Grenade Bouquets by Lee Matthew Goldberg

This is one of those rare cases where the first book in a series is great, but the sequel is even better! In this second book in the wonderful, poignant and emotional Runaway Train series, we once again meet troubled teenager Nico as she’s living her dream on tour with the band Grenade Bouquets, but still fighting her demons, grieving the loss of her sister and generally making bad decisions.

In the first book, Runaway Train, Nico was a train wreck waiting to happen and I read the whole book with the heart in my mouth so afraid of the crazy things Nico might end up doing to herself. Here, in this second book, Nico was in a better place and I could enjoy the story in a more relaxed mood. That didn’t mean that Nico stopped making bad decisions, using alcohol and drugs as coping mechanisms or acting out though…
 
Nico is a main character that isn’t the easiest to love, but I really appreciate how Lee Matthew Goldberg never shied away from her flaws and shortcomings, since it’s what made her so unique and authentic. I have to admit that there were some scenes where Nico crossed the line for me and acted just too reckless and selfish for it to be okay, but other than that I was always on her side and totally rooting for her. This was a truly heartbreaking book at times. Even though Nico was in a better place now than in the first book when she was completely lost and broken by pain and grief, she still went through so much this time around too. There were so many ups and downs, so many times the demons got the better of her and she hurt herself and the persons closest to her. I also really appreciated how the harsh realities of the music industry were explored with all its pressure, cynicism and objectification. Being a rock star definitely isn’t as glamorous as one would imagine…
 
This series is such a raw and honest tale about the nineties and a troubled girl’s journey to find herself and heal. It’s both sad and upsetting at times, but also so hopeful and full of the magic of music. Just like in the first book in this series, the writing style had such a wonderful flow and authenticity, and the concept with the chapter titles being the songs on Nico’s mixtape was brilliant in the way each song matched the mood of the chapter.
 
All in all, Grenade Bouquets was a breathtaking rollercoaster ride that was sad and hopeful, heartbreaking and heartwarming, gripping and addictive with relatable and authentic characters, as well as a brilliant love letter to the nineties era!
 
Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours for the ARC and blog tour invitation for this wonderful book! All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Rating:
4.5 magical stars rounding up to 5

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