Age of Dreams [Kindle Edition]

I pick up a lot of books, and put most of them down. Sometimes the blurb entices me into buying one, but I often abandon it after the first chapter. I bought AGE OF DREAMS because I'd already read a book by this author, and I wasn't disappointed. This compelling story of a sensitive teenager's search for a fulfilling life kept me turning the pages far into the night.
Told in the first person, AGE OF DREAMS is the story of a young girl, Nicola, who dreams of becoming a pop star and longs to find a soulmate to truly love her for who she is. From the very first page it feels as if Nicola is a time bomb. You just know she is heading for trouble, and this tension is maintained all through the book as Nicola achieves her dream of fame but struggles with alcohol,and with unsuitable men who use her ruthlessly. The love of her life, Joe, turns his back on Nicola and marries someone else. There is hope for Nicola as she goes into rehab, and the author's description of the centre and its therapies is vivid and honest. When she is discharged, she is quickly swept into another loveless, draining relationship, as well as coping with her father's long term addiction to alcohol, and trying to stay friendly with Joe without allowing her jealousy of his apparently perfect wife to surface. I won't give away the end of the story, but I found it gripping, right to the last page.
A compelling, well written and thought provoking book which should be essential reading for all young adults. I would say that this author writes with the same breath-taking honesty as the New Zealand writer, Janet Frame in AN ANGEL AT MY TABLE.

AGE OF DREAMS

A wonderful novel about dreams and what happens when they come true.

Told in the first person by Nicola James, who dreams of escaping her troubled family life by becoming a pop star, this coming of age tale touches on many subjects such as school bullying, divorce, relationships, addiction and obsessive relationships.

Nicola is a young woman most people could easily relate to, and though the novel is set in the 1980s (before X-Factor, etc), many young people today would empathise with her trying to make her dream come true and her craving for the limelight and passion for singing.

I thought all the characters were well-drawn and believable. The author's portrayal of the 1980s and the music scene of that time is totally spot on. I found myself reminiscing and it was like travelling back in time.

I found this story to be an inspiring read and one that stayed with me for many days. Especially the father-daughter relationship, which made me understand why Nicola behaves the way she does.

This novel would make a great movie as the 80s are quite big right now and many people can't help but feel nostalgic for those times.

A fabulous read.