Scroll To Top

 

NEWS & REVIEWS

"Poet Of The Wrong Generation" by Lonnie Ostrow
HIT # 1
on the Amazon.com bestseller list in the category of Rock Music Books

On September 15,2017, Poet Of The Wrong Generation hit # 1 on the Amazon Kindle bestseller list in the category of ROCK MUSIC books. Thank you to all who have helped to spread the good word.

  • Amazon-Bestseller

 

..............................................................................................


Official Review: Poet Of The Wrong Generation

4 out of 4 stars

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Poet Of The Wrong Generation" by Lonnie Ostrow.]

Poet of the Wrong Generation by Lonnie Ostrow is classified as Other Fiction and is a story about love, fame, music and heartache.


Set in New York in the 90’s it follows the story of Johnny, a young and talented poet. Johnny and Megan are college sweethearts and have been together for years. Even though they are from very different backgrounds they are caught up in their love for each other and think nothing can come between them. Megan’s mother, Katherine, is a power hungry, image conscious head of a wealthy PR company. She is convinced that Johnny is not the right person for Megan and interferes in every way possible. With low confidence and limited options, Megan is helpless to stand up to her overbearing mother.

After Johnny suddenly experiences heartache for the first time, his grief finds an outlet in song writing. His new friend, Howard, sees the potential in Johnny and takes it on himself to make him a rock star. Will fame be enough for Johnny and will he ever find love again or will it elude him forever?

Wonderfully written in third person, this book caught me completely by surprise and I ended up reading it all in one sitting. The story is fast paced and is packed with original song lyrics (you can even listen to some of the songs on YouTube) that are both vivid and moving. Even though the story is set in the 90’s, the songs could very well capture the hearts of this generation in today’s political climate with lyrics such as “Our future is fading, stop observing, start participating” and “Now where are our leaders we elect? Must our children be exposed to hatred?” My personal favourite was the line “Tell me why must we fight each other when our shadows are the same color?”

The character of Johnny is both realistic and three-dimensional. A good kid from a tough background who is getting a chance of a lifetime. There’s a purity and innocence to him as he remains relatively unaffected by his life changes and never forgets where he comes from. The secondary characters of Johnny’s friends Andy and Jacqui provide a reassuring continuity throughout the story, while Howard’s character is almost hinting at what Johnny’s future could become if things go wrong. The character of Megan I alternatively liked and felt frustrated with. I sometimes wanted to shout at her through the pages to just stand up to her mother for once.

Although the story is about two star crossed lovers, it is also predominantly a story about music, good music, and how it can touch millions of people as well as provide a soundtrack for a whole generation. Several times in the book it mentioned that there is a lack of quality music present in the industry. This is a very real thing as so many pop or rock stars are all about the image rather than the music itself.

The only criticism I had was that I found one or two places where the speech marks were missing and once when a word was cut out, however, this could be the fault of my device. It in no way changed the pace or quality of the story and was easy to ignore.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. An excellent story about the strength of love, friendship, and above all, the power of music. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a love story, but especially to those who enjoy poetry, can appreciate well written lyrics and have a love for music.

Show More...

 



REVIEW: POET OF THE WRONG GENERATION by Lonnie Ostrow
I have so many good things to say about the book but I'll make this brief to avoid giving out spoilers. Poet of the Wrong Generation is an inspirational read about love, friendship and the ups and downs of life. I fell in love with the characters especially the main one, Johnny Elias. He was just a simple guy who is into music and poems, happy and contented with his life. He never thought a nasty break-up would lead to his success in the music industry. The story is well written and I liked that the dialogue felt authentic.

When this was first offered to me for review, I turned it down. The pitch email didn't really impress me mainly because I was enjoying reading my recently bought books. You know that feeling of a book blogger having new books bought in bulk lol so anyway the author sent me some marketing materials and saw the music video. Wow! It was really good, made me admit to the author I was wrong about saying no to him. The book also turned out sooo good, loved it so much!

As for Megan, I can relate to her. Doing things she doesn't like/does not approve of, just to make other people happy. My heart ache for her, so heartbroken thinking about the choices she made that led to her unhappiness. 

I highly recommend this book, without a doubt, you'll enjoy reading this too!

Show More...

 



REVIEW: POET OF THE WRONG GENERATION by Lonnie Ostrow is an amazing and cleverly written, contemporary romance story of fiction following musician Johnny Elias, and the woman he loves Megan Price.

Told from several third person points of view, POET OF THE WRONG GENERATION covers approximately six years in the life, beginning in 1991, of contemporary singer/song writer and poet Johnny Elias –from his early days in college to his meteoric rise to fame and fortune, and the eventual downfall, not of his making. The reader is front and center as twenty one year old Johnny Elias enters into the world of an upstart musician working his way to the top. Before Johnny’s life begins its quick ascent he will lose the one person who keeps his heart beating and his soul alive. Megan’s rejection of the boy that she loves is the perfect muse for our story line hero, and with it comes the fame and notoriety of celebrity status and the fortunes of success…but jealousy, revenge and betrayal are accomplices to Johnny’s fall from grace- a fall that is triggered by someone from his past.

POET OF THE WRONG GENERATION is an astonishing and profound story; a unique look at one man’s climb to the top only to be destroyed by someone else’s greed, ambition, and need for retribution and revenge; a story of forbidden love between two people whose lives will be destroyed by resentment, the hunger for power, and a need to control. Lonnie Ostrow’s POET OF THE WRONG GENERATION is a masterpiece of literary fiction for today’s generation and the next. Make POET OF THE WRONG GENERATION your next go-to read and enjoy!

Show More...

 



What a soulful emotional and beautiful story! Music themed romances are one of our favourites, though all too often we find the focus weighs heavily on the sex and romance factor of the story, missing the all-important music ‘feel‘ we crave from this theme. As much as we love the romance, we equally hunger the musical aspect; we want to live in the moment, breathe in the enthusiasm and experience the inspiration and the atmosphere behind the scenes.

And on that note, we can declare Lonnie Ostrow’s Poet of a Wrong Generation, a fictional love story between a rock star and the woman who would always claim his heart, set in New York and peppered with real events that shaped our lives delivered with a musical landscape that spoke to our hearts and it was everything we could possibly desire. A real, raw, compelling and heartbreakingly emotional story that at times read like a memoir.


“Perfection is a myth. It just doesn’t exist, unless we accept each other for who we are and what we’ve been through. Love and understanding, it’s the closest we’ll come to reaching it.”


If you’ve ever been inspired by a love song, if a songwriters words have ever spoken directly to you, if you’ve ever felt so overcome with emotion watching your favourite singer/band bringing their words to life in concert, then THIS story is for you. Lonnie Ostrow has spectacularly, truthfully, intensely and vividly captured the heart and soul of a musician with his beautiful words and stunning writing.


For one breathtaking moment, two tortured, wandering souls had rediscovered a common spiritual bond.’


If you’re looking for a sex, drugs and rock and roll romance with a self-destructive hero you won’t find it here but what you will experience is a soulful story of a love that refused to die, of a sensitive, talented man whose meteoric rise to fame was inspired by pain, heartbreak and lost love and for whom, fame would come at a price.


It’s August 1991 when we meet 22 year old Johnny Elias; a sensitive, poetic young man whose sole existence revolves around his girlfriend Megan. Johnny, together with Megan, his best friend Andy and Andy’s girlfriend, Jacqui, are enjoying the Paul Simons free concert in Central Park. They have a life full of endless possibilities before them, yet neither could foresee the twist their lives would take after that day, both good and bad.


“Remember: life isn’t calculated in years and days. It’s measured in moments.”


After being hurt and betrayed by Megan following a miscommunication, theirs would be a break up which would see Johnny pen some of the most beautifully evocative, relevant and wistful songs that would launch his career into stratospheric proportions, with critics declaring him the ‘Dylan of his generation.’ In a market swamped with techno and nonsense pop songs, Johnny struck a chord with his meaningful lyrics. Having been signed by Highpeak records, Johnny quickly rose to fame until a bitter cruel manipulation saw him fighting for survival in the fickle music scene

“The boy you walked away from – the one scribbling in a poetry notebook – he’s become a man with this crazy career.”

Poet of the Wrong Generation at its heart is Johnny’s story. Despite having everything he could want materially, all Johnny craved was stability, love and someone to share in his success. It’s a story of strength, friendship loyalty and love, of a man who never lost sight of who he was, who retained his dignity in the face of continual betrayal. One betrayal would see him rise above and pour his heart out in lyrics, another would shatter his confidence, his world and his heart.

“You were my support system. My reason to believe that life could actually mean something besides endless transition…”

We did find Megan irritating at first and wanted to shake some sense into her, though we knew her actions were not out malice, but merely a young girl still trying to find herself and assert her independence against her strong willed, manipulative and cruel mother.
We devoured this book and everything about it felt so real… A gut wrenching and beautifully outstanding story.

Show More...

 



Poet of The Wrong Generation opens with a poet's lament: specifically, that of Johnny Elias, who faces disillusionment after a whirlwind of luck has propelled him from a life as a directionless poet to a megastar and back in the blink of two-years.
Show More...In 1991, Johnny is a Brooklyn college student in love and filled with big dreams for his future. He views the world (and his love) with rose-colored glasses; but her mother's pragmatic assessment of his pros and cons and ability to be the kind of partner she wishes for her daughter leads to some heartless decisions about their relationship which ironically spins Johnny into the very limelight he'd seemed destined to never reach.

As lovers and friends spiral around an elusive definition of success, the seeming pinnacles of achievement in life, and a meteoric rise and fall that will carry them both on a wave of many changes, Poet of The Wrong Generation brings its readers along for a roller coaster ride through poems and songs, successes and failures, and epic decisions that alter the course of life.

Plenty of stories revolve around success and failure; but few are able to capture the subtler nuances of life decisions and changes through the eyes of various protagonists who have different perspectives on life's wealth and how to grasp it.

This juxtaposition of experience, tied to song lyrics and a struggle to represent the empowering language and experience of those in Johnny's life, makes for a compelling read filled with depth, music insights, nostalgia, and the motivations of lovers, parents, friends and all whose lives intersect in his journey.

Alluring and engrossing, Poet of the Wrong Generation's saga of the costs of achievement and the promises of love will attract and hold any fiction reader interested in more than a casual probe of love's evolution in the face of life's greatest obstacles and successes....Show Less

 



My rating 5/5

My verdict  

I have read plenty of foreign books but this novel is the best of them all because of the attachment I had with the characters. They felt very real. Even though to me New York is a country that I haven’t visited yet, through this novel I was able to arm chair travel while reading the book. As this is a 462 pages long book, without my knowledge, I was fully absorbed by the sentiments of the main protagonists.This book came as a breath of fresh air to me. I have read so many novels written by foreign authors, but I was rarely attached to any of the characters displayed in the novel. Poet of the wrong generation is such a unique book that left me flabbergasted in each and every chapter. It was a thrilling experience for me to find out what is going to happen next.

There was never a dull moment in the book. I kept on turning pages and pages. It made me like every chapter of the novel. But the main put off for me was how did both Johny and Megan fell madly in love with each other in the first place. But still I loved the book as the book was very fast moving making me forget this flaw and all. The book is a great entertainer. I haven’t read this kind of novel by a foreign author ever if I have to recall when I was studying my bachelor’s degree, I read one novel by Deborah Smith, but this novel is the best . Hence, I thank author Lonnie Ostrow for generously providing me a copy of this wonderful book for me to review. It was an absolute joy reading this book.

The novel is set in 90’s. It is a betrayal love story. What if your lover one day turned you down. It will hurt you badly if you loved them honestly. This novel is about the source which made Megan Price daughter of New York’s most powerful PR woman to ditch her faithful and loyal partner, Johny and the reasons why she did it..

People who have read this novel before me may dislike Megan’s villainous mom but I didn’t because she wanted to make her daughter’s life much easier. This doesn’t make her villainous at all. She thought the best life she can gift her daughter is by separating her from Johny. I firmly agree with her. As a mother she wanted to give the best to her children. It doesn’t make her bad. Not only mothers, even the fathers are like that. Every parent not only in foreign countries, even in India, parents are like that. Above all, which parent wants their daughter to divorce her husband at a young age and marry multiple partners or be proud of her children living a lonely , melancholy life..All parents wish is that their children to enjoy a blissful married life. Who knew Katherine price's perceived notion will backfire?

Please do not think it is my hate for Johny that makes me like Katherine Price. He is a nice guy.It is just that he didn’t have a decent job ( he was just a college student) to support Megan in the beginning. This triggered Katherine’s egoistic nature. Thus I enjoyed Johny’s success as a songwriter and singer. If Megan didn’t ditch him he wouldn’t have become a rock star. So thank God for that.

The sudden twists and turns of events in the novel made me sad, angry, happy and shocking. The ending part was very romantic. I didn’t expect such an ending. Money doesn’t buy happiness is a strong message that the readers will learn via this novel because of this reason, it deserves a place in everyone’s household. We learn about Johny’s success and failure and everything in the book especially the readers after reading the book may start pitying the celebrities. We learn the true meaning of life through Megan and Johny’s love story. Be prepared to find out spookily accurate meaning of life.

My rating 5/5

My verdict

After a long time I am giving a fiction book 5/5 rating so that says it. The highlight of the book is all the poems found in it. So hats off to author Lonnie Ostrow for all the hard work put into publishing this marvelous novel.

Excerpts from the book

" You trust me, Meg?" Seeing her nod , he pressed on, "Have I ever given reason to doubt me?"-Johny

What do ya mean?I trust you more than anyone. You know that. Why'd you ask?

"If you're asking if men intimidate me, no. Except for my soon-to-be-ex-husband, I get on fine with every guy I've ever known. As long as we mesh musically, I'm cool."-Lauren

"Get up, you spoiled princess!" He moved around her in a raging semi-circle." Quit being damn' useless!"-Gerry

She took a volunteer job working part-time with battered woman. Other people's problems
were surely easier to solve than her own- Megan

Show More...

 

"Eloquently written song lyrics highlight this successful novel by Lonnie Ostrow. His paean to the music industry and true love is a compelling read. This is a classic tale of star-crossed lovers. Johnny’s up-and-down career is the thing great novels are built on.

 

10 Statements – Lonnie Ostrow

Lonnie Ostrow has been an innovator, storyteller, promoter and celebrity-insider for more than two decades. With Poet Of The Wrong Generation, he combines all his unique experiences to bring you a novel of love & betrayal, music & fanfare, downfall & redemption — a fable of stardom’s rewards, set in New York City during the 1990s.

Since 2001, Mr. Ostrow has been the publicity/ marketing director & researcher for the iconic best-selling novelist Barbara Bradford. He also serves as an editorial and marketing consultant for a collection of first-time authors through The Editorial Department. Previously he served as a PR executive, promoting an assortment of first-time celebrity authors including Ray Manzarek of The Doors.

From 1995 – 2001, Mr. Ostrow was widely credited with inventing the “living celebrity postal phenomenon.” In all, he worked with more than 40 legendary personalities, creating media events to celebrate their postal recognition by an assortment of foreign nations.

 

Find me…

Pre-order link(s):  books2read.com/u/bMGpL5
Author website:  www.LonnieOstrow.com
Publisher Website:  www.HarmonyRiverPress.com

My personal motto:“And when the words from deep inside me don’t garner fair contemplation I’m the self appointed poet of the wrong generation.”

10 STATEMENTS

  1. A typical work day begins with… a 5am wake-up alarm. I work a full-time job in Manhattan each day. And I have two kids in school who need to be woken up and put on the bus. My wife is out the door by 6am. I’m on a train by 7:30 after the kids are picked up. If I’m lucky, I get in 40 minutes of writing, editing, or correspondence between my shower and organizing the kids. I’m also quite adept at blocking out the noise on the LIRR (train) and getting some writing done during my commute.
  2. I lose track of time late at night, especially on the weekends when I don’t have to be up with an early alarm. If I’m locked in on writing, or polishing my work, I can work on through to sunrise without realizing the time. These are precious hours when my kids are asleep and the phone doesn’t ring. If on on-a-roll, there’s no time for clock-watching.
  3. I have always… been determined to become a published author. Going back to the 4th grade, I was writing short stories at school for extra credit. Mind you, they weren’t my best work, but they helped to offset my struggles in math and science. In college, I worked on the school newspaper. There was no greater thrill than seeing my bi-line next to an article that I had contributed. In subsequent years, I wrote for newspapers, magazines and websites. But all throughout, I’ve always remained determined to see a novel with my name out on the front cover.
  4. I have never… given up on the idea of seeing my debut novel come to fruition. Poet Of The Wrong Generation is a story that I originally penned back in 2002. It took four months to write and two years to edit. Then came the search for a literary agent. That was a grueling process in which rejection came often. It took two years to land an agent, another year of revision to satisfy her editing requests. And then… quite a few setbacks, both personally and professionally. I put this project on hold numerous times over the past 14 years. But alas, my insistence on never giving up has resulted in sweet publication.
  5. Home means to me… wherever my wife and kids happen to be. Communities change. Technology is constantly changing. Even professions can change unexpectedly. But having the support and love of your family enables you to endure every storm that life throws at you. Mind you, my wife would be quick to respond that my computer desk here at our house is my home base. That’s usually where she and my kids will find me, typing away, or trying to concentrate on my next project.
  6. I am inspired by… the endurance of the legendary musical heroes of my youth. I’m blown away at how many of the artists I grew up listening to as a kid are still out on the road, performing at a high level and filling arenas and stadiums. Just this past summer, my wife and I saw first-rate shows by Paul Simon, Paul McCartney, the J. Geils Band and Jeff Lynne’s ELO. These musicians have nothing to prove at this late stage in their careers. And yet they continue to keep themselves in performing shape and defy logic by putting forth energized shows for generations of fans. It’s so heartwarming to witness.
  7. I would like to meet… As a celebrity publicist and marketing professional for over 20 years, I’ve had the unique opportunity to meet just about all of my boyhood heroes. I got to work with Bob Dylan, Bob Hope, Jackie Chan, Sylvester Stallone, David Copperfield, Elle Macpherson and The Bee Gees. In a few instances, my encounters exceeded expectations. Some celebrity collaborations proved something of a let-down. But there is nothing more refreshing than seeing an all-time legend doing ordinary, everyday things like cooking breakfast, or running a local errand. So often we forget that they are human just like you and me. Seeing them in real-life moments is reassuring.
  8. My worst character trait… I’m terrible at saying NO. No matter how much work I have facing me, I’m always saying yes to friends, family and neighbors when they ask for favors. Because of my skills in writing, graphic design and video editing, there is always someone asking me to fit them in for a “little project” that often is anything but little. And I always find a way to get it done, even at the expense of the precious few hours of sleep that so often elude me.
  9. My best character trait… My wife calls it hyper-focus. I’m easily distracted in my day-to-day life. I’m juggling my full-time job, editing and book marketing for authors, graphic design projects, video shoots, social media marketing, and of course my own work. But when I’m nearing a deadline, this intense focus kicks in and I’m virtually unstoppable in getting it completed. I sometimes amaze myself at how it all comes together under such time constraints. Especially given how distracted I can be when I’m not locked in.
  10. The best advice I was given…Don’t be afraid to cut some of your best writing if the content isn’t truly necessary.” This was advice came from my esteemed editor, Jeannette De Beauvoir. She attributed this suggestion to William Faulkner who referred to it as “Killing your darlings.” It’s a painful lesson in some ways. Writers often tend to fall in love with a well-written sentence or paragraph. Then comes the editing. And occasionally, a terrifically clever phrase, or idea is redundant in the storytelling. Don’t fight the urge to let it go. No matter how exceptional the lines in question may be, if they are holding up the flow of your storytelling, you need to hit DELETE and move on.

poet-book-cover-flat

 

“It’s not that I don’t love you, and my tears are yet to dry. But you can’t go back and forth forever and we’ve already said goodbye.”

Through these words, a young poet unearths his musical soul while severing ties with the woman he loves after her stunning betrayal. Unknowingly, in writing this ballad of liberation, he will soon evolve as one of the fastest rising stars on the pop music landscape.

The year is 1991; the place, New York City. Here we meet Johnny Elias, a college student from Brooklyn with boundless adoration for two things in life: timeless popular music, and the heart of a sweet, complicated young woman who is clearly out of his league.

Megan Price not only is the object of Johnny’s affection, but also the only daughter of New York’s most powerful PR woman: the indomitable Katherine Price.

Projecting that her daughter’s boyfriend will never live up to the family standard, Katherine cleverly perpetrates a series of duplicitous schemes to rid Johnny from her high-class world. But in her callous disregard, she inadvertently sets him on a determined course to his improbable musical destiny – while sending her own daughter spiraling down a path of devastation.

Poet of the Wrong Generation tells the symmetrical story of a lovable underdog and his meteoric rise to stardom, his humiliating downfall and his unprecedented attempt to reclaim his place as the unlikely musical spokesman for his generation. At the heart of Poet is a tale of star-crossed lovers and their struggle with unforeseen success and disillusionment, in an attempt to rediscover lasting harmony.

Uniquely integrating a variety of original song compositions, Poet projects the epic clash between true contentment and the fable of stardom’s rewards; a nostalgic journey through the major events of the 1990s, with a cherished cast of characters and a stunningly unpredictable conclusion.

Show More...