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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
“The truth—whatever that may look like—doesn’t really matter. There’s only what you tell us, and what you’ll have us believe.”
2 1/2 stars. Okay, I'm going to preface this review by saying I unequivocally, unapologetically adore Dolly Parton. I have tried to read only one other Patterson book and couldn't get into it, but, despite my reservations, I needed to read this for Dolly.
And I would say I get the impression Dolly had a lot of input in this, or else Patterson is just channelling her sparkle well. It's a bit like reading a novelization of Nashville, with a couple of darker twists to it-- a young woman comes to Nashville completely broke, sleeping rough, and uses her angelic voice and no small amount of grit to get by.
I read it easily and I look forward to hearing Dolly's recordings of the songs in the book-- which are, not surprisingly, quite good. But I do think the novel is lacking in a few areas and, if I'm being honest, I'm not sure how forgiving non-fans will be.
The story is 95% "musician making it in Nashville" story and 5% thriller. The problem is that the main storyline does lack a certain urgency and oomph
Spoiler
especially as everything seems to come so easily to AnnieLeeI also didn't completely buy AnnieLee as a character. I thought some of the "brave" decisions she made were unrealistic and presented a rose-tinted (or dollar-padded) view of how the music industry works. She sometimes acted more like a country music star with several decades and millions of dollars under her belt (ahem). And I couldn't understand one of the ridiculously reckless decisions she made at all. It made no sense and it clearly only happened to drive the plot in a certain direction.
But I still enjoyed reading it, especially in the earlier chapters. There were some interesting criticisms of the music industry and the media, and I also liked the journey through Nashville's honky tonks. I think I would have liked it more if AnnieLee had been a more complex character and hadn't been so damn amazing at everything, or, at least, experienced more of a struggle.
Now, my three most underrated Dolly songs:
• Eagle When She Flies
• Wildflowers
• Just Because I'm a Woman
What's yours?
If you like Dolly you’ll love this novel. It was thrilling and you could feel Dolly’s voice. Great, fast read!
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Death of parent
Minor: Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A book collaboration between Dolly Parton and James Patterson was an intriguing prospect. The story was of a woman, AnnieLee Keyes, trying to make it as a country music star, but with a past that was never far behind her - and getting closer by the moment.
Overall, this was a good read. The story moved at a pace and had a mix of plotlines and intrigue that kept me reading. But I did wonder if the balance of the book was quite right. A lot of the book was about AnnieLee's attempt to make it in country music. The thriller element felt like much more of a sub-plot and the 'reveal' was very much saved until the end of the book and the story might have benefitted a bit from some of it being revealed slightly earlier.
The book is very readable and a good distraction for a few hours - and as I read the book I found it very hard not to hear Dolly Parton's voice guiding me onwards. Enjoy.
Overall, this was a good read. The story moved at a pace and had a mix of plotlines and intrigue that kept me reading. But I did wonder if the balance of the book was quite right. A lot of the book was about AnnieLee's attempt to make it in country music. The thriller element felt like much more of a sub-plot and the 'reveal' was very much saved until the end of the book and the story might have benefitted a bit from some of it being revealed slightly earlier.
The book is very readable and a good distraction for a few hours - and as I read the book I found it very hard not to hear Dolly Parton's voice guiding me onwards. Enjoy.
Probably more like 3.5 stars. Listened to audiobook. Same idea as Daisy & The Six meaning a whole cast of readers but much better execution in my opinion. Characters weren’t announced before reading. Story was formulaic and not great but still entertaining enough.
I listened to the audio version of this book for a plane ride. The book in itself was probably four stars. Beautiful storyline that kept me guessing And kept me wanting more. Listening to Dolly Parton herself and Kelsea Ballerini I’m not among others narrate this amazing book is what pushed it to five stars for me though. They are enthusiastic narration and their soothing voices felt like pure comfort.
It was okay. Not what I expected. I knew it would have a movie element. But, the characters did not develop to me. The singing was weird and Dolly I love you but on the audio book she sounded like she has some dip in. Do not get me wrong it's worth reading. With the hype I expected more.