Till the Wheels Fall Off

by Brad Zellar

From roller rinks and record players to coin-operated condom dispensers and small-town mobsters, Till the Wheels Fall Off is a novel about an unconventional childhood among the pleasures and privations of the pre-digital era.

It's the late 1980s, and Matthew Carnap is awake most nights, afflicted by a potent combination of insomnia and undiagnosed ADHD. Sometimes he gazes out his bedroom window into the dark; sometimes he wanders the streets of his small southern Minnesota town. But more often than not, he crosses the hall into his stepfather Russ's roller rink to spend the sleepless hours lost in music. Russ's record collection is as eclectic as it is extensive, and he and Matthew bond over discovering new tunes and spinning perfect skate mixes. Then Matthew's mother divorces Russ; they move; the roller rink closes; the twenty-first century arrives. Years later, an isolated, restless Matthew moves back to his hometown. From an unusual apartment in the pressbox of the high school football stadium, he searches his memories, looking for something that might reconnect him with Russ.

With humor and empathy, Brad Zellar (House of Coates) returns with a discursive, lo-fi novel about rural Midwestern life, nostalgia, neurodiversity, masculinity, and family--with a built-in soundtrack.

Genres: Fiction, Music, Novels, Audiobook, Coming Of Age, Unfinished

328 pages, Paperback

First published July 12, 2022

Reviews

[Alec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!

Like an end-of-the-millennium Winesburg, Ohio, Brad Zellar has created a dreamlike town of loners and dreamers. A favorite quote:

"There are, of course, a million tiny and ridiculous ways a person can get sidetracked and carried away off the main trail. But in the end, always, you become a hostage to who you are, to what you want or what you can't say, to what fascinates you, what breaks you down and holds you under; the sense (or nonsense) you feel compelled to build, the truth or meaning you try so desperately to find."

The world Zellar built in "Till The Wheels Fall Off" left me gobsmacked and giddy.

[Kristin Henning · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant dance through the childhood of Matthew Carnap, complete with the detailed small-town setting and cast of characters surrounding him. Zellar examines the pre-teen years with immediacy and with the benefit of hindsight when the young adult Carnap returns to his Midwest hometown.

Those preteen and teen years are marked by sleepless nights, an unhappy mother, and the fascinating relationship with his stepfather who runs the roller rink adjacent to their apartment and spins the records so influential in young Matty’s life.

The few friends, awkward conversations, difficulties at school, and drifting through night streets and river corridors all depict the young life suspended between dream and reality. More of a reckoning than a nostalgic tale, “Till the Wheels Fall Off” grapples with passion and estrangement, youth’s “happy oblivion with a glorious soundtrack,” and the “Hole Theory” estimating what it might take to fill the holes left by life’s biggest losses.

Read with pencil in hand. You’ll want to track the music references and the most beautiful passages.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

More people should read this charming, thoughtful, slightly off-kilter coming of age story set during the slow sunset of vinyl records, roller rinks, coin-op condom machines. Back then you flipped through the bins, pulled out the record, read the liner notes and listened to a whole side in one go. This is definitely some unearned nostalgia talking, but we lost something when pop culture became less tangible, mechanical, and personal.

The comparisons are understandable, but Till the Wheels Fall Off is sort of on the opposite side of the see-saw as High Fidelity. It's about a different kind of record collector; to Matty, music isn't a nerdy, competitive thing, it's a vital, emotional thing.

[Chrissany Popa · Rating 2 out of 5]

the first 40% is a love letter to a step dad, next 40 is a burn book about another step dad. the last 20% is honestly decent, but i just do not care that much about step dads

[Lisa Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally chose this book because the author was Martin Zellars brother and it was about growing up in a small town in Minnesota. Wow it is so much more than that! I read this book every chance I had til it was finished. Loved it!

[Becky Loader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a child of the 1960's and 1970's, and I remember roller rinks.

The author has made the roller rink phenomenon live, and there are many quotable lines brought up by the protagonist. I could not put the book down. I had to find out what was going to happen.

[Che · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cis white male reliving the "good old days".....

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in Brad’s hometown I recognized a lot of the locations and had a delightful trip down memory lane! His way with words and the way he weaves a story is wonderful!

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please read this book. It is so lovely!

[Colin Brightwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely stunning novel about childhood, memory, neuro-divergency, connection, and music.

[Bernadette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book more than 3 Stars because it is set in southern Minnesota where I grew up, as did the author Brad Zellar (Austin, MN). While Zellar beautifully captures small town culture and the Minnesota aura of the 1980s, I was not enough of a music collector/nerd to fully appreciate the two main characters, Matt and his stepfather Russ, whose lives literally revolve around music. Russ runs Vargo's Screaming Wheels roller rink in the dying town of Prentice, MN, (near Hollandale, MN) and spins his prized eclectic record collection day and night, in a sort of frenzied stupor. Matt bonds with Russ over music but is deeply disappointed when in later years they lose touch. Matt returns to Prentice as an adult and most of the book reflects on his unusual growing up years as he suffers from insomnia that keeps him up most of the night and of course deeply affects his daytime hours. I found an interview in which Zellar talks about having this condition ((daytime parahypnagogia). He said he had kept notes for years on what he was feeling and experiencing that eventually became this, his first novel. I loved the writing, the keen observations of small-town life and family connections, but the plot is slow. I admit I skipped 75 pages in the later half because so much of the time Matt was going into deep descriptions of past life or music references I didn't understand. However, the real, vulnerable characters of Matt and Russ resonated with me enough to finish the final five chapters. They were worth waiting for. Plus, the novel took me back to my growing up years listening to the "swap and shop" program on the local radio station, visiting our small town central park with a bandstand and visiting the treasured Carnegie library building.

[Lanell Gardiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow wow wow, I can’t believe this book doesn’t have more recognition. Ray Bradbury in Dandelion Wine meets Don DeLillo in this novel, and the exploration of a young man’s mind is just so intriguing and touching in a silent and sad way. The reflection on the psychology of being a child and growing up that way in retrospect really hits the reader and I found a lot of it quite profound. The writing’s impeccable too.

I was slightly thrown by the fast ending and how easily wrapped up and happy it all came out to be, but I don’t have that huge of an issue with it. Still had some amazing prose and thought-provoking and emotion-stirring imagery.

[Lyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book but stopped with 75 pages into it. I could not connect with the main character nor figure out where the story was going.

[Phyllis]

Just need to say I did not abandon this because it was not good. I have a virtual bookshelf overflowing with audiobooks vying for my next listen and I couldn't concentrate on this one with all that virtual commotion happening.

[Melissa King · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Brad Zellar's "Till the Wheels Fall Off," main character Matthew Carnap returns to his sleepy (heh) hometown in search of... himself. And through Zellar's mix of honest and rigid and amiable and heartbreaking descriptions and dialogue that teeter back and forth between then and "now," we get to piece together this character through his own retrospective dissection.

The narrative is delivered in a way that's effortless and conversational. And straight-up genuine. While the idea of jumping from one thought to the next with no real systematic outline might, in theory, seem calamitous, the flow of events instead feels distinct and transparent. There's a very personal element that helps readers both form a deeper connection with and better define Matthew -- at the same time he's figuring things out himself.

This is easily the best thing I've read all year. And for that matter, in a long time.

Zellar's prose is simple yet engaging. His conversational tone gives this story and this character a natural flow and straightforward essence through which I was quickly and immediately immersed. And that his novel is set (mostly) in a roller rink to a soundtrack of impressive and impressionable music taps into nostalgia like a drug -- and we're all a bunch of junkies looking for more.

In fact, I was so engaged that, with about 30 pages left, I almost stopped reading because I didn't want the adventure to be over. Yes, it's really that good.

Everyone has an origin story, a defining history through which we've traveled from there to here. Whether or not it's compelling is another matter, dependent on memories and observations and seemingly insignificant moments that instead hold a great deal of meaning to help shape who we become. Composing all of that in a way that resonates with anyone hearing or reading it is what creates the draw. And that's the trick.

To move people with words is a bona fide gift. And Zellar has it. How do I know? Simple: I read his book. Give "Till the Wheels Fall Off" a spin and you'll know exactly what I mean.

[Kendall Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initially I had a hard time figuring out what this book was really about. People would ask what I was reading and I’d tell them it was the story about a guy who goes back to his hometown in search of his estranged step-father. On the surface that is roughly the plot, but it’s really about so much more. It’s about understanding yourself and others, and all the complexities that shape us. It’s about learning to process your emotions and dealing with grief. It’s about what it means to dream and feel joy, and how to regain both when you’ve lost sight of them. It’s about learning to love and to define what love means to you.

Matt’s relationship with his mother was one of things that really stood out to me in this book, probably because it felt so familiar. The strong disconnect he had with her is something a lot of us suffer with when it comes to our parents. Especially the ones who themselves are never taught how to love, and so they are forever incapable of truly loving themselves, their children, or anyone. Brad vividly demonstrates how that leaves Matt feeling resentful, angry and lost through much of life. Then he so beautiful shows Matt finding closure and acceptance, as he starts to understand and forgive her in a way.

When it comes to Russ and the skating rink, Brad perfectly encapsulates the grief we all feel when we look back at happier teams, even if they may not have been perfect. The way he takes us through Matt’s many memories and recounts all of his observations, allows you as the reader to meander through life much in the way Matt was doing. You ride all of his emotions with him along the way, and then when it culminates in the end, the release is so profound. You’re left feeling lifted and hopeful. But most of all, you’re reminded to dream.

[Pamela Huffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am beyond grateful for this beautiful book and the amazing man who wrote it, Brad Zellar.

This is a book about home and what it means to one man in Prentice, Minnesota. Is it books? Music? Roller skating? Yes to all of that and also it is a searching inside. All of that searching is documented in this inspirational book.

This book is a raw and honest look at growing up without attachments to friends or family and what it is that carries us through when we don’t really have anything. This book is meditative and really, not much happens. It gets tied up in a sweet little bow which was a bit much for me but not enough to ruin the aching nostalgia of the rest of the book.

As a girl who grew up largely lonely, reading, listening to music, grooving at the local roller rink, and looking for magic in the everyday, this was the PERFECT book for me. I can’t recommend it enough.

PS I loved listening to the tunes he mentioned throughout the book. I finished listening to Van Morrison’s album Into the Music. The song was Full Force Gale that says “No matter where I roam I will find my way back home.” Perfection!! ♥️

[~Marty Qualls · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had been reading this book for over a year, not because I didn’t like it, rather, I loved the connection it gave me to my adolescent growing up years and I wanted the experience of the book and correlation and similarities of me growing up not to end!
Many of the things Matt went through I didn’t experience, however, the overall connection of a teenage boy getting through life was totally relatable on SO many levels.
Matt grew in this book. He grew and grew up and somehow adapted and figured out how to fake it it until he made it. And along the way needed help. His help was in the form of his music, the roller rink, his Mom, his step dad, his psychiatrist, his girlfriend and ultimately his family, and they were all important and critical for his survival. Matt was tough and likeable. Quirky and quiet. Tough and vulnerable. Expressive and introspective.
I would read this book again and probably take another year to experience the emotions it brought back for me as I watched him coming of age in a world that was tough, unforgiving at times and ultimately, accepting of who he was. 5 stars.

[Scott Feldmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific! Best to read with an Alexa or a Siri within shouting distance unless you're an audiophile. The author relies on songs and band names to evoke the feelings he's choreographing in his characters, who have difficulty expressing emotion even to themselves, let alone to others. You get the idea that they experience joy and pain no less intensely than the next human, despite a massive shared anhedonia between two of them. They seem able to access feelings best when on wheels at high speed and loud volume while whipping around the roller rink, more so than through direct interpersonal communications. Thank goodness for a Cowboy Therapist who helps the protagonist as well as the reader to understand the discovery that's going on. Love the quirky magic from the firefly girl too.

Also a good safe haven read for a confirmed Luddite. The author is connecting you to the visceral experiences of growing up before the era when most of our noses are buried in screens, head down while walking, in what the author defines as the replacement of delayed gratification with instant.

[Christopher Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

A finely written novel addressing the age-old issue of returning to one's home town and dealing with the emotions that elicits. In this case the protagonist returns from 'the Cities' (Minneapolis/St. Paul) to live in the fictional Prentice on the western Minnesota prairie. Upon returning, he contemplates his youth spent absorbing the musical taste of his step-father who ran the local roller rink in the 1980's. Meanwhile, his mother watches TV for hours, retreating into herself. The story is told discursively as the protagonist deals with reintegrating into the community in the present. The cast of small-town characters are simultaneously familiar and unique. If you grew up in the region with Husker Du, Prince, Suburbs, etc., with an awareness of the music scene, the novel takes on greater depth. However, even without that, it is a dark, delightful meditation on youth, small-town life, reconciliation, and renewal.

[Collin O'Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Set in a romantic, dying midwestern town, Matt has trouble sleeping and living in the present. He waffles around his hometown after a series of holes in his life that made him feel as though this was his only way out. He eventually finds fulfillment in spinning discs and creating a vibe. The music in this book is super fun to check out for a person of my age - I made a Spotify playlist for it.

Not much to critique, although I think it lacked a little substance in Russ and Matt's relationship, although I understand that both were ultra-introverted and just being together must have meant a lot to them, who knows. All I know is that "The spirit of the living creatures was" and is "in the wheels."

[Jeremy · Rating 2 out of 5]

All the glowing reviews, the mention of 80s nostalgia, roller rinks, music, music and more music. I had high hopes. I read 20% and really not much about music or nostalgia. A lot about the protagonist's extended family, his background, and especially the relationship of his mother and stepfather. I didn't find any of them that interesting and I was ready to put it down. So I went to write a review and saw again all the glowing reviews about 80s nostalgia, roller rinks, music, music and more music. So I thought I'd give it another chance. I'm now at 45% and I give up. Pretty much all talking about his mother and stepfather. Hardly anything about 80s nostalgia or music.

This was ultimately a disappointment to me.

[Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're on the hunt for something introspective, easygoing, and really thoughtfully written, read this book. Till the Wheels Fall Off is a masterclass in prose-- it's highbrow enough to learn something new from but not exhaustingly precocious. The storyline is nothing extraordinary, but it's not supposed to be. It beautifully and artfully tells the story of an exceedingly average man, from an average family, in a nondescript Middle-American town. And yet, I was still captivated after 300 pages. Plus, the regular mention of records and music really grounds the story and adds a layer of interaction and fun for music lovers!

[Leila Coppala · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. This is largely a book where nothing much happens. It's almost a stream of consciousness novel about growing up in a screwed up family with a skating rink and music being the center of the universe. As a child of the '70s and '80s who grew up to become a musician, this book really appealed to me. It's really a pretty slow book, mostly with Matt, the main character, reminiscing about his life and trying to figure it all out; however, the last 1/4 of the book starts to pick up steam and things begin to happen in the present and concerning the future for him. A good book but don't expect much excitement from it.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who came of age in the 1980s, this book was a fantastic and nostalgic step back in time. Records, rollerskating and finding passion and identity in the music - well, I really enjoyed this. Fans of music from the 60s, 70s and 80s will be delighted, amused and see a bit of themselves in the narrator's obsession and enthusiasm for spinning records and discovering new music. This book reads more like a memoir than fiction - and felt so believable as to be true. The story is also touching and full of heart.

[Margaret Hoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - I almost gave up on this. There were 30 or so pages where I decided, oh I’ll just skim this and then clunk - I attached. I ended up really falling for these characters, the pre-millennium scene, the vinyl, the quirkiness of it all. I turned down quite a few pages as I sank further and further into Matthew world. It’s a rambling trip through his brain, for sure, but I enjoyed it immensely. If I could pick one phrase to describe my reaction to this book, I would say it was “oddly compelling”. I smiled big with a tear in my eye at the end. What more could a reader ask???

[Dani Keller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was hard to get into at first, considering it took me over a month to read. 😅
I like the POV was older Matthew but in the first part of the book the order of events was very back and forth - which made it hard to follow. But towards the middle he starts talking about the end his childhood into adolescence and then it’s brought back at the end to present time.
Extremely sad book at times - I feel for Matt, Russ and Matts mother and what they all went through as an individual. I think the writing style gets a little challenging for me but overall really a great book!

[Alex Liuzzi · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.9 - feels like a poorly written memoir, written by someone who is trying to write about his life but states the analysis, reflection, and musical soundtrack instead of letting the story tell the details. Moments towards the end a type of story started to develop but it was way too late. Poor form, poor flow, no character development, and a clear example of what it looks like when writing is forced.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Randomly found this in my library's audiobook library and was intrigued by the rollerskating aspect. This ended being an introspective take on the coming of age story with a nostalgic and melancholy bent. I thought the way the author write about estrangement and drifting away from people you were once so close to was quite moving. The ending was a bit HEA for in a way that didn't fully work with the vibe of the rest of the book, but it was also sweet.

[Rolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this. While a novel, it’s written more like a memoir, about a boy who came of age and had his best memories while his mom was married to his stepfather, a man obsessed with records who ran a roller rink. As a fellow record obsessive who spent every Saturday night of my teenage years at a roller rink, there was a lot to relate to in this. The relationship between the protagonist and his stepdad is particularly well done, and made me cry several times. Poignant and lovely.