What do you think?
Rate this book
One Night Only
SKY BLACK has dedicated her life to making music. Through her difficult childhood and struggle with addiction, her band was the only thing that brought her joy. Just as her dream of playing to thousands of screaming fans might become a reality, she’s dealt some devastating news. Everyone in her life tells her she has to quit — her sister, who’s battling her own demons, and her mom, who shows up seeking forgiveness after abandoning the girls as children. But Sky’s come this far and she won’t give up now. The stage is the only place she’s truly alive, so she chases her dream until she doesn’t recognize it — or herself — anymore. When the fame machine is set in motion, there’s no turning back.
"Knudsen’s novel is tense and unrelenting; the author masterfully creates an immersive,
claustrophobic atmosphere as Sky’s health, relationships, and sense of self become increasingly strained. Sky remains a
likable, if flawed, protagonist throughout, and readers will find themselves rooting for her even as she makes questionable
decisions." — Kirkus Reviews
"Knudsen’s novel is tense and unrelenting; the author masterfully creates an immersive,
claustrophobic atmosphere as Sky’s health, relationships, and sense of self become increasingly strained. Sky remains a
likable, if flawed, protagonist throughout, and readers will find themselves rooting for her even as she makes questionable
decisions." — Kirkus Reviews
355 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 19, 2024
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 13, 2024
Music has been her reason for living for as long as Sky Black can remember. There is something magical about plucking the guitar strings with her calloused fingers and belting out an emotional chorus. Before her days as a solo songstress, Sky’s band helped her escape from an intolerable childhood. Jamming with her best friends and numbing her pain with drugs put a giant band-aid over all her wounds. Since then, she has focused on staying clean and playing local gigs. But her future in music is threatened when she receives a shocking diagnosis.
Still, the beautiful songstress has no idea how she’ll be able to put down her guitar for good—music is in her bones. Worse, everyone from her past, her sister, Joe (former bandmate and the one that got away), and her estranged mother keeps imploring her to stop playing and prioritize her health.
Sky is immersed in an intoxicating world where her dreams could come true. But is fame worth the price she’ll pay?
“One Night Only” by Shelby Knudsen is a deeply affecting novel about addiction, love, and the magic of music. The author has intricately created a world of contrast, one where Sky is forced to place her life (and dreams) on a hiatus and take care of herself, and the other where she signs her future over to someone else for the promise of an enviable music career. The latter could be the death of her. Sky’s poignant story explores the perils of the music industry—where compassion is lacking, and one’s worth is determined by the amount of money one brings in.
Sky Black is a multidimensional character in which readers will be emotionally invested—you’ll be cheering for her one moment and then sobbing for her the next. Beyond the musician’s evolution in the industry, Knudsen weaves a tale of love and friendship. Sky’s relationship with Joe is complex—while their passion burns brightly for one another, like everyone in her life, Sky keeps Joe at arm’s length. Being in love with an addict is rife with secrets and lies. The author paints this agonizing but painful truth for readers by revealing the cracks in the pair’s romance.
Moreover, we see Sky fumbling further as she tries to sponsor Sam, a young, recovering addict. Sky is desperate to do right by him. Still, as her own sobriety wavers, the far-reaching effects of addiction are illustrated.
Knudsen holds nothing back in this emotional novel, evoking a visceral reaction. It’s easy to imagine her life on the big screen as it draws you in with impeccable character development and cinematic scenes. “One Night Only” by Shelby Knudsen will appeal to fans of stories with strong characters as well as music lovers, especially rock, indie, and alternative music fans. Each chapter is named after a song, culminating in a swoon-worthy soundtrack at the end. Raw, poignant, and achingly beautiful—this book needs to be at the top of your reading pile for 2024!
Share this:
Click to sMusic has been her reason for living for as long as Sky Black can remember. There is something magical about plucking the guitar strings with her calloused fingers and belting out an emotional chorus. Before her days as a solo songstress, Sky’s band helped her escape from an intolerable childhood. Jamming with her best friends and numbing her pain with drugs put a giant band-aid over all her wounds. Since then, she has focused on staying clean and playing local gigs. But her future in music is threatened when she receives a shocking diagnosis.
Still, the beautiful songstress has no idea how she’ll be able to put down her guitar for good—music is in her bones. Worse, everyone from her past, her sister, Joe (former bandmate and the one that got away), and her estranged mother keeps imploring her to stop playing and prioritize her health.
Sky is immersed in an intoxicating world where her dreams could come true. But is fame worth the price she’ll pay?
“One Night Only” by Shelby Knudsen is a deeply affecting novel about addiction, love, and the magic of music. The author has intricately created a world of contrast, one where Sky is forced to place her life (and dreams) on a hiatus and take care of herself, and the other where she signs her future over to someone else for the promise of an enviable music career. The latter could be the death of her. Sky’s poignant story explores the perils of the music industry—where compassion is lacking, and one’s worth is determined by the amount of money one brings in.
Sky Black is a multidimensional character in which readers will be emotionally invested—you’ll be cheering for her one moment and then sobbing for her the next. Beyond the musician’s evolution in the industry, Knudsen weaves a tale of love and friendship. Sky’s relationship with Joe is complex—while their passion burns brightly for one another, like everyone in her life, Sky keeps Joe at arm’s length. Being in love with an addict is rife with secrets and lies. The author paints this agonizing but painful truth for readers by revealing the cracks in the pair’s romance.
Moreover, we see Sky fumbling further as she tries to sponsor Sam, a young, recovering addict. Sky is desperate to do right by him. Still, as her own sobriety wavers, the far-reaching effects of addiction are illustrated.
Knudsen holds nothing back in this emotional novel, evoking a visceral reaction. It’s easy to imagine her life on the big screen as it draws you in with impeccable character development and cinematic scenes. “One Night Only” by Shelby Knudsen will appeal to fans of stories with strong characters as well as music lovers, especially rock, indie, and alternative music fans. Each chapter is named after a song, culminating in a swoon-worthy soundtrack at the end. Raw, poignant, and achingly beautiful—this book needs to be at the top of your reading pile for 2024!
Still, the beautiful songstress has no idea how she’ll be able to put down her guitar for good—music is in her bones. Worse, everyone from her past, her sister, Joe (former bandmate and the one that got away), and her estranged mother keeps imploring her to stop playing and prioritize her health.
Sky is immersed in an intoxicating world where her dreams could come true. But is fame worth the price she’ll pay?
“One Night Only” by Shelby Knudsen is a deeply affecting novel about addiction, love, and the magic of music. The author has intricately created a world of contrast, one where Sky is forced to place her life (and dreams) on a hiatus and take care of herself, and the other where she signs her future over to someone else for the promise of an enviable music career. The latter could be the death of her. Sky’s poignant story explores the perils of the music industry—where compassion is lacking, and one’s worth is determined by the amount of money one brings in.
Sky Black is a multidimensional character in which readers will be emotionally invested—you’ll be cheering for her one moment and then sobbing for her the next. Beyond the musician’s evolution in the industry, Knudsen weaves a tale of love and friendship. Sky’s relationship with Joe is complex—while their passion burns brightly for one another, like everyone in her life, Sky keeps Joe at arm’s length. Being in love with an addict is rife with secrets and lies. The author paints this agonizing but painful truth for readers by revealing the cracks in the pair’s romance.
Moreover, we see Sky fumbling further as she tries to sponsor Sam, a young, recovering addict. Sky is desperate to do right by him. Still, as her own sobriety wavers, the far-reaching effects of addiction are illustrated.
Knudsen holds nothing back in this emotional novel, evoking a visceral reaction. It’s easy to imagine her life on the big screen as it draws you in with impeccable character development and cinematic scenes. “One Night Only” by Shelby Knudsen will appeal to fans of stories with strong characters as well as music lovers, especially rock, indie, and alternative music fans. Each chapter is named after a song, culminating in a swoon-worthy soundtrack at the end. Raw, poignant, and achingly beautiful—this book needs to be at the top of your reading pile for 2024!
Share this:
Click to sMusic has been her reason for living for as long as Sky Black can remember. There is something magical about plucking the guitar strings with her calloused fingers and belting out an emotional chorus. Before her days as a solo songstress, Sky’s band helped her escape from an intolerable childhood. Jamming with her best friends and numbing her pain with drugs put a giant band-aid over all her wounds. Since then, she has focused on staying clean and playing local gigs. But her future in music is threatened when she receives a shocking diagnosis.
Still, the beautiful songstress has no idea how she’ll be able to put down her guitar for good—music is in her bones. Worse, everyone from her past, her sister, Joe (former bandmate and the one that got away), and her estranged mother keeps imploring her to stop playing and prioritize her health.
Sky is immersed in an intoxicating world where her dreams could come true. But is fame worth the price she’ll pay?
“One Night Only” by Shelby Knudsen is a deeply affecting novel about addiction, love, and the magic of music. The author has intricately created a world of contrast, one where Sky is forced to place her life (and dreams) on a hiatus and take care of herself, and the other where she signs her future over to someone else for the promise of an enviable music career. The latter could be the death of her. Sky’s poignant story explores the perils of the music industry—where compassion is lacking, and one’s worth is determined by the amount of money one brings in.
Sky Black is a multidimensional character in which readers will be emotionally invested—you’ll be cheering for her one moment and then sobbing for her the next. Beyond the musician’s evolution in the industry, Knudsen weaves a tale of love and friendship. Sky’s relationship with Joe is complex—while their passion burns brightly for one another, like everyone in her life, Sky keeps Joe at arm’s length. Being in love with an addict is rife with secrets and lies. The author paints this agonizing but painful truth for readers by revealing the cracks in the pair’s romance.
Moreover, we see Sky fumbling further as she tries to sponsor Sam, a young, recovering addict. Sky is desperate to do right by him. Still, as her own sobriety wavers, the far-reaching effects of addiction are illustrated.
Knudsen holds nothing back in this emotional novel, evoking a visceral reaction. It’s easy to imagine her life on the big screen as it draws you in with impeccable character development and cinematic scenes. “One Night Only” by Shelby Knudsen will appeal to fans of stories with strong characters as well as music lovers, especially rock, indie, and alternative music fans. Each chapter is named after a song, culminating in a swoon-worthy soundtrack at the end. Raw, poignant, and achingly beautiful—this book needs to be at the top of your reading pile for 2024!
November 1, 2024
I stopped reading this book as a friend had passed away and the story was a challenge for my brain at the time. I re-started just a couple of days ago and devoured it. I loved the story, characters, and getting a behind the scenes perspective on this industry and its challenges. To me, One Night Only is to the Music Industry as Yellowface is to the Book Publishing Industry. Two books I really enjoyed reading this year, of two perspectives I found enlightening.
I highly recommended reading this book. Shelby has such a way with words, you can feel, smell and see it all as the story unfolds with each page.
I highly recommended reading this book. Shelby has such a way with words, you can feel, smell and see it all as the story unfolds with each page.
June 30, 2025
Couldn’t put this book down! Highly recommend this great read!
October 31, 2024
Fun fast read. Good ending
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews