Strings by Kat Green Review

Strings, by Kat Green
Publication: June 14, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Thriller, Mystery
Pages: 380
Format: Finished Copy
Source: Author
Rating: 

The rise of the Black Eagles was meteoric, from band practice in the garage to global stars almost overnight. And Melissa Webb, the beautiful girlfriend of the front man, appeared to have it all. But when Luke Black disappears without a trace and Melissa wakes up in a hospital bed after a savage attack, her perfect world is shattered and their lives are plunged into a potentially deadly crisis. Where is Luke, and can he be found before it is too late? 

 Although this book has been in my shelf for more than half of a year, sitting there with its sad, gloomy eyes and begging me to read it, I can say that it's not like I was avoiding it. Though, looking at my reaction of the way it actually turned out now, I'm telling you that I feel that I should've read it sooner and fell in love with it as soon as possible. Strings was a heart-racing, unique novel that's making me eager to figure out what'll happen in the next novels.

I love and am so fond of self-published novels. I've read some novels from indie authors before, and they contribute to so much work and happiness, although all authors do. Kat Green is simply a fantastic author whose writing is addictive and different from most that I've read, and her take on a mystery-thriller novel that jumps between the past and the present events of her time with her rock-star boyfriend is simply awesome. This contributes to one of the few boy-band rockstar books that I've ever come to read, and I am in love with this gothic, wild style. The author gives a new take on a unique premise, I tell you!

The Black Eagles are like a sexy version of the boy bands that are ruling the world today. And they're HOT BRITS, FOR GOODNESS SAKE. Like for example, let's picture Rixton. I totally see Luke, Dale, Tom and Toby as the other gorgeous British boy-band that headlined on Ariana Grande's tour (where I got to see them live!) who captured the hearts of all of the girls in the audience. Talk about a huge fanbase, hm? I guess this is a great example of the struggles of being in a band. Green goes through the transformation and beginning of a band when it forms, to when gigs turn into concerts and the struggles of keeping a fanbase and dealing with the media, press and paparazzi stalkers that will hunt you down and create heart-breaking moments between families and relationships. 

This was real, new and unlike anything I've ever felt and read about before. If I close my eyes and picture the books' events coming to life, it'll be so easy and real to image. Since the writing was simplistic but very intriguing, I felt that I was part of the book, and I was a bystander watching everything happening, leaving the tears falling out of the characters' eyes and seeing the loss in Melissa's heart when she found out the news about Luke.

I've gone through a lot of the review without even telling you what this gorgeous book is really about. Melissa Webb is the girlfriend of a rockstar, Luke Black, the lead singer of the British boy-band The Black Eagles. She's so in love with him, and this book tells us all about their meeting and the development in their relationship to the point of the climax in the novel. It's a tough job, as there's a fanbase and people who also adore her boyfriend... including his ex, who is serious when she says that she's after Melissa. The Black Eagles are becoming more and more famous after the landed second place in a music competition and soon enough, things get even more chaotic after the media and gossips begin to tear Melissa and Luke's relationship apart, and then Luke goes missing.

DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNNNN *goes on for forever* When I actually met Luke and Kat Green began jumping in and out from the past perspective to the present one, the feels finally came to me and I actually realized what this sense of him going missing really means. All around Melissa while she was in the hospital, everyone was depressed—from her best friend, Beth, to Dale, Luke's greatest best friend in the world and bandmate. Even Melissa's parents couldn't believe that the famous guy who took their daughter's heart is gone. And through that perspective, the author makes everything more and more suspenseful and worse in the situation until we're brought into the shocking unpredictable ending where everything collapsed and finished like a blur. I hadn't even seen something coming, I'm telling you.

I'm always in for psychological thrillers. I feel that these things happen day after day in real life, and this happening with a famous star? This is much better than the norm, I tell you, and it's not everyday when you read about something like this. Green dropped from psychological aspects, to pure romance, to illusions where people think that they know what's going to happen when it doesn't. The plot of this was simply perfect and for a longer novel like this, it was fast-paced and if you took a page or even a wonderful paragraph out of the book, everything would've collapsed. I was intrigued from the first chapter, and I actually never thought that I would enjoy this book as much as I actually proved to had have. Man, what great novels are coming out lately!

I think that I can compare this novel's idea to a mix of Liars, Inc. by Paula Stokes and Far From You by Tess Sharpe, where both novels include and contribute to aspects of friendship and loss, just like Green tried to compare and commence here. The ending left my heart racing and I figured that it would truly tell readers what kind of book it really is. *wriggles eyebrows*

You can't handle the truth about what really happened, my friends because you'll have to prepare. Get ready to prepare for a heart-dropping, sad face but happy face moment. That's the only hint that I'll be throwing out to you, because you'll certainly need that hint to make your day. If you're a slow reader, then this may be one of the things that'll keep your feels and emotions in sane if you feel like you're being struck by the events of the book and you feel all of Melissa's loss-stuff to the fullest extent. Other than that, you'll have to read and see, because I wasn't lucky enough to have anyone warning me. Just saying. Hah.

The only thing that actually brought my rating of this book down where it actually had the capability and chances of being a 5 star perfect novel was the character of Melissa. She was likeable, don't get me wrong, but I felt some weird vibe coming from her character. She was too naïve, and although she probably is young, at least around her 20s, she should still know better. She thought that she was kick-ass like her best friend Beth and could do whatever she wants without telling anyone—like with the stalker incident—but she just couldn't. She wanted to show that she had that confidence and ability, but it was all self-esteem and the power that she felt when her boyfriend beau Luke complimented her that made her roll. She was okay, I liked her, but she wasn't keeping the role of a heroine as I hoped she would. No, we don't need a Nancy Drew, clue detective, by the way.

LUKE BLACK IS MY NEW FICTIONAL BOYFRIEND. Who doesn't want a boyfriend who will sing to you as you're falling asleep and look into your eyes with that grim, gorgeous look in his? What about someone who plays the guitar and cares about you so much and brings you on stage with him, not caring if you make a fool out of yourself and him? That's Luke. He was sexy, gorgeous, and so hot that I really need a fan to whip my hair around. He's one of my favourite parts of the novel. Just like one fan said, Melissa is a lucky girl. ;)

I can't even get started with the romance. It wasn't just romance—it was real love, not just physical but the needy, emotional one that everyone wishes for but some people don't get for. They needed each other like we need water or food. And them without each other... the story missed something and they missed something from each other. *cries* 

Strings has actually left me hanging with strings. All of the marks from the gorgeous book are still with me, tied all over me until I read the next book, because I feel addicted to the author's writing. It's strong, smart, and unlike anything I've read before. Anyone will enjoy and adore this, and I'm begging you to go and grab a copy, because you won't be left disappointed. And hey, JUST LOOK AT THE GOODREADS RATING! Doesn't that show you something? Yes, you need this book, it's tempting you, people.

What are the other boy-band books that you've read before? This is one of the best ones, people!