I have been looking forward to this book for quite a while, it's had a huge lot of press about it, it's been all over the net and it's being billed as a huge summer read. However, I was a bit nervous because it is splashed with warnings of its explicit content, and it certainly wasn't one I was therefore going to take out in public and read, who knows what people might have thought lol?! Either way, when this rocked up on my doorstep in its glitzy pink bubble envelope, I was quite excited and decided to start it straight away and see what I thought.
However, once I started I was quite disappointed because I just could not get into at all. I kept picking it up, reading a few pages and putting it down because I could not read on as I wasn't into it in any way. I felt really annoyed and wondered if I was having an off day, so I left it for a few days then tried going back to it. The same thing happened, but of course I had to persevere as I had to review it! Eventually, and after quite a large chunk of the book, I finally found my footing with it and started to enjoy what I was reading. It's just such a shame that it took me so long to do so and it definitely hindered my enjoyment of it as a whole.
The characters were all well written, but another thing that worried me was the amount of characters. At first, I found it really hard to differentiate between them all, so much so that I found myself flicking back and trying to work out who was who. I especially got confused between Lori and Coco, I don't know why as with hindsight they are very different, but I just really struggled with that part of it. The male characters also seemed to blend into one another a fair bit during the start, maybe this is why I didn't enjoy the beginning as I was getting bogged down with these character problems. As I said, once I got a fair way into the book, I got the characters easily, but still I can't work out what happened at the beginning with me.
As for the explicit warning on the cover, yes that is definitely necessary! There is copious drug use, sex, and some violence dotted throughout the book that you cannot get away from, so don't even attempt to read this book if those things aren't your cup of tea. I must admit it even made me blush which is pretty good going as I've read a fair few sex scenes throughout the amount of chick lit I've ploughed my way through, but this is definitely the naughtiest of the lot. However, it does fit in with the theme of the book and none of it is completely unnecessary (although some is quite OTT) so it's not too bad, as long as you don't mind those sort of scenes.
I felt the last couple of chapters is where the book definitely earned its stars for me. It's almost like it suddenly realised what it should be, and I couldn't put it down because I was desperate to find out how things were going to end for the Rock Chicks and the band. I was pretty annoyed that the book couldn't have started out in this fashion because if it did, I am certain I would have enjoyed it a lot more. I almost want to give it 4 stars simply for the last 1/4 of the book, but the things I didn't like really bring it down to 3 for me. There's a few too many characters, a lot of stories going on in one and the slow start just stalled my attention which is such a pity. It's a good read, but not the summer bonkbuster I was hoping for.
Rating: 3/5
You can buy Rock Chicks in paperback or on eBook/Kindle (links go to Amazon.co.uk)
i had never heard of this book before but picked it up thinking it might have been interesting. it kind of was after a fashion it was hard to get into and everytime i read more of it i felt like i had been sitting in a spinning chair, which i guess how a lifestyle like that might seem but it wasnt as involving for that sense of really being absorbed in it. i agree there too many things happening at once and there was no clear divide from one character's events to another. however i liked the last chapter of the book and the ending, it made the effort of reading through it worth it but i wouldnt try to read it again. once is enough for me.
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