Ellen

Coral McCallum

Synopsis: Five years ago, Ellen Lloyd was on the verge of a successful music career when a tragic accident changed the course of her life. Today, physically and emotionally scarred, she once again has the opportunity to see her dreams come to life. Ellen agrees to be the lead singer of a band called After Life. Will Ellen finally see her dreams come to life?

Rating: R- For Sexuality, Language, Drug Abuse/Overdose

Ellen was SUCH a fun book to read! It feels like a romance novel meets VH1’s Behind the Music. It really was incredibly entertaining. I tore right through this one!

I imagine anyone who has been involved in music, or has ever dreamed of singing on stage will enjoy reading about After Life. But beyond the story of the band itself, Ellen is also a very sweet story about not giving up on your dreams, or yourself, and– if I may be so bold as to offer an interpretation– a story about loving yourself, and allowing yourself to BE loved. Ellen is a woman who was on the verge of having everything she dreamed of, and lost it all. Then, after suffering horrendous loss, managed to stand up, dust herself off, and start from scratch. That kind of gumption is something to be admired, even in a fictional world.

But, here’s what I love most about this character: She’s human. Yes, she is braver and stronger than I could ever wish to be, but she is vulnerable. She is self- conscious. She is so relatable, it hurts. I love seeing characters in books with this kind of depth. Women in romance novels (like in movies and TV shows) tend to be picture perfect women, with gorgeous hair, flawless bodies, and perfect skin. Ellen is not that. She is not flawless. Beautiful, absolutely. But not an unrealistic, unachievable standard. She is HUMAN. The world needs more of that. We need to see imperfect women who are just as worthy of love.

If I had a criticism, apart from some mild editing errors, I would say that because there are so many scenes involving concerts, a couple of things got slightly repetitive. But truly, beyond that, I would be hard pressed to find fault here. I would have enjoyed a LITTLE more closure between Ellen and her mom, as well as with the Nana character, but I wasn’t left wanting.

Ellen is one of those books that just takes you away. It’s easy to get swept up in and forget the troubles of the day. It’s an easy, relaxing read. If I have any regrets here, it’s that there’s not a soundtrack to go with the book! The music is described so clearly that I was wishing I could listen to it! Personally, I’m picturing a more heavy metal version of Evanescense.

If you enjoy a bit of a love story, and rock music, Ellen is definitely one you will want to add to your list!

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