Full of “Mistakes,” Tyler McMahon’s novel still steals your attention

book-cover-how-the-mistakes-were-madeThe recent tale of a grunge-era Seattle act making the big time, How the Mistakes Were Made, might just be the latest in a string of involving, yet deeply-flawed novels about fictional musical acts. Author Tyler McMahon‘s book has a story that grabs you by the hand, and pulls you into the story of the Mistakes, as well as its drummer (and the story’s protagonist), Laura Loss.

Loss was the bass player for D.C. hardcore band in the early ’80s called Second Class Citizens. Their story is told in flashback chapters in between the story of how Laura meets a couple of kids from Montana, and they end up forming an instantly iconic band, called the Mistakes. The story is strong, and McMahon’s depictions of concerts and inner dialogue are stellar.
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