This book is the prequel to the beautiful When the Saxman Plays series and so we follow a young Jason Bottelli and his journey to becoming a musician. Jason is as endearing as ever, and if anything is more vulnerable emotionally than we ever see him in the rest of the series. We see his brother, his mentor, Glenn, and other Fats regulars we will get to meet more in the following books. Everyone is in character and the dialogue is easy to follow. Most of the characters feel fleshed out; especially Jason’s adopted parents. It was interesting getting more of an insight into his personal life and why he becomes so independent. The plot flows and leads us nicely to when Jason decides to become a music teacher. There were some poignant scenes in the story, and nice aha moments. Some scenes felt too rushed and glossed over, especially with some time jumps in the narrative, but overall, it was an enjoyable read and we really get more insight into Jason’s life and personality.
I award 4 stars.
