Confessions of a Punk Rocker

by Nessie Strange

The dead should stay dead...

Jack Norris has just lost his best friend—who also happened to be his band's drummer—to a drunk driving accident. As he struggles to deal with the band's uncertain future and his own personal demons, those issues soon become unimportant. His dead friend has come back. And he's not showing any signs of going away. Questioning his own sanity, Jack finds his life spiraling out of control. But when a new acquaintance not only hooks him up with a drummer, but promises to help get rid of his ghostly stalker, Jack's life does a one-eighty.

Drew MacLellan, the new drummer, is more than just a new set of sticks—he's the brother of the insanely hot Jen MacLellan, who's definitely not Jack's biggest fan. Jen is nothing like the women Jack's dated in the past, but the more he gets to know her, the deeper he falls. The only problem is she's got a boyfriend. Caught between his growing attraction and the desire to do the right thing, Jack does everything he can to keep his distance. But the more he sees of her, the more he realizes he can't. He's determined to win Jen's heart, if only he can figure out how to help his dead friend rest in peace...permanently.

ebook

First published September 22, 2015

About the author

Nessie is a Massachusetts native and mother of two who has dabbled in everything from abstract painting to freelance sports reporting. She also loves a good story, whether it's reading or writing one.

Reviews

[Sharamebeth79 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions in this review are my own. Nessie Strange has written a very good book in Confessions of a Punk Rocker. Jack is a very relatable lead male character in this book. Jack's character grows as the book progresses and he faces some difficult times in his life. This book has a bit of everything including the young adult college and after college experience, paranormal elements and romance as well as a few other surprises. I tended to experience Ashton's character with the same perception his brother Jack did. I like the characters and storyline of Jen and Drew. I am a fan of rock and music industry themed novels and this book brought that as well as some paranormal subject matter which I really enjoyed. I was very moved by Jack's experiences and felt like encouraging him or giving him advice. There were very few times I put the book down, but when I had to I was still thinking about things in the story. Strange has a very good way of turning a phrase and describing things to the reader. I would recommend this book to friends and other readers.

[Kim Pruitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Norris is the lead singer of a fast rising punk rock band, until his best friend and drummer are killed in a car accident. Grieving for his friend Eben lends Jack no motivation to seek out a new drummer for the band. With nothing to lose and a small push Jack finds himself scouting Drew MacLellan with a little help from his deceased friend Eben. Will Jack be able to face his guilt about Eben's death and move forward with his band, or will Eben's spirit lingering drive Jack insane?

Jack's story is sad and pathetic as it's all laid out in the first part of the book. To be honest the story went a tad slow for my liking, but with hope that the story would build some speed and layers to it, I stuck with it. I am soooo glad I stuck with it, Jack's story exceeded all preconceived ideas I was having. You see, Jack was portrayed quiet the loser. He had a part time entry level job, only to shut his older brother and manger Ashton up. Jacks main focus was his band, he lived the rock star life to his full potential. Jack had no responsibilities nor did he care to have any. He drank too much and slept with any mini skirt that would have him. So when the new drummer Drew and his older sister Jen entered the picture that is when the magic really started for Jack.

The story had many layers to it to keep your interest and lay a great foundation for what's to come. This book wasn't just about Jack's band or him falling in love. It was about Jack growing into a man, an honorable, dedicated man. It was so great to read Jack's character develop in such a short period of time, (page count wise). And so you don't feel cheated, there is magic. Confessions of a Punk Rocker had me feeling so many emotions throughout the story, sadness, sympathy, disgust, anger and love. Who doesn't love a great story with psychics, seances and ghosts?!

[Amanda Miller /A Bookaholic's Fix: Feeding the Addiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of reading one of Strange's stories in the Love Least Expected Anthology last year so when the review option for this one came through my inbox, I just had to sign up.

So this one features a punk rocker on the rise to fame, a dead best friend, and the girl that's off limits. Honestly, I would have read that without knowing anything about the author's previous work. The story is told in first person perspective from Jack's POV and it is written in present tense. Now this usually is problematic for me but I have to give the author credit, it was amazingly well done. Jack's voice is strong and it never seems to slip; I knew throughout the story everything was his--thoughts, perceptions, feelings, etc. And as for the tense--it was so well done that I didn't even notice. I never got that 'off' vibe that clues me in to this particular style. I actually noticed it when I went back through the text to make sure I had my details right.
When I sat down to review, I went back and looked at the other story I'd written a review for and noticed something similar about the characterization in the books. The main characters start off a little weak for my taste but once again, Strange makes it work.

At first, I hated Jack. There, I said it. He came off as whiny, self-centered, self-absorbed, self-destructive... His whole poor-pitiful-me routine made me want to kick his ass up between his ears. Now, I admit my opinions are tainted a bit because: 1) I am the oldest child so I don't relate to the baby of the family mentality and 2) By my early twenties, I was already married with children so the concept of being young and doing normal stupid-kid-stuff is kinda lost on me. I really related more to Jen because taking on too much responsibility has always been my gig. Anyway. As the story progressed, I began to understand that Jack's familial strains weren't just his imagination or a matter of faulty perception, and I began to feel sympathetic to his plight. I guess he grew on me the same way he grew on Jen.

I did like the other characters tremendously. Like I said, I get the older sibling mentality so I actually liked Ashton even if he was a bit of an ass. I loved PJ and Ethan because everyone needs weird friends. Drew was the typical little brother--having 2 of my own, I know they tend to be both wonderful one moment and a PITA the next. Then there were the depictions of family relationships. I loved the way she captured different family dynamics through the descriptions and personalities of the various parents (and the interactions with their children) present in the story. Strange managed to create an entire community of separate and interconnected people which gave the characters and the story a tremendous amount of credibility.
The Paranormal elements were great. Ghosts, talking with the dead, crossing over--these were handled wonderfully. I did like the more gruesome factor the haunting had. It reminded me a lot of R.M. Gilmore's Dylan Hart books. The author took a different approach and instead of doing the cliched type of ghost story, she created something raw and gritty. I love the paranormal genre but it is super popular right now and sometimes is in danger of becoming homogenized. Stories like this provide novelty and keep the genre fresh and alive.

This is definitely a 5-star read. I can't wait to read the other books in the series and I fully intend to stalk--um, I mean follow--this author to discover what other amazing stories she concocts.

[Ki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my gosh! It’s definitely great to see how these two got to know each other and from the view of Jack. I know this is a bit late but it’s definitely a must read if you’ve already gotten into Nessie’s Living Dead World.

I can’t say how much I enjoyed this. And this being a novella, it’ll definitely get new readers into the series without any problems and will even bring readers back before another whole book release.

Jack is the hero and his story is told in first POV. We get to see how he felt with the lost and guilt of losing his friend Ethan, the drummer of their band, and see how these two manage to make it hilarious bantering with a ghost. You see, Etahn comes back, and makes things a bit tough. Not just that be he brings light into Jack’s past and even open his eyes to forgiveness and even lead him to love.

I love seeing Jack in this different light and getting to know who he was and is before really getting to know him. Seeing how he is around his bandmates was definitely great and each of them carrying their own personality in the band.

Having him meet Jen and knowing that she is somewhat off limits yet close enough to touch was great. Sure he was sometimes and ash but he grew on you and you just can’t help but love him, such as rockers usually do to fans right?

But I definitely enjoyed this. Paranormal isn’t usually my kind of genre although I do love ghost stories and mystery stuff, I really liked this. Nessie did a great job bring in the paranormal and punkiness in to the story as she did the other books, so I wasn’t disappointed.

If I read this before the first full book, Living Dead Girl, in the series, I think I would have loved it a bit differently than I am right now. Not that it’s not great but that because I came to love him in the first books, this novella made understanding him better and made my feels for him even more so.

So yes, I definitely recommend this.

[Majanka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/book-tou...

In Confessions of a Punk Rocker, Jack Norris just lost his best friend, his band’s drummer, to a drunk driving accident. This renders the band’s future uncertain, and his own demons start to haunt him as well. In particular in the shape of his dead friend who has come back to haunt him, and shows no signs of going away. But when he finds a new drummer, Drew MacLellan, who promises him he’ll help get rid of Jack’s ghostly stalker, his life takes a turn around. Drew’s sister Jen, isn’t available, and she’s very different from the women Jack used to date. Yet she pushes his buttons in all the right ways, and he grows determined to win her heart.

The story is told from Jack’s POV. Jack was a great character with a strong voice, and as the story progressed and the reader learned more about him, it grew difficult not to like him and feel sympathetic toward him. I preferred Jen, actually – responsible, independent, capable of handling her own. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like Jack, but I had to warm up to him, while I liked Jen right away.

The author did a great job of making the characters feel like actual, living, breathing people, in particular Jack and Jen, but also all the secondary characters. The world-building was interesting too, and the world of the dead, the paranormal, ghosts and hauntings, was well-crafted and just seemed to work. The supernatural element added a whole new layer to the book. The writing was good too, and overall, I would recommend this book to any fans of paranormal romance, in particular involving supernatural books involving ghosts.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review over on my blog (Pretty Little Book Blog).

This book revolves around Jack, a musician in a punk rock band, as
the story opens Jack is full of guilt over not stopping his buddy Eben from driving under the influence which ended up in tragedy. This leads Jack down a dark road filled with booze and barfights (the 2 b's right?) after a long weekend festival Jack awakens to an impossible sight. Eben, as a spirit! First he thinks that it's a bad dream but it turns out that sometimes the dead can return. While he's there though Eben helps Jack with moving on and even finding love.

I thought this was a excellent book.
While I haven't read many books about the punk rock scene I never felt lost when they are talking about the band, the banter back and forth between Jack and Eben was hilerious and probably my favorite part of the book. The blend between the living and Eben was really well done just having him pop in and out made you wonder just when you might see him next and what kind of shenigans he would be wanting to get into. It's a perfect read for the month of October especially and really anytime you are in the mood for a supernatural read.

[Medavis66 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book. I kinda feel like I read three books in one, though. I liked all the storylines, but felt that only one got true resolution and would've liked all of them to have seemed more complete. The stories are: 1)Eben, Jack's best friend and drummer/ bandmate/ band co-founder, who has died in a car wreck and is 'haunting' Jack, 2) the band finding a replacement drummer, Drew, and 3) Drew's sister, Jen, as Jack's love interest. There is also family drama and conflict with Jack's family that becomes central in the story, at times. I was moved to tears at one point in the story when Jack and PJ are trying to help Layla, Eben's mom. It was sad and I could imagine how difficult that situation would be. I would've liked to have had more about the band and their future discussed, since the focus was often on keeping the drummer they had found. I also would've liked more on the Jen front. I felt that it got interesting, but kinda left me hanging. I did like the resolution to Eben's situation. I thought it was handled nicely and was more real than a lot of the woowoo ghost stories I've read before. I couldn't put the book down is why it got a 4, but the incomplete feelings I had kept it from a 5.

ARC provided in exchange for honest review.

[Shaunta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really funny and cute. It was well written even from a first person perspective. The characters where really easy to relate to especially if you have siblings or have ever lost someone close to you. I didn't like that sometimes Jack became a martyr when it was his friend that passed away he became kind of selfish at certain points that made you want to slap him in the head. I like the love component and hilarity built into this story. It really added depth to a sad paranormal book. The fact he had to work for what he wanted and it wasn't given to him really humbled him and provided growth for jack. All in all it was a great read. I am an independent reviewer for Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock and I am giving this book 4.5 Fangs. Based on content I am rating this book for mature audience.

[Raz T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every single think about this book. As an ex-musician I thought things were very well described, it really took me back to the old days! I especially loved the way the band hung out and did things together. The way the author described life after death really struck a chord with me. We may never know what really happens, but I'll bet it's something very similar to that. Jack was my favorite character, the way the author wrote him really made me feel for him, especially with the way he dealt with losing his best friend. Well done Nessie Strange, I can't wait to devour the rest of this series! ~Platinum Book Reviews~

[Raquel (Rocki) · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can find a longer review on my blog: Raquel Gabrielle's Blog

I enjoyed seeing from Jack's point of view but now I want more from this series.Even though some times Jack is a mess and messes up his life he is still sweet and a good guy, I liked how Jen's best friend PJ was always in Jacks corner egging him on and pushing him towards Jen. I would like to see her later on in the story or a short story of her as well, she seems like she has and interesting background.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Confessions of a Punk Rocker” is a truly complicated book.

Read full review in the 2016 September issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Renay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this funny novella of ghosts and hauntings. It is told from Jack's pov, which I really enjoyed. I love the writing of all the characters.

Fans will love this paranormal.