Grenade Bouquets by Lee Matthew Goldberg: True to the Rock Scene it Describes, there’s a Bit of a Sophomore Slump Here

Grenade Bouquets by Lee Matthew Goldberg Series: Runaway Train, #2 Kindle Edition, 286 pg. Wise Wolfe Books, 2021 Read: October 12-13, 2021 Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

I’m sure there’s always moments in life you’ll remember, like when you get married, or hold your newborn baby, but like, I can’t imagine anything more hella cool than hearing your song on the radio for the first time.

What’s Grenade Bouquets About?

At the end of Runaway Train, Nico joins Evan and his band, Grenade Bouquets, for a few dates, helping them with one song at the end of the set.

Before long, a rivalry heats up between Nico and the band’s singer (and Evan’s ex)—enough that she leaves, and Nico takes over just as they get the attention of a record label.

Things go about as well as you’d expect from this point out—there’s a template for novels about Rock bands, and Goldberg’s not one to buck a trend.

So, what did I think about Grenade Bouquets?

Is it ridiculous to expect that just because she got her act together at the end of Runaway Train that Nico will act maturely after that—especially in light of sudden success, money, attention, lack of adult supervision, and the easy access to drugs and alcohol. But man, I had a hard time with her antics. At one point, I jotted in my notes “I’d pay Goldberg $50 if we could just drop this and catch up with Nico in 5 years.”

Sure, Goldberg did a fantastic job of capturing the cultural moment so wonderfully—and the realism of a confused teen in the midst of that. But, I tell you what, I had a hard time getting through that part of the book (the majority of it). Eventually, however, that part ends. It doesn’t necessarily end well for Nico (the opening scene of the book makes that clear, so I’m not spoiling), but it ends believably (perhaps inevitably).

It’s what happens after things fall apart for Nico where the novel starts to be worth the struggle—there’s a scene featuring a celebrity cameo that makes the whole novel worthwhile, actually. But even without that scene the latter parts of the novel rescue it and get me to the point I can recommend it.

If you liked Nico’s story from Runaway Train and wanted to know what happens to her after it, Grenade Bouquets is a successful follow-up. The reader, as well as Nico, has to get through a lot—but the pay-off will compensate you.

I’m sounding pretty down about the book—and I don’t mean to, really, I came around in the end—but there was something to come around from. I have to mention it/warn you about it. Still, a decent read—with some strong moments and crystal clear writing.

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