The Battle Hymn Blues eBook Baker Lawley
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Dozens of reviews and a 4.7 star rating! Some reviewers say
"A Southern Gothic gem."
"I could not put it down!"
"The plot is interesting, the characters are endearing, and the setting and imagery is extraordinary, no matter what the reader's age or gender. "
"An incredible novel about the power of the human spirit and the power of love."
About the book
Stoney Nix can play anything, from Beethoven to the Blues, on his old rattletrap piano. It’s just a gift, and a good one. Music is his ticket out of Pinewood, Alabama, his ironic, dying hometown, where they reenact the Civil War but cancel marching band because it’s too small.
Then Sadie Green, the hilarious and beautiful new girl (and Stoney’s major crush), convinces him to fight in the fake Civil War battle. What happens there will haunt Stoney forever—and only through voices of the past, struggle, friendship, and his music, will Stoney find himself.
A young adult-paranormal-gothic-comedy-romance, The Battle Hymn Blues is a story filled with ghosts and pranks, music and mystery. It’s a love song to the blues we all share, how the past and the future and happiness have the strangest ways of finding you.
The Battle Hymn Blues eBook Baker Lawley
A friend recommended this book to me and though I am 36, and the novel is for young adults, I decided to give it a try. Before reading the novel, I was leery of two things: 1) I'm not normally a fan of paranormal or supernatural elements. I feel they've been over-used of late, 2) I don't like the way most authors try to "explain" the South to wider audiences, detailing minutiae rather than just painting a picture of the culture. However, this book proved both concerns to be invalid.Baker Lawley takes the time to craft a portrait of the South through character insights, plot elements and wonderful imagery. Readers are introduced to Civil War re-enactments, biscuits at a country store, kudzu, small-town gossip and small-town loyalty, without being beaten over the head with the idea that these things exist just "because it's the South." It's not trite, cliche, or overwrought...It's just a great story that happens to be set in Alabama.
The paranormal elements of the story are also well-used. The supernatural occurrences are believable and serve a purpose by offering unique insight into the protagonist and the players around him.
But, my absolute favorite part of this novel was Stoney's voice. While reading, I found myself wishing I'd known a kid like this in high school, and when I was done reading, I had that sense of loss...You know, when you enjoy a character so much that you kind of miss being in their head when the book is done. I missed Stoney Nix, and it's been awhile since I've encountered a character in a novel that I enjoyed so much.
In conclusion, while I would certainly recommend the book to any young readers, I recommend it just as strongly to adults as well. The plot is interesting, the characters are endearing, and the setting and imagery is extraordinary, no matter what the reader's age or gender.
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The Battle Hymn Blues eBook Baker Lawley Reviews
I was very pleasantly surprised with Baker Lawley's "Battle Hymn Blues" and look forward to reading more by this author. His characters are well developed, and the teen angst is portrayed accurately, I think. As a born and bred Southerner, I was a little concerned, at first, that this was going to be a diatribe against all things Southern, but actually felt that he did a good job of examining the subject matter of the civil war and reenactors. While most, I think, enjoy reenacting purely for the historical aspects and the enjoyment, there are those who seem to live in the past. Baker helps to put into perspective that there should be a healthy balance between appreciating our history and learning from it, and in trying to relive it.
I picked up this book while it was free for ; I feel like I should pay for it retroactively. It's well-written, basically free of errors in punctuation and spelling (a huge pet peeve among readers of free content) and well worth the time to read. My only caveat came with some tiny flaws in how he spoke about music (the notes C and B-sharp are two names for the same thing, almost no one composes in C-flat because that's another name for B. But most folks neither know nor care about that kind of minutia.)
Other reviewers have mentioned how appealing the protagonist is, and I heartily agree, but what stayed with me after concluding the book was its optimism. When the main character, his circle of friends and acquaintances, his school, and his town are all facing some genuine setbacks (and the main character has a doozy) we readers aren't subjected to bitterness and bathos. Often, the characters take action to address their situation - sometimes ill-advised, sometimes comical, but always motivated by honesty or a desire to do better. I thank and congratulate Mr. Lawley for creating this caliber of YA literature - I'm about to go find something else he's written so I can actually buy his work this time.
I had no idea what to expect when I picked up this book and it turned out to be one of the best books I read in 2012. The voice was fresh and unique...it made me THINK about this story - about the main character - for weeks after I'd finished.
One of the most interesting aspects of this book to me was how music was such an integral part of Stoney's existence. I live with people who have perfect pitch (thank goodness I don't, it seems more of a curse than a blessing) and live their lives to their own personal soundtrack. The way Lawley wrote Stoney's internal monologue in relation to music was SO real to me because of that.
I also loved the way the past kept intruding on the present. Not only the obsession with the past (real or imagined) that Stoney's dad has, but the way the Lawley weaves the past and present together into a whole new tapestry. It's not quite a ghost story, it's not quite magical realism...or is it? It's awesome, whatever it is.
Really loved it.
...was the last book that affected me the way this one did. With a roller coaster ride from monotony to despair to complete triumph. It is an incredible yet simple novel about the power of the human spirit and the power of love.
The MC is the narrator of the book, a sixteen year old musical genius whose only hope of getting out of his dying town is a scholarship to college based on his musical abilities. The first half of the book lays the groundwork of Stoney Nix's life. Then a horrible accident happens that could quite literally destroy everything he has ever hoped for. Can he overcome? Ah, but that is what the second half of the book is for. That is where this book crosses from fine literature into pure magic. That was where my enjoyment of the book turned into sheer amazement. This is such a beautifully written novel, so simple yet so profound.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. You will read it, ponder it, read it again, and treasure it. There is a paranormal element to the story, but I wondered if the "ghosts" were actually parts of Stoney's consciousness pushing him harder and harder to keep his dream alive. Stoney is probably the best MC I have read in many years.
What a triumph. And the title of my review refers to book as well as Madeline L'engles.
A friend recommended this book to me and though I am 36, and the novel is for young adults, I decided to give it a try. Before reading the novel, I was leery of two things 1) I'm not normally a fan of paranormal or supernatural elements. I feel they've been over-used of late, 2) I don't like the way most authors try to "explain" the South to wider audiences, detailing minutiae rather than just painting a picture of the culture. However, this book proved both concerns to be invalid.
Baker Lawley takes the time to craft a portrait of the South through character insights, plot elements and wonderful imagery. Readers are introduced to Civil War re-enactments, biscuits at a country store, kudzu, small-town gossip and small-town loyalty, without being beaten over the head with the idea that these things exist just "because it's the South." It's not trite, cliche, or overwrought...It's just a great story that happens to be set in Alabama.
The paranormal elements of the story are also well-used. The supernatural occurrences are believable and serve a purpose by offering unique insight into the protagonist and the players around him.
But, my absolute favorite part of this novel was Stoney's voice. While reading, I found myself wishing I'd known a kid like this in high school, and when I was done reading, I had that sense of loss...You know, when you enjoy a character so much that you kind of miss being in their head when the book is done. I missed Stoney Nix, and it's been awhile since I've encountered a character in a novel that I enjoyed so much.
In conclusion, while I would certainly recommend the book to any young readers, I recommend it just as strongly to adults as well. The plot is interesting, the characters are endearing, and the setting and imagery is extraordinary, no matter what the reader's age or gender.
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