Review: Rockoholic by C.J. Skuse

Rockoholic by C.J. Skuse

Publication Date: November 1, 2012
Page Count: 358
Format: ebook
Published by: Scholastic
Source: eARC from publisher

Synopsis From Goodreads:

She's got it bad, and he ain't good -- he's in her garage?

"I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you love me..."

Gonna have to face it: Jody's addicted to Jackson Gatlin, frontman of The Regulators, and after her best bud Mac scores tickets, she's front and center at his sold-out concert. But when she gets mashed in the moshpit and bodysurfs backstage, she's got more than a mild concussion to deal with. By the next morning, the strung-out rock star is coming down in her garage. Jody -- oops -- kind of kidnapped him. By accident. With a Curly Wurly candy bar. And now he doesn't want to leave.

It's a rock-star abduction worthy of an MTV reality series...but who got punk'd?!

I have been wanting to read Rockoholic since I first came across it on Goodreads. Thankfully, it is finally being released in the U.S. and I got a chance to read it. For some reason, I really thought this was going to be funnier than it was. That's not to say that it wasn't funny at times. It was just a lot heavier and darker than I anticipated it being. But I still really loved reading it!

The protagonist, Jody, was likable enough, but not my favorite character. She was very impulsive and some of her actions were a little over the top at times, and more than once she needed help to get out of certain situations that she found herself in. I really enjoyed the early parts of Rockoholic and Jody's obsession with the lead singer of a rock group. Everything in her life revolved around The Regulators and their music. I could really relate to the angst Jody felt while attending The Regulators concert and wanting the lead singer, Jackson, to notice her. I think all teen girls have been through something similar. (My teen obsession was Roger Taylor, the drummer for Duran Duran.) You just know your favorite band member or the lead singer is going to notice YOU and pick you out of the crowd. Or they make eye contact with you and you feel a connection and SWOON! I had a good laugh reading about the concert from Jody's perspective. Then things get a little out of hand, some hijinks ensue, and Jody ends up kidnapping Jackson. Things really go downhill from there.

Jackson turns out to be a hot mess and not such a great catch. He is surly and rude and is very disrespectful to everyone, but especially to Jody. I felt very sympathetic towards Jackson once I realized that he had a drug addiction that was facilitated by his manager. I could also understand how much Jackson had come to resent the fans and the pressure he was under to perform and always be 'on'. But that didn't give him the right to treat Jody the way he did. He was just so very unappreciative of the effort that Jody put out there for him. He was really an ass and very unlikable for most of the book, but by the end Jackson redeemed himself a little bit in my eyes, and I ended up sort of liking him. The dilemma Jackson found himself in after being kidnapped was very interesting. He is burned out with the business and just wants to disappear, but doesn't know how to get away from his controlling manager. After being 'kidnapped' he is presented with an opportunity, and Jackson has a choice to make. Whatever he decides, it won't be easy.

Jody's best friend, Mac, turned out to be her saving grace more than once. Mac would do anything for Jody, and she really would have been lost without him. Mac ended up being my favorite character. He and his little sister, Cree, really added a lot of personality to the story and I enjoyed their interactions with Jody and Jackson. Mac gets a little put out by Jody's obsession with Jackson, but he turns out to be a really loyal friend.

Overall, I thought Rockoholic was really unique and imaginative. The writing was a little slow during the middle part, but then it picked up again and ended on a high note. I found the ending to be very appropriate and quite touching. I highly recommend Rockoholic to fans of music - especially if you ever obsessed over a band while you were a teen. Rockoholic is the perfect guide on how NOT to kidnap a rock star.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars