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Burning Down Rome
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"When your life becomes a lie you can close your eyes. Or start bucking like a wild horse and become a legend."
BURNING DOWN ROME follows four friends on their spectacular journey to rock super-stardom.
Hand picked by a record label at too young an age, they quickly came to understand that the business of fame was all a big game. Nothing was real. Sold out show after sold out show, autograph after autograph, screaming fans, television appearances and interviews in every major city, pushing through exhaustion just for the high they got on stage... Living the dream was all that mattered.
Until the day arrived when not one of them could remember what the dream was about anymore.
In spite of being caught in the maelstrom of unprovoked media attacks, vicious personal vendettas, and massive professional pressures, their band - Cry Baby Jake - brazen, bold and ultra-talented, ascended to the top of the rock'n'roll world where they held steady for six solid years.
That's when the work related injuries - the behind-the-scenes mental torture, intense physical tolls and the hidden, soul-numbing truths of the industry that fans never see, set in.
"Living the dream" began to unravel for Cry Baby Jake's fearless leader, Aiden "Kid" Cade. His thoughts and emotions were drowned out by the millions of strangers crying his name - all of them believing that they knew him intimately, but to him were strangers. He lost his inner compass. He forgot who he was. Then he lost his ability to reason. And, a victim to inner demons he could no longer control, eventually, he nearly lost his life.
One band member saw it coming. Another ignored the signs.
And the third loved him through it all.
While the world cheered for him, so loud he couldn't hear his own heart beating, behind the scenes Kid was poised between the band's overwhelming success and his feelings of crushing personal failure. In the midst of it all Kid fell in love, fell apart, melted down to almost nothing, and finally realized that making his way in a land of make-believe could either be deadly, or it could set him free.
Burning Down Rome is the story of a rock'n'roll dream that became a nightmare for four unconquerable souls who nearly lost it all: Themselves, each other, and their passion... And who then reclaimed their destinies, and blazed beyond what the world said they were allowed to do.
"When your life becomes a lie you can close your eyes. Or start bucking like a wild horse and become a legend."
BURNING DOWN ROME follows four friends on their spectacular journey to rock super-stardom.
Hand picked by a record label at too young an age, they quickly came to understand that the business of fame was all a big game. Nothing was real. Sold out show after sold out show, autograph after autograph, screaming fans, television appearances and interviews in every major city, pushing through exhaustion just for the high they got on stage... Living the dream was all that mattered.
Until the day arrived when not one of them could remember what the dream was about anymore.
In spite of being caught in the maelstrom of unprovoked media attacks, vicious personal vendettas, and massive professional pressures, their band - Cry Baby Jake - brazen, bold and ultra-talented, ascended to the top of the rock'n'roll world where they held steady for six solid years.
That's when the work related injuries - the behind-the-scenes mental torture, intense physical tolls and the hidden, soul-numbing truths of the industry that fans never see, set in.
"Living the dream" began to unravel for Cry Baby Jake's fearless leader, Aiden "Kid" Cade. His thoughts and emotions were drowned out by the millions of strangers crying his name - all of them believing that they knew him intimately, but to him were strangers. He lost his inner compass. He forgot who he was. Then he lost his ability to reason. And, a victim to inner demons he could no longer control, eventually, he nearly lost his life.
One band member saw it coming. Another ignored the signs.
And the third loved him through it all.
While the world cheered for him, so loud he couldn't hear his own heart beating, behind the scenes Kid was poised between the band's overwhelming success and his feelings of crushing personal failure. In the midst of it all Kid fell in love, fell apart, melted down to almost nothing, and finally realized that making his way in a land of make-believe could either be deadly, or it could set him free.
Burning Down Rome is the story of a rock'n'roll dream that became a nightmare for four unconquerable souls who nearly lost it all: Themselves, each other, and their passion... And who then reclaimed their destinies, and blazed beyond what the world said they were allowed to do.
470 pages, Paperback
First published September 25, 2014
3 people are currently reading
486 people want to read
About the author
Melodie Ramone
6 books561 followers First published in literary magazines at the age of twelve, Melodie Ramone is a lifelong writer from the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. When she's not behind the keyboard, she is involved with small animal rescue and is actively engaged in advocating for funding and research for cystic fibrosis. She is the bestselling author of After Forever Ends and currently resides in Central Illinois.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 24, 2015
“Burning Down Rome” by Melodie Ramone is a worthy follow up to her amazing “After Forever Ends”, which is one of my all-time favourite Indie novels, romance novel and literary novels.
This time Ramone has turned her attention to the music industry and the career of a youthful rock band. Teenager boys Kid and Joey become unlikely but very good friends – by circumstance or destiny – and form a band. Both have interesting backgrounds, as have the two girls that will join the band and ‘family’.
The book is full of character depth which makes the rise and the shaky parts of their musical path very relatable and interesting. They are fascinating humans with lots of baggage but we get to see them as real people rather than the stars from celebrity magazines. You never fail to see their vulnerable sides, their reasons for acting and acting out.
I found the book almost impossible to put down - a phrase I hate to use in reviews. In perfect pace Ramone shows us the personal growth while portraying the joys, pressures and ins and outs of the life of a band.
Written with prefect prose the story is engaging and an easy read, it is spiked with great analogies and superb dialogue – I wrote down several quotes to make sure I remember them.
This is a heart-felt story as it could happen, made real through engaging characters and the realistic style. Much is said in excellent key scenes to introduce our heroes easily, but we learn more about their interesting backgrounds throughout. The setting of the scene is well done and feels very authentic. To pitch a musicians life in a convincing and emotionally relatable manner is hard, but Ramone pulled it off with sensitivity, compassion and tact.
Making rockstars human, seeing them as stars and 'normal' people. their passion, their focus - well I could go on.
This time Ramone has turned her attention to the music industry and the career of a youthful rock band. Teenager boys Kid and Joey become unlikely but very good friends – by circumstance or destiny – and form a band. Both have interesting backgrounds, as have the two girls that will join the band and ‘family’.
The book is full of character depth which makes the rise and the shaky parts of their musical path very relatable and interesting. They are fascinating humans with lots of baggage but we get to see them as real people rather than the stars from celebrity magazines. You never fail to see their vulnerable sides, their reasons for acting and acting out.
I found the book almost impossible to put down - a phrase I hate to use in reviews. In perfect pace Ramone shows us the personal growth while portraying the joys, pressures and ins and outs of the life of a band.
Written with prefect prose the story is engaging and an easy read, it is spiked with great analogies and superb dialogue – I wrote down several quotes to make sure I remember them.
This is a heart-felt story as it could happen, made real through engaging characters and the realistic style. Much is said in excellent key scenes to introduce our heroes easily, but we learn more about their interesting backgrounds throughout. The setting of the scene is well done and feels very authentic. To pitch a musicians life in a convincing and emotionally relatable manner is hard, but Ramone pulled it off with sensitivity, compassion and tact.
Making rockstars human, seeing them as stars and 'normal' people. their passion, their focus - well I could go on.
December 12, 2014
So you want to be a rock star?
You might want to read BURNING DOWN ROME by MELODIE RAMONE first. Drugs, sex, rock and roll may sound like fun, but it can kill you if you’re not incredibly lucky and resourceful. The story of Cry Baby Jake’s rise to fame, and near-immolation of the band members, is not an entirely new one. We’ve all caught glimpses of the legacy that goes with rocketing to the top of the charts. Adoring fans, paparazzi, travel to exotic locales, wild parties, and newsworthy escapades all seem to go with the territory.
What’s not to like, you might ask? A bacchanal carnival, bring it on! As Melodie Ramone’s vivid portrayal shows us, though, it is a lonely, disorienting, and dehumanizing experience. Well that’ the price you pay for letting the artistic temperament go wild. Some of the carnage may well be attributed youthful excess in the face of too much access to the trappings of success, too fast. But, as this great book reveals, there’s more to it than that. There’s something inherent in the structure of the experience that’s a prescription for flaming out. Not just rock and rollers, but stars in other music genres, celebrities in sports, theater and films, often follow a similar trajectory toward crash and burn. For every tragic story of success there are many, many more sad tales of those who gave it their all and didn’t grab hold of the gold ring.
As Ramone points out, performance anxiety, even stage-fright, and a deep-seated insecurity is an occupational hazard. It is made so much worse in a ‘what-have-you-done-for-me-lately’ system of bloodthirsty critics, fickle fans, and callous studio execs. Pair that with the rootlessness, unhealthy lifestyle, and relentless pace of touring and it’s no surprise that rock and roll takes such a heavy toll. When things start to come apart, throw in dose after dose of feel-good drugs—some to make you big and some to make you small, and before you know it, you’re in wonderland. The problem is no one can live for long in that place. Can you even call it living at that point, when you hit the proverbial bottom?
Burning Down Rome takes us into that pit but doesn’t end there. It’s a great story about fighting back—not just rehab, but much more. Waging war against the machine, preserving artistic integrity, finding balance and developing a healthy relationship to what really matters are all themes this book explores. Is it worth it? Will it be enough to save Cry Baby Jake? You’ll have to read the book for yourself to find that out. Having married a rock star wannabe of my own, I have had glimpses of the life Ramone writes about even after my guitar man chose another path. This writer nails it! Not just the outward expressions of the life, but the inward struggle—a tour de force and a recommended read.
You might want to read BURNING DOWN ROME by MELODIE RAMONE first. Drugs, sex, rock and roll may sound like fun, but it can kill you if you’re not incredibly lucky and resourceful. The story of Cry Baby Jake’s rise to fame, and near-immolation of the band members, is not an entirely new one. We’ve all caught glimpses of the legacy that goes with rocketing to the top of the charts. Adoring fans, paparazzi, travel to exotic locales, wild parties, and newsworthy escapades all seem to go with the territory.
What’s not to like, you might ask? A bacchanal carnival, bring it on! As Melodie Ramone’s vivid portrayal shows us, though, it is a lonely, disorienting, and dehumanizing experience. Well that’ the price you pay for letting the artistic temperament go wild. Some of the carnage may well be attributed youthful excess in the face of too much access to the trappings of success, too fast. But, as this great book reveals, there’s more to it than that. There’s something inherent in the structure of the experience that’s a prescription for flaming out. Not just rock and rollers, but stars in other music genres, celebrities in sports, theater and films, often follow a similar trajectory toward crash and burn. For every tragic story of success there are many, many more sad tales of those who gave it their all and didn’t grab hold of the gold ring.
As Ramone points out, performance anxiety, even stage-fright, and a deep-seated insecurity is an occupational hazard. It is made so much worse in a ‘what-have-you-done-for-me-lately’ system of bloodthirsty critics, fickle fans, and callous studio execs. Pair that with the rootlessness, unhealthy lifestyle, and relentless pace of touring and it’s no surprise that rock and roll takes such a heavy toll. When things start to come apart, throw in dose after dose of feel-good drugs—some to make you big and some to make you small, and before you know it, you’re in wonderland. The problem is no one can live for long in that place. Can you even call it living at that point, when you hit the proverbial bottom?
Burning Down Rome takes us into that pit but doesn’t end there. It’s a great story about fighting back—not just rehab, but much more. Waging war against the machine, preserving artistic integrity, finding balance and developing a healthy relationship to what really matters are all themes this book explores. Is it worth it? Will it be enough to save Cry Baby Jake? You’ll have to read the book for yourself to find that out. Having married a rock star wannabe of my own, I have had glimpses of the life Ramone writes about even after my guitar man chose another path. This writer nails it! Not just the outward expressions of the life, but the inward struggle—a tour de force and a recommended read.
December 24, 2014
Ms. Ramone yanks us into Burning Down Rome with a fast paced and compelling multi-generational profile of main character Kid Cades ancestors, all of whom stand out against cultural constructs and manifest into one person who is the stuff of legends, one others follow, because to be around Kid is to live the life others only dream of.
Kid Cade and Joe Bolt, friends from childhood have a shared vision, to play in a band. From this, Cry Baby Jake, a punk rock band, is born. Comprised of four very different personalities, Kid with his wild, passionate, poetic soul; Joe, talented, grounded and loyal to a fault. Cecily DeLuca and Natasha Olejnik, the remaining members, imprint their insecurities and strengths on the souls of these two passionate men. Cecily, abandoned as a child and Natasha, the immigrant daughter of Ukrainian parents, approach life from opposite ends of the spectrum, but both perceive the band as their family and their home.
Ms. Ramone brilliantly depicts these four opposing personalities, and how each cope with the physical, social, and emotional components of public success and personal failure.
The difference between a four and five star review, for me, is whether I believe a book is relevant and will stand the test of time - will a reader pick a book up in twenty, thirty, fifty years from now and find it compelling? I believe Burning Down Rome has this quality.
Kid Cade and Joe Bolt, friends from childhood have a shared vision, to play in a band. From this, Cry Baby Jake, a punk rock band, is born. Comprised of four very different personalities, Kid with his wild, passionate, poetic soul; Joe, talented, grounded and loyal to a fault. Cecily DeLuca and Natasha Olejnik, the remaining members, imprint their insecurities and strengths on the souls of these two passionate men. Cecily, abandoned as a child and Natasha, the immigrant daughter of Ukrainian parents, approach life from opposite ends of the spectrum, but both perceive the band as their family and their home.
Ms. Ramone brilliantly depicts these four opposing personalities, and how each cope with the physical, social, and emotional components of public success and personal failure.
The difference between a four and five star review, for me, is whether I believe a book is relevant and will stand the test of time - will a reader pick a book up in twenty, thirty, fifty years from now and find it compelling? I believe Burning Down Rome has this quality.
February 19, 2015
The book was amazing! I suggest this to anyone who would love a funny, romantic, nail biting, captivating story! The characters were unique and interesting. The story was always interesting and never left me bored! I really loved this book, it's the type of book you will reread and never ger bored of.
February 13, 2015
Burning Down Rome by Melodie Ramone is a heart-rending in-depth look at what our lifelong dreams can do to us if we let them. We all have dreams of fame as rock stars, actors, authors, sporting personalities, but it always comes at a price. And are we foolish enough to pay that price? Read this wonderful novel and discover that which we covet so much an also destroy us. This reader was reminded of Frank Capra's movies of the 30s and 40s, the book was that well written.
Burning Down Rome is the story of a rock'n'roll dream that became a nightmare for four unconquerable souls who nearly lost it all. Even the title has its own meaning, a deranged despot who dared believe he was God and destroyed everything for vanity.
A wonderful social drama full of meaning and love and very highly recommended.
Burning Down Rome is the story of a rock'n'roll dream that became a nightmare for four unconquerable souls who nearly lost it all. Even the title has its own meaning, a deranged despot who dared believe he was God and destroyed everything for vanity.
A wonderful social drama full of meaning and love and very highly recommended.
May 19, 2015
Goodreads win. Will read and review once received.
This was a good book to read. I really enjoyed it. This was a funny, romantic, captivating story, and at times had me on the edge of my seat. This is a book I paced myself on so it wouldn't be over too fast. The characters were at times interesting in this book; also, they were quite unique. This is one of those books that will never leave you bored.
This was a good book to read. I really enjoyed it. This was a funny, romantic, captivating story, and at times had me on the edge of my seat. This is a book I paced myself on so it wouldn't be over too fast. The characters were at times interesting in this book; also, they were quite unique. This is one of those books that will never leave you bored.
June 1, 2016
Book review
Burning Down Rome by Melodie Ramone
When I first started I was not hooked by the beginning as I had trouble getting into it, but the more I read the more I seemed to understand, and found myself deeply getting immersed into it. My biggest issue up to chapter 7 was I found myself having trouble figuring out who was the person making the action. Yet more and more I found myself able to relate to the characters with the more I read. 4/5 stars in my book! Well worth looking into and picking up!
Burning Down Rome by Melodie Ramone
When I first started I was not hooked by the beginning as I had trouble getting into it, but the more I read the more I seemed to understand, and found myself deeply getting immersed into it. My biggest issue up to chapter 7 was I found myself having trouble figuring out who was the person making the action. Yet more and more I found myself able to relate to the characters with the more I read. 4/5 stars in my book! Well worth looking into and picking up!
July 18, 2016
Brilliant Rock Epic!
Melodie has truly captured the rise , rise , fall and rise again of a young rock band. The two guys and girls take the world by storm but not without a rollercoaster ride of emotions as the friends struggle with their personal angst and ghosts. Really good.
June Finnigan - Writer
Melodie has truly captured the rise , rise , fall and rise again of a young rock band. The two guys and girls take the world by storm but not without a rollercoaster ride of emotions as the friends struggle with their personal angst and ghosts. Really good.
June Finnigan - Writer
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews