I can’t remember where I learned about Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman, but I liked the plot and have read two other Norman novels (Domestic Violets and All Together Now), so I added it to my library list. It was the right book at the right time a few weeks ago, and I got my hands on the audio as well, so off I went.
Charm City Rocks takes place in Baltimore (duh). It’s about a single dad named Billy who teaches piano and has half-time custody of his son Caleb, a senior in high school. After the two of them see a documentary about a once famous all-women rock band, Billy confesses his youthful crush on the drummer, Margot, who is now a recluse living in New York City. Eager to ease his father’s loneliness, Caleb concocts a plan to bring Margot to Baltimore and set them up. After a few bumps, the plan ultimately works, until Margot’s past life catches up with her and she has to decide whether to stay with the kind, average dude from Baltimore or pick up the threads of her rock and roll days.
I think I like the concept and setting for Norman’s books more than the actual execution. I loved the reclusive-rock-star-comes-back-to-life plotline, with the flashbacks to arena shows, MTV Music Awards and band dynamics. I liked some of the relationships in the book, like Billy’s with his son and ex-wife . But ultimately this one fell flat for me. I don’t think Norman spent enough time establishing Billy and Margot’s chemistry beyond her flattery at his early crush on her. Momentous things, like Margot’s A-list actor ex-husband showing up in Baltimore too, happened and were quickly pushed aside. I think Norman leaned in too heavily on the quirky offbeat Baltimore stuff and didn’t establish the characters well enough. I didn’t know Billy any better at the end of the book than I did at the beginning. Margot was the most well-drawn character, but even she seemed to lose all of her confidence halfway through the novel, which deflated her.
In the end, Charm City Rocks was a gentle, sweet novel about two middle-aged people finding each other in an unexpected way. I ultimately wanted more from it – more angst, more fire, more rock – but it was an okay read. I experienced it on audio, which seems to be the only way I can finish books these days. It was narrated by Kristen DiMercurio, who did a nice job with it, especially some foreign accents.