"See the rapid descent of a Rock ‘n’ Roll frontman and how far he’ll go to cling on to the spotlight."
The stereotypical sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll frontman Danny McAllister sees change on the horizon as his bandmates begin to shine in their own light. Jealous, paranoid and determined to keep his place as the lead singer/songwriter in the band leads him down a destructive path with deadly consequences. Out of control and nostalgic for the glory days he didn’t quite have, Danny McAllister’s story is a little like watching a runaway train - it’s chaotic, out of control and you’re waiting for it to come to a stop to see how extensive the damage will be. McAllister isn’t a likeable main character, he’s conniving, selfish and self-destructive. However he is interesting in a way that is morbidly fascinating. To continue the crash metaphor, despite knowing the likely outcome I still couldn't peel my eyes away. The narrow perspective of the writing means that as a reader I was as disoriented as Danny while he spirals lower and lower, the next time he scores providing a constant metronome to the story, the slope steepening as the drug use escalates. Dark in nature, this satire of the music industry critiques how far people will go for fame. Through the storyline The Next Big Thing comments on jealousy of others' success, the eagerness to cling to its coattails like one of McAllister's “weekend wives", and to some extent how sometimes, the “bad guys” can still end up on top. Not a light, or fun read, but nevertheless engaging and thought provoking.
| Primary Genre | Indie Author Books |
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