If you’re in the mood for a unique and quirky read about a small town, The Crow Valley Karaoke Championships by Ali Bryan is for you! Read my review.
Ali Bryan’s The Crow Valley Karaoke Championships was a quirky read about a little town in Canada. The narrative revolves around a karaoke competition, which becomes much more thrilling when a prison break occurs nearby. As the evening progresses, secrets and realizations emerge that affect every individual. I gave the new novel three out of five stars – find out why.
What’s it all about?
A year after forest fires ravaged the town of Crow Valley and claimed the life of Dale Jepson―karaoke legend, local prison guard, and all-around good guy―the community hosts a high-stakes karaoke competition. But when a convicted murderer escapes from nearby Crow Valley Correctional, residents discover there’s more on the line than local, perhaps even national, karaoke fame.
In this darkly comedic, fast-paced ride through an unforgettable small town, five residents with intimate connections to Dale and drastically different goals for the night will collide into, conspire with, and aid one another as they scramble to make it successfully through the evening under the scrutinizing watch of neighbors.
To the soundtrack of classics belted out with abandon, voices will crack, cars will be stolen, marriages will falter, and kids will slip away in search of trouble. And maybe, just maybe, lives will be transformed for the better. [GoodReads.com]
My thoughts:
I liked The Crow Valley Karaoke Championships a lot, but there were so many distinct narratives, that I never felt connected with any of the characters. While each chapter was enjoyable to read, it was difficult to determine which storyline belonged to which character. While I don’t mind numerous points of view in a story, there were far too many in this one. Perhaps if there were fewer characters, I might have been able to connect more and give this book a higher rating. Overall, I enjoyed Ali Bryan’s unusual novel and plan to read more of the author’s work in the future.
