This was such an interesting read and journey - not at all what I had anticipated but quite enjoyable! The author really brought the main character to life and I got a sense of Wood's personality (warts and all). Without spoiling some of the plot turns in the book, I LOVED some of the relationships that developed through the course of the book, especially with one young woman from his past - super heartwarming. I don't have Spotify so wasn't able to listen to the playlist when the songs were mentioned in the book (if the author could make a similar Youtube playlist that would be awesome...although I do admit that was laziness on my part). But I imagine that having the corresponding songs playing while reading would only add to the immersive experience! ( )

The Driftwood Tour is a general fiction novel written by J.P. Lane. It is a story filled with music and weird but mostly fun experiences, some of which could be uncomfortable or distressing for some readers so be advised to read the trigger warnings at the end of this review.

The novel is set in the late 1990s in the rock music scene. The main character, Thurston Underwood, commonly known as Wood by his peers with Driftwood as his stage name, takes the reader along on his journey as an artist touring around the world, including the US, Europe, and Tokyo. The way this story is narrated lets the reader know about Wood´s experiences, thoughts and feelings, as well as those of other characters such as Jesse, Wood´s bandmate, and Rachel, his manager.

As soon as you start reading, you find that Wood has been in an accident and is currently at a hospital in Tokyo until he recovers. From that moment on, the story goes back and forth between the present, Wood´s recovery in Tokyo, and the past, including Wood´s experiences during his tour and events from his childhood and other characters´ experiences.

I was intrigued from the start and pleasantly surprised as I kept reading at the dynamics between the different characters and the various perspectives the narration provides. The reader can sense their love for music throughout the whole story, and that, paired with some funny scenes and well-rounded characters that are open to listening, growing, and changing for the better, makes an interesting read.

Although I did enjoy how some of Wood´s relationships were explored, such as his friendship with Jesse, I think some of them lacked some depth and I would have liked for them to be richer. I also did not fully enjoy the dark humour present in the novel, which is just my personal opinion, but at times it seemed like most women mentioned in the story were sexualised for the sake of humour and only there to be amusing and serve the main character, and even if it was not the case for every female character, there were enough for me to feel a little uncomfortable while reading, although that could just be me not getting the dry humour of the story.

I would rate this story 3 out of 5 stars overall, and here is the rating broken down into categories:

- overall enjoyment: 3
- writing quality: 3
- characterisation: 2,5
- world-building/setting: 3
- plot development: 3
- ending satisfaction: 3,5

This story was entertaining to read, and even if I would have liked it to portray deeper relationships and maybe have a slightly different layout that linked all parts of the story differently in order for me to follow along more easily, I did enjoy reading it. I was pleasantly satisfied with the ending and even if I did not like every character I liked the diverse experiences depicted.

This book can be a great reading choice for music lovers and those who enjoy dark humour. If you do not take life too seriously this might be the story for you, I, on the other hand, do tend to take everything too seriously which is why this book might not have been entirely for me.

Age recommendation: Adult General Fiction (18+).

Trigger warnings: Profanity, Violence, Blood, Accident, Hospitalisation, Drugs, Animal Death, Assault, Racism, and Sexism.

I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ( )

J.P. Lane – The Driftwood Tour

Behind the scenes, musicians on tour. Interesting. I have read biographies, but I prefer fiction. This seemed fictional enough for me. The prologue was a bit confusing. Something happened in Tokyo, but how does the story lead up to it. For quite a bit of the book it didn’t. Wood and his mate Jesse are touring. First in the United States, later in Europe.

For a while it seemed the book was intended to read lightly. Off course things happen, but nothing surprising, no shocks, no page twisters. Not sure if the author intended it that way, to stress the fact that the events will turn different later or if he needed the tours to lead the reader up to the Japan bit of the tour.

Because that’s where it really happens. Yet, while the first half ripples nicely, the second half it looks like alle the plot twists had to be pushed in. Too much for me. On the other hand, it does make the characters, who were quite flat at first, much more interesting. Hence, I’m not sure what to make of it. I’m not even sure if I prefer the quiet first bit or the hectic second.

Yes, I read a nice book, no, I am not convinced this is a masterpiece. Then again, most books I read aren’t. I enjoyed this, so no complaints from me.

Quote: “Rachel had been there before on a date she preferred to forget. She was relieved that Wood didn’t trigger her date night pet peeve of a man who didn’t make plans, assuming that it was gentlemanly to let her decide everything. She worked hard all week managing a trucking company and caring for her father. Did she have to plan the date, too? Of course, this wasn’t a date. She and Wood were business partners, but it seemed to hover in the grey area all night.” (p.27)

Nummer: 23-002
Titel: The Driftwood Tour
Auteur: J.P. Lane
Taal: Engels US
Jaar: 2022
# Pagina’s: 256 (368)
Categorie: Fictie
ISBN: n/a ( )

This was a fun read. Wood's predicament did not turn out to be quite as dramatic as announced in the blurb, however, it was fun to read about his and his partner Jesse's lives on tour. While not exactly autobiographical, the author clearly writes from experience and with a solid background knowledge. Where misconceptions enter into the plot - mistaking The Housemartins' "Happy Hour" for "a sweet little song from a sweet little band" or "Born in the USA" for "something patriotic", or Wood's writing totally ambiguous lyrics without noticing it, this is done for laughs.
Two minor gripes:
- Wood discovering he had a daughter he know nothing about didn't add much to the plot, in my opinion. . Also, someone clearly hasn't done their math: If Wood first clapped eyes on Yvette in the spring of 1981, how could they possibly have a 20-year-old daughter in November 1998?
- Wood took terrible, terrible care of Margaret, letting her play and chase on the side of the road. It's all very well for him to muse about the driver feeling guilty for running her over, maybe this was not meant to come across as shifting responsibility, however this was a part I did not like very much.

All in all, it was a fun, quick read, the playlist being a nice extra touch. ( )

I’m not sure what I was expecting when I picked up The Driftwood Tour, but it was not what I was expecting at all. This was definitely a different type of read for me, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. It felt almost like a bad car accident, I could not look away and was completely mesmerized, and I honestly don’t know what made me not want to look away! All I can say it was chaotically intoxicating.

I liked that the chapters were short, getting to the heart of the fabled stories from the road, capturing the imagination with grit and whimsy. I also loved the rock-and-roll vibe and what I like to call the Wood magnetism. Despite the train wreck that is Wood, he has this charm that you can’t help but be drawn to, which also makes you want to see him have success in life.

I also loved the 90’s era that this was set in! I was a teen of the 90’s and hearing some of the lingo and other references was the perfect nostalgia. I also loved all the different places that the author takes the reader.

Another charming aspect was the Spotify playlist that the author created to go along with the narrative. This married two of my favorite things perfectly, music and reading, and brings another layer to this unique story. I didn’t listen to it myself as I knew every song on the list and could hear it in my head as I was reading, which made for a very neat experience. For those that don’t know the songs I highly recommend listening to the playlist. Lots of great songs on there, even if you don’t listen while you’re reading.

There is adult languages and themes, which were the parts of the story that I didn’t particularly enjoy, but the overall tale won me over. I enjoyed this novel more than I thought I would, a pleasant surprise. ( )