curious, well so is Eric !  ).

Category: Fiction  Genres:  Action/Adventure, Thriller/Suspense  Sub-genres: Suspense, Adventure  Tags: teen, gay, north america, crime, music, modern  Rating: Everyone