Joseph Illidge

This historical fiction is sunk by shallow and abrupt scripting that left me with the bare sketch of a story. It read like the outline for a longer work or perhaps a movie pitch.

The books published under the Life Drawn imprint usually tend toward nonfiction, but this one features an imaginary band coming together in 1980s Minneapolis, inspired by the music of Prince and aspiring to have his mentorship. There are too-brief cameos from Prince and some other Minnesota music celebrities with whom I am not very familiar. But since nothing much happens -- or at least nothing that is dwelt upon for more than a page or two -- this falls short as a tribute to Prince and as its own story.… (meer)