BOOK REPORT for Wildflower by Alecia Whitaker
Cover Story: Truth In Advertising
BFF Charm: Single White Female
Swoonworthy Scale: 4
Talky Talk: Easy Breezy, Y'all
Bonus Factors: Nashville, Lady Bird Johnson
Relationship Status: Dance Hall Fling
Cover Story: Truth In Advertising
I'm not in love with this cover, but I am in love with its honesty, because what you see is what you get. Unlike covers with nonsensical fancy dresses or a model who looks nothing like the heroine, this cover makes like George Washington and cannot tell a lie. You can discern, with one glance, that this book is about a girl country singer who has strawberry blonde hair, and that assumption would neither make an ass out of you nor me because YOU ARE CORRECT.
The Deal:
For the past seven years, Bird Barrett has been on the road, making music and touring with the Barrett Family Band, a.k.a. her parents and her two older brothers. She's content with her nomadic lifestyle as long as she's got her family and her fiddle by her side, but when she's unexpectedly offered a record contract, she must face a world without either. As she experiences the highs (music videos! makeovers!) and the lows (loneliness, paparazzi) of a life in the Nashville spotlight, she learns that fame always comes at a price.
BFF Charm: Single White Female
Bird is a sweetheart, with just the right amount of naivete to remain wholesome (in spite of her burgeoning career) while never being obnoxious. (I'm looking at you, Scarlett.) I liked her, but instead of being friends with her, I'd rather just BE her. Sure, she appreciated the fact that she got a whole new wardrobe and a glamorous makeover, but I WOULD APPRECIATE IT MORE. I mean, she can barely bring herself to hang all over a hot male model for her music video, and y'all know I would TAKE ADVANTAGE. Plus, her narrative skips over some of the best parts of fame-- release parties, sweet rides, fancy swag-- only to focus on the tough aspects, like exhaustion and the loss of independence.
Oh, did I not mention the fact that I'm a totally shallow person?
Swoonworthy Scale: 4
For a while now, Bird's been nursing a crush on Adam Dean, fellow traveling musician and best friend of her brother. He's one of those handsome, cowboy gentleman types, equal parts thoughtful and chivalrous. I enjoyed the slow, flirtatious evolution of their relationship, but it never really built to a big payoff, and by the end, I was deeply unsatisfied by the arc of their romance.
Talky Talk: Easy Breezy, Y'all
Alecia Whitaker keeps Bird's voice light and conversational, and the result is a book that you can pleasantly consume in an afternoon. There's a bit of country twang to give it some flavor, but thankfully it doesn't feel exaggerated. My main issue with the writing arose in the last few chapters, which felt incredibly rushed. While the themes of the novel aren't too complex, there were a few situations with deeper emotional potential, but instead of exploring that territory, the book races right past it towards an incredibly abrupt resolution. Seriously, where's the fire?
Bonus Factor: Nashville
My favorite aspect of the book was experiencing the Nashville music industry, minus the histrionics of the TV show. Tagging along with Bird on her rise to fame was a blast, and I'm super relieved that no one had to die/overdose/get murdered/have an affair/fake a pregnancy in the process.
Bonus Factor: Lady Bird Johnson
Bird is named after Lady Bird, and as a resident of Austin (where the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is located), I was very pleased by this reference.
Casting Call:
Lennon Stella as Bird
She's got the musical chops, plus she could easily capture Bird's gentle disposition.
Lucas Till as Adam
Relationship Status: Dance Hall Fling
When this book took me out on the floor for some two stepping, I was delighted by its down-home demeanor and thrilled by its exciting Nashville moves. It made for a fun, comfortable partner, but as the song came to an end, it spun me around way too fast, and I was left in a disappointed daze as it quickly exited through the back door.
FTC Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Poppy. I received neither cocktails nor money in exchange for this review. Wildflower is available now.