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    One Hit Wonder
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    One Hit Wonder
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    One Hit Wonder
    Ebook429 pages5 hours

    One Hit Wonder

    By Charlie Carillo

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Carillo has an easy way with breezy prose and likeable characters. –Publishers Weekly

    From the acclaimed author of Raising Jake comes the hilarious, heartfelt story of a former pop star who goes back to his roots--to answer the age-old question,"Whatever happened to. . .?"

    Back in the Eighties, Mickey DeFalco was America's teenage heartthrob with spiky gelled hair, slanted sideburns, and a number-one hit single--"Sweet Days"--a sappy love song he wrote after his high school sweetheart, Lynn Mahoney, broke his heart. Now approaching middle age, Mickey is lucky to land a singing gig at a bar mitzvah. So the one-hit wonder-boy is making a different kind of comeback--returning to his old stomping grounds in Queens, living with his parents, and sleeping in his childhood bed. Just like in high school. And speaking of blasts from the past, Lynn is also back in town--as beautiful, beguiling, and baffling as ever. . .

    Sometimes life can feel like a broken record. But even a one-hit wonder deserves a second chance.



    "A superb comic novelist. . .hilarious and truthful."--Sally Jenkins

    Queens-born Charlie Carillo is the acclaimed author of My Ride with Gus and Raising Jake. He worked at the New York Post as a journalist for many years, and now divides his time between New York City and London, England, where he works as an independent television producer.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherKensington Books
    Release dateOct 1, 2010
    ISBN9780758261724
    Unavailable
    One Hit Wonder
    Author

    Charlie Carillo

    Queens-born Charlie Carillo was a reporter and a columnist for the New York Post before becoming a producer for the TV show “Inside Edition.” His first novel, Shepherd Avenue, was named a Notable Book of the Year by the American Library Association in 1986. He is also the author of My Ride with Gus, Raising Jake, One Hit Wonder, Found Money, God Plays Favorites and The Man Who Killed Santa Claus: A Love Story.   Charlie now divides his time between New York City and London, England, where he works as an independent television producer. He is a frequent contributor to the Huffington Post. Visit his website at www.charliecarillo.co.

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    Reviews for One Hit Wonder

    3.5/5

    14 ratings13 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Charlie Carillo’s, One Hit Wonder, is a “light read” meant for readers who like to be entertained. With that thought in mind, maybe I am not the best person to review this book. I like a book that makes one think; a work that invites a person to get involved intellectually, philosophically, aesthetically or on a comedic level (i.e., David Sedaris makes you laugh, while simultaneously making you think about life and its inane qualities, etc.). Carillo does have the ability to write a story. However, his methodology is not for me. I find that some writers can successfully write about love, tragedy and the human experience, making it as believable as it is unbelievable. While others, do not possess that quality. That is the problem with Carillo’s novel. Despite the fact that it is filled with real life coincidences, connections and brutality, it feels superficial. Worse, it is predictable. Predictability combined with a large degree of affectation, makes for an insipid read. Potential readers should bear Carillo’s approach in mind when deciding whether or not to read this book, or any book.
    • 2/5
      Mickey DeFalco is a washed-up has-been, a true one-hit wonder. He left his Bronx family as a teenager to seek fame in LA when the song he wrote after his high school sweetheart broke up with him became a hit. He made it work as long as possible, but 20 years later he’s broke, unemployed, and out of options. It’s time to go home. Back living with his parents he discovers that his old girlfriend Lynn is also back home – maybe he can rekindle the love he hasn’t been able to leave behind. One Hit Wonder is a sweet book about a man who hasn’t quite grown up. He’s a bit of a slacker with no plan and no skills. He’s not a bad guy, he just needs to focus. His parents are doting but also a little wiser than they seem on the surface. His dad understands him like Mickey never thought possible, and his mom isn’t quite the naïf he’s always imagined her to be. The book was an easy read and a fun (if clichéd) snapshot of a changing Bronx neighborhood. The neighborhood is filled with the Italian and Irish families from Mickey’s childhood and we get a good sense of Mickey’s early years. The main sour note for me was Mickey’s sweetheart Lynn. Her character isn’t as robust as the others – does she still have a thing for Mickey or not? It’s impossible to tell until she makes a move – there’s no foreshadowing of her changes of heart. Her behavior is unpredictable, her motivations unknown (not only to the reader but seemly to Mickey too). Why does Mickey even bother? She’s just not that interesting. And though most of the book is sweet and light-hearted, the story takes a dark (but not unexpected) turn in the last 30 pages or so. Though I anticipated the general nature of Lynn’s past secrets, the depth of depravity was a bit much. Carillo hits us over the head repeatedly with a sledgehammer when a couple of taps with a ball peen would have sufficed. And the subplot is ridiculously unbelievable and completely unnecessary.So generally One Hit Wonder is an easy, entertaining, diversionary read, with some serious flaws. This was my first Charlie Carillo book and I won’t be picking up any of his previous books and I'll donate my copy this one to the library instead of passing it on to a friend.
    • 4/5
      Wonderful book, can't wait to read more by him. It was nice to get the story of a relationship from a mans view. Well written, loved how the relationship with Mickey's mom and dad expanded and grew as he matured. I became attached to the characters, Charlie Carillo could could have written another book just telling the story from Lynn's side of the relationship.
    • 2/5
      If this book had not come from early reviewers, I wouldn't have finished it. The characters seemed flat and unbelivable. I was suprised that Mickey got out of any repercussions in the deaths of Billy and Robin. I had it figured why Lynn ran away early on in the book but was suprised that she was also responsible for crippling her father. Lynn and Mickey due seem to belong together. When Mickey takes responsiblilty for a baby that is not his, it's supposed to show how far he has come towards "growing up", but the baby also comes with it's own fortune-was it really that big of a decision for shallow Mickey? I just didn't care for this book. I really did think I would like from the decription!
    • 5/5
      As a teenager, Mickey DeFalco hit the big time with a sweet love song he wrote after his girlfriend ran away from home with no warning. Now it's twenty years later and Mickey has hit rock bottom - he's broke, a failure, and back in his old bedroom at his parent's house in Brooklyn. He's even got his old job back of mowing lawns. Surprisingly though, Lynn, the girl who left him heartbroken all those years ago, is also back in town caring for her ailing mother. Will Mickey be given a second chance at love, or was he truly a one hit wonder?I thoroughly enjoyed this book and didn't want to put it down. It's told from Mickey's point of view in both the present day and a series of flashbacks. MIckey doesn't make the best decisions in his life, but he's overall a pretty decent guy and has a wonderfully sarcastic, wisecracking voice that gives the story plenty of humor. There are tender moments too, as we see Mickey finally growing up and re-establishing his relationship with his parents and with Lynn. While there is love in it, I wouldn't classify it as a romance, but rather that genre of guy-lit that you find with authors like Tom Perrotta or Nick Hornby. You'll end up feeling good after reading One Hit Wonder.
    • 4/5
      After making a bundle off of a popular song he wrote twenty years ago, Mickey DeFalco’s like is a shambles. DeFalco is mowing lawns for a living and living with his parents. This quirky protagonist is sympathetic and realistic. Parts of the plot, especially some of the flashbacks, can be a bit difficult to follow, but all in all, One Hit Wonder is an enjoyable read.
    • 2/5
      A fast and funny read from the man's point of view about a boy who writes an instant hit song and goes to California to make his fortune. His high school sweetheart left town before these events and has been gone twenty years. They both return to their home town after all this time and start seeing each other again. The characters however didn't have much substance and the ending was almost predictable but a book you still have to finish to find out what happens.
    • 2/5
      Mickey DeFalco had a number one hit rock 'n roll hit when he was just a kid. He wrote it about Lynn Mahoney, the girl down the street, the love of his teenaged life who ran away with no explanation just as they were getting together. Now, many years later, he is homeless and sleeping on a beach on the coast that decided he was a "one hit wonder". He gets home to his parent's house using his smarmy wiles and who should be back in town? Yes, Lynn has returned to take care of her invalid mother. The resolution to this storyline is pretty much what you would expect with even the "shocker" at the end not really that shocking. Carillo writes well but the story isn't really appealing. If you are looking for trite romance about thirty-somethings rekindling their teen love, this is it.
    • 4/5
      Imagine breaking up with your girlfriend and then writing a song about it that becomes a number one hit, all while your still a teen. That's just what happened with Mickey DeFalco, he was the true one hit wonder, with his number one song "Sweet Days" a love song he wrote after he broke up with his high school sweetheart Lynn. The song became an instant success and he was able to ride on the success from the song for almost 20 years. Now down on his luck, out of money, he decides to go back home to New York, and move back in with his parents. Turns out Lynn is back in the old neighborhood as well. Will he have a chance at second love, with his old high school flame, who he never really forgot?This was my first time reading anything by Charlie Carillo, and I was pleasantly surprised at the story. While it started out a bit slow for me, once I got into the story I became totally hooked and was anxious to see how the story would play out. Several little sub-plots added depth to the story allowing us to see the flaws of the characters making them seem more realistic. There were some laugh out loud moments for me, but there was also some points that were very emotional as well. A story about second chances at love and the affects of the choices we make. If you like a story that is a love story/ comedy, with some serious moments rolled in the mix then you just might enjoy "One Hit Wonder". I for one am interested in reading some of this authors other work.
    • 3/5
      All of us wonder what it's like to be a musician with a top song. At one time or another we've sat around and thought whatever happened to such and such who sang that song? This book is one take on the life of a singer with one hit. As a reader you get to know Mickey as a singer and as a person. He's always got a story for some present day memory. The author captures small town life well and in a way makes the town Mickey's from another character in the book. I do feel the stereotypical pop star was possibly exploited a bit within the book, but overall the book is written well. Definitely some plot twists I didn't see coming. Any kid from a small town tries to move on to bigger and better things. Not everyone is able to and eventually has no choice but to come home and hope life in a small town isn't too bad. This book highlights how coming back home can help with closure and possibly open up new opportunities.
    • 5/5
      Blurb: Back in the Eighties, Mickey DeFalco was America's teenage heartthrob with spiky gelled hair, slanted sideburns, and a number-one hit single -- "Sweet Days" -- a sappy love song he wrote after his high school sweetheart, Lynn Mahoney, broke his heart. Now approaching middle age, Mickey is lucky to land a singing gig at a bar mitzvah. So the one-hit wonder-boy is making a different kind of comeback -- returning to his old stomping grounds in Queens, living with his parents, and sleeping in his childhood bed. Just like in high school. And speaking of blasts from the past, Lynn is also back in town -- as beautiful, beguiling, and baffling as ever...Sometimes life can feel like a broken record. But even a one-hit wonder deserves a second chance.What Stephanie Thought: Oh, be still, my beating heart. Want to be swept away with charm, the kind we haven't seen since recluses like J.D. Salinger or S.E. Hinton? Want to laugh until your lungs ache, or giggle like a schoolgirl? Then read One Hit Wonder. Funny, poignant, and unforgettable, One Hit Wonder joins the leagues of my "favorites" shelf. And not only because Mickey DeFalco is my newest character crush either.Charlie Carillo writes in easy prose that doesn't take too much effort to enjoy. But rather than his writing style that is made prominent in this novel, it's the characters he creates that really shine. Even the supporting characters, even the antagonists -- the "villains" -- are made likable. Not in a way where I wish the attention is taken away from Mickey, but in a way that I want to meet ALL of them in real life. No one can describe heartbreak better than a heartbroken man. And Mickey DeFalco was heartbroken twenty years ago; he still hasn't let go of the girl, though. Lynn Mahoney didn't just leave him -- she disappeared. Everything had been going fine between her and Mickey, but she just vanished. Thus Mickey composed a song, a song only a girl like Lynn could appreciate, one that was heard by the wrong pair of ears and instantly made a #1 hit in the country. Mickey never asked for that kind of success, but with the numbness in his heart, he really couldn't tell the difference between fame and happiness.Twenty years later, his song is all but forgotten, but he's a broke man who's just lost his pool-cleaning job. The solution? To go live with his parents in his hometown -- the town where he lost Lynn Mahoney. I thought it was really interesting to really see what a one-hit wonder does after his success simmers. We all know of the ones from the eighties, and of the ones that are more recent. They're legends, but where are the physical people? One Hit Wonder gives a glimpse in the life of a former one-hit wonder, displaying how shockingly normal and uneventful it is.To Mickey's dear fright, Lynn Mahoney is back in Queens after all those years too -- finally. He attempts to rekindle the innocent childhood relationship they had, but she's more than reluctant, and Mickey's determined to find out why.Personal tragedy, loss, and misconception are all illustrated penetratingly in Carillo's novel, with plenty of wit and humor to spare. I think anyone will enjoy living the life of a celebrity who was once on top, then very abruptly fell to rock bottom.The only reason I'm not giving One Hit Wonder ten hearts is because some of it seems unrealistic. There are about fifteen random women Mickey describes having sex with throughout his lifetime. At first, it's pretty amusing, but I got weary of it quickly because his "game" got stale after the first five times he described it.Other than that, Carillo's One Hit Wonder is one of those books you'll start reading immediately after you finish it -- yes, it's that good.Stephanie Loves: "I played ["Sweet Days"] twice a day -- once at the early show, then again at the later one. The rest of my repertoire included songs my the Carpenters, Captain & Tennille, The Commodores...love songs, nothing but love songs, one more dreadful than the next.It was what was known in the business as an Insulin Set. You needed an injection of the stuff at the end of the night to prevent a diabetic coma from all those sugary sounds."Where Stephanie Got It: LibraryThing for review.Radical Rating: 9 hearts- One of my all-time favorites! ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
    • 4/5
      Surprisingly, this book was a little more involved than I thought it was going to be. It's the story of a man who wrote a song for a girl in high school and became a One Hit Wonder. However, his fame is long gone and he's forced to go back to his home town and live with his parents. My favorite interaction in the book was not surrounding the main character and his career, but his relationship with Lynn and her family. Lynn was not the stereotypical girl next door- she had a tough life and has a certain sadness to her that made their relationship appealing to me. I liked it overall.
    • 5/5
      Wow, this was a very entertaining book! I finished this off in 2 days. One of the best Early Reviewer books I have had the pleasure of reading!!!The story is about a has-been one hit wonder and all of the events surrounding his life. These life-events end up being quite crazy and entertaining - but somehow the author makes them seem plausible. I found myself turning the pages faster and faster to see how the main character was going to get himself out of each of these unbelievably strange and funny events. The characters were so well written - they seemed very believable as real people. I often wouldn't pass on a similar book to my husband (who is a very picky reader), but this one will be passed to him. And, I will continue to recommend this as an easy reading book to my friends. I think I will even look into reading some of the author's other works.