This was a DNF for me. I love books set in Appalachia, especially if there is a hint of magical realism. But this was just too disjointed for me.

There's a lot of potential and a fascinating story even if I wasn't a huge fan of the storytelling
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I tried, I really did, but I eventually decided to DNF at 36% which I only just realised was a couple of chapters away from the end of Book 1. I could push myself further, but the thing is, I never grew to care about any of the characters, or their story tragic it might be. I had absolutely no emotional connection, and for me, as a reader, that's important. I think it's the writing style that made me very detached from the story, because there are some very powerful moments that I thought should have a bigger impact on me. There is loss and pain and depression and music. And a lot of questions left unanswered. The pace felt inconsistent, sometimes things moved too fast and we never got enough details, or too slow with more details than would have been necessary. Not even talking about the time jumps. I also wanted to be more immersed in the culture, and the setting, but there were only bare bones, just enough to give us an idea, but never fully explored.

Now, I understand that The Ballad of Falling Rock is supposed to follow 3 generations of a family, with all of the stories, music, and trauma that entails, and believe me, there is plenty of trauma to work through here. And I would have been on board with that, because I find family histories fascinating, especially if it involves music - and that's why I decided to read this book in the first place. I'm sorry that the execution didn't deliver. It's maybe because I had different expectations, this book is way heavier than I expected, even if I did expect some extent of tragedy, because you know, musicians and we know a lot of them lead hard lives, but wow, this book was bleak even for me. And I'm used to reading grimdark fantasy.

Anyway, The Ballad of Falling Rock wasn't my kind of book after all, but hopefully, it'll find its audience still.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

The Ballad of Falling Rock is a family saga that covers a lot of touching and important topics which I really enjoyed. The music aspect to if was cool too and the overall setting was cozy. I feel like this would've been nice material for a mini TV show or something like that.

In the beginning everything was a bit confusing as too many characters were introduced at once but as soon as I got used to them it was a nice read.

I'm actually not entirely sure I know what exactly I read. But it was well written. And I am curious about other books the author has read.

The Ballad of Falling Rock is a multi-generational story of the Crabtree family, centring primarily around their relationship with music, singing, and religion, and the conflicts created between those passions. It also contains some supernatural and mythical elements.

The first half of the book focuses on Saul, a gifted singer. The frequent changes of place and character, together with the introduction of a significant amount of information in this section made it difficult to take everything in and fully engage with the plot. As a result, I found it difficult initially to connect with the characters.

The second half follows Saul’s grandson Eli in his teenage years, as he struggles with his relationship with music and strives to learn more about the family history that has been hidden from him. This section was focused more fully on Eli as a main character, which allowed the reader more insight into his perspectives and personality. I enjoyed this more than the first section, particularly seeing how patterns within the family and in their home repeated themselves throughout generations.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Dnf at 40%

I really wanted this story to work for me, i love music, and I love family stories. Unfortunately, it was not for me. I noticed that i could hardly follow what was happening, who was who, and what the real storyline was. I also couldn't really understand what made the characters the way they were. This made it really hard for me to continue. I still tried to give it a shot, but at 40%, I was so lost and not enjoying the reading at all. It did not help that the focus was a lot on religion, and not a lot on the music. Very sorry to say that this book did not do it for me. Perhaps, if you love religion, and you really sit for this book, to figure out the details, it might be a good fit for you.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review.

I finished reading this book about a week ago and it’s taken a long time to ponder it before I could write a review. In some respects, it’s lyrical, well written and an unusual, multi ethnic family saga. It’s also two novellas joined by a bizarre short story.

Author, Jordan Dotson, introduces too many characters too fast. This is further complicated by the fact that the locations are also changed very frequently which creates instability for both the characters and readers. Much of the storyline is dark with mystical elements that never fit right. Add to that the sickness, death, “haunted” house, poverty and this is a tough read.

Old and classic hymns are used throughout both stories along with a few folk songs that will be recognized by those familiar with genre listeners. Some information about old jukeboxes and classic guitars was interesting but minimally explored.

That’s how I felt about most of the book; lots of introductions without much exploration or development; terribly misleading from the publisher’s blurb📚

I have to say that I very rarely DNF books. But I just couldn't get through this one. I stopped at around half the book.

This just wasn't for me. I couldn't follow the story, because it was very 'all over the place'. In addition to that it was way too much talk about religion and church for my taste. I thought it would be more about the music.

I can't even say that it is neccessarily a bad book but it just definetly wasn't for me. Maybe I just didn't get it.

Thanks to NetGalley and BHC Group for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I feel very conflicted about this book. I really struggled with the first few chapters. I was both charmed and frustrated by the author's style of introducing characters that would be unnamed extras in a movie. Background people just setting the scene. It felt fun at first, but for me, it began to obscure the story. I wasn't sure what thread to follow until I finally just lost the thread completely. But because I was also charmed by the mini-portraits of these people Dotson painted so beautifully, I kept reading hoping it would all come clear. And it did. Whew. I got invested in Saul's journey, although I was still confused as to why he was seen as evil by the town. Maybe I missed that part.

I finally gave up when I got to the newspaper article that appeared on my Kindle as a single line of vertical type, one letter at a time one below the other. Now, I like a challenge, and was okay with decoding it for the headline, but when I realized it went on for pages, I called it quits. Much as I'd like to know how Saul's story turns out, I just didn't have the stamina to go on. I thought about just skipping that chapter, but there are so many other books to read, I just decided to move on,

I'll keep this on the radar and take a look at it in print maybe. OR, if there's a way to get a better version of this that has the article in there properly, I'll be glad to finish and review it. I'll not post this publically as I am fairly sure it's a technical issue. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

This book was so much all at once. It worked in some ways: multigenerational story, cultural elements, a hint of mysticism, quick movement that always left you unsettled. It also didn’t work: the shifts were so ambiguous you caught up pages later, very little found resolution. I loved elements and having to think as I read, but it won’t be a re-read for me.

I was drawn to this title due to the subject matter but did not connect to the writer’s voice or style and found it hard to get lost in the story. As a music lover, I found this unfortunate and disappointing.

Words… what words could I possibly bring forth to really describe this book… I read voraciously, most genres, across different time periods, and yet very few books have hit me as hard as this one…

I constantly felt as if I was sitting by the fire pit, listening intently to a storyteller spinning the tale of Falling Rock, the Crabtree family, a blue crystal locket, and a song…

I cannot remember the last book that made me smile, laugh, worry, hold my breath, and feel like my heart would break…

Dotson’s way with words is absolutely breathtaking. I can hear the characters and feel the music.
This is a must read book, without doubt.

BHC Press provided an early galley for review.

Broken into two "books", the first half runs from the late 1930's into the early 1950's. Dotson does a wonderful job giving the prose and the dialogue a very time-appropriate feel and sound. He takes an old-time melodic and very poetic approach here that is very fitting. I felt it had that classic literature vibe to it.

The second half, starting in 1988, reads in a more contemporary voice. Again, it fits with the portion of the story being told. The fact that Dotson can switch those narrative style gears and continue to keep an engaging story moving forward speaks well of his writing abilities.

Of course, at the heart of this supernatural-tinged tale is a family of several generations that the reader gets to know across the novel. Most readers will be very engaged and eager to know what is really going on. My only quibble is that several of the character names are very similar, which might provide a hint of confusion for a reader who isn't taking in the tale with care.

I’m worried that any review I make about this book will never do it justice. This was the most beautiful story ever written about the saddest song ever sung. I was taken on a journey across generations where love, family and music; however complicated, overpowered all else.

The character development and incredible imagery felt like I was living along with the Crabtree family. I experienced heartache, anger, hope, and joy while embarking on this journey with Saul, Lee and Eli. This is the first book that I have taken to my dreams with me and the characters have solidified a place in my heart. I will compare my experience in reading this to that of those within the novel hearing the generational tales as I will carry this with me for a long time. Music has held a high place amongst my family and to feel the passion and devastation in the risk of music being lost was such a powerful feeling.

Jordan Dotson has a true gift, much like the main characters in this novel. It reads like poetry and I cannot wait for this book to release because I will be buying numerous copies. This is the first novel where I have highlighted SEVERAL quotes because they were absolutely beautiful.

I am absolutely blown away at this being my first ARC review and I am grateful for the author and publisher.