Rockstarlet

Jackson Poole is a proudly gay 33 year old songwriter-musician, who has been relatively happy playing small gigs and taking life (and love) as it comes. That changes dramatically when his "big break" happens, and he gets a personal management team (who happen to be a gay couple) who see him as the next major teen idol and steer him toward the successful career of which he has only dreamed. One problem: You can't be yourself. Age 33? No, let's say you're 28, since 33 is too old to start out in "the biz." And you can't give any possible indication in public that you might be gay or even bisexual. Watch what you wear, your hand movements, practice your diction to avoid any hint of a lisp, never be seen with anyone who can be identified as gay, and let's have you start dating women. A small price to pay for stardom, isn't it? Or is it? How can you be sure that a trick or bitter ex-boyfriend, or even a former girlfriend who discovered you were gay, doesn't surface once you have achieved stardom, and ruin it all by selling their story to a tabloid? That's the gist of this first novel by Stewart Lewis, who conveys an "insider's" knowledge of the music business, although his bio states his background is actually in the theatre. The story's characters are realistic, if a bit shallow and predictable, and gives a clear look at the big business marketing pressures in the recording industry. The book brings the reader into the drama to identify with someone who feels forced into pretending to be someone he is not, a everyday reality for many gay men and women. Lots of celebrity name dropping, from the Rolling Stones to Oprah, more than a bit of a dig at tabloid journalism (including a rather amusing incident where a photo of Jackson kissing a man ... his brother ... ends up on the cover of the National Enquirer) and an ending that can be guessed by the second chapter of the book. An engaging light read, although some activist-oriented readers may be unhappy with the way Jackson justified his deceptions as necessary for his career. The book is well written, and recommended as a pleasant distraction.

Stewart Lewis' ROCKSTARLET introduces us to Jackson Poole, an up-and-coming pop star who struggles with whether or not to disclose his sexual identity in the face of intense public and private scrutiny. Readers will cheer Poole's courage and conviction as he faces his own demons and challenges his critics' notions of success and identity. Lewis' descriptions of Jackson's struggles are brilliant, and his comic timing is impeccable. ROCKSTARLET is a fun, sexy read!

Stewart Lewis' ROCKSTARLET is fast-paced, glamorous, and very funny. The narrator Jackson Poole is immediately lovable, and it is so nice to read a gay-themed story that is not depressing! I found myself reading passages aloud to my girlfriends... a sexy, honest, and inspiring read.