This is Not a Lie

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Pub Date 01 Apr 2021 | Archive Date 16 Nov 2022

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Description

In 1984, St Kilda is the heart and soul of Melbourne’s thriving music scene. Joel Reed, a brilliant young guitarist and songwriter, followed his sister Karen to the bohemian beachside suburb to chase his dream of becoming a rock star. On the surface, it seems like Joel has got it all together. He’s in an up-and-coming rock ‘n’ roll band and is surrounded by people who want to see him succeed. However, Joel is also a high-functioning heroin addict and closet homosexual. Desperately lonely and dangerously self-destructive, he hides his true self, lives a carefully constructed lie, lest he be discovered, outed, and shunned by the city’s legion of hard rock fans.

When the band is forced to audition for a new frontman, Joel’s world is turned upside down. Harry Engel, offbeat, charming, and disarmingly charismatic, walks into the rehearsal room to audition and rocks Joel’s carefully constructed world. Joel’s never met anyone like him before – and it’s not long before he falls in love. However, there’s no way he can tell Harry how he feels. There’s no way he can’t tell anyone how he feels. He can’t do anything to jeopardise the band’s success. And so, he lives the carefully constructed lie – until tragedy strikes and threatens end Joel once and for all.

In 1984, St Kilda is the heart and soul of Melbourne’s thriving music scene. Joel Reed, a brilliant young guitarist and songwriter, followed his sister Karen to the bohemian beachside suburb to chase...


Advance Praise

"Farrow’s writing is assured, her prose elegant, and the characterization first-rate. Her descriptive eye lends beauty and authenticity to the multilayered, complex narrative. Through Joel’s story, Farrow examines LGBT issues during 80s, substance abuse and drug addiction, the ramifications of one's actions, love, impulsiveness, and how the person one chooses to be with can impact not only one's own individuality but also the family and friends.

Farrow has crafted a devastating, thoroughly engrossing story."

"Farrow’s writing is assured, her prose elegant, and the characterization first-rate. Her descriptive eye lends beauty and authenticity to the multilayered, complex narrative. Through Joel’s story...


Available Editions

ISBN 9781913680039
PRICE A$9.04 (AUD)

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Average rating from 8 members


Featured Reviews

Joel is the lead singer of an up and coming rock band in the Australian music scene of 1984.  But his closeted lifestyle and heroin addiction may lead to the downfall of the band, as well as himself.   Farrow does a wonderful job of recreating the early '80's, from the heavy rock bands trying to make it big to the growing fear of the rapidly spreading AIDS virus.  While drug addiction is a major focal point, the homophobia depicted that was rampant at the time is truly heartbreaking.   Highly recommend.

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A beautifully written novel about friendship, music, addiction, love, hate, and being true to oneself. The characters were nuanced and wonderfully imperfect, I even found myself with tears in my eyes at the end.

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Wowser! Rounded up to 4.5 stars!

I was completely drawn into the story of Joel, founding member and guitarist in a band which is trying to secure a recording contract in the early 1980's. Joel is also a heroin addict and closet homosexual in an era when it was still stigmatised. He knows that for the band to have any chance of success he can't be outed as gay, but he's drawn to the band's new charismatic and talented front man, Harry Engels.

The music scene and the struggles of the band drip with authenticity. I can't comment on the drug usage but it certainly seemed authentic too. The ups and downs of Joel and the band and his long-suffering but dedicated sister, Karen, who is also the band's manager, absolutely hooked me.

I was rooting for this band and every step of the way!

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When I requested this book, I did not expect to be pulled in like that. Having read my fair share of hetero-band stories, I thought I knew what I would get. I could not have been more wrong. This book is intense. You can feel how personal this book this, how much effort the author put into this book. The book itself is written so uniquely, you can't help but stick to it. It will hit you right in the feels (it did so for me at least) and you might be needing a moment after reading this book. I have no words to properly say how much I enjoyed this book - even though I get sick of the female character who's trying to interfere with the gay couple. Considering the timeframe set for this book, I, however, can ignore it and still give this book five stars.

I received a free ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Oh my god. This is genuinely the only thing I can say after reading this amazing book. This is Not A Lie is an insanely thought provoking book penned to perfection & is quite poignant.

It is the story of the lead singer, Joel Reed, of a band, The Blackhearts. In the 1980s, being a member of the LGBTQ community was intensely frowned upon. And Joel couldn't really keep his attraction for Harry, a talented songwriter, clandestine.

The story navigates through the various struggles of Joel, Harry & the band as a whole. Joel's addiction to heroine & dependency on alcohol is not glamorized but, is shown in such a way that it touches the reader's heart & reminds them, that sometimes, even addicts have a life and career.

The novel had me hooked since the very beginning & I have to admit, I had this feeling of restlessness until I completed it. More than once, I found myself hoping against hope that Joel and the band get what they are striving for. Success and triumph.

I liked how the characters were flawed & sometimes, I abhorred them, especially Joel. But then again, these flaws in the characters are what helped in relating them to reality. The character development was phenomenal & the climax left me with a gigantic smile on my face.

I wouldn't really go into much detail otherwise I might spoil the book for most of you. But, what I will say, is that you NEED TO READ THIS. I will HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book.

(Ps. Can someone please sign this book for a TV Series? Pretty please?)

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It’s been a while since the last time I read about rock stars and heroin addiction and the messy music scene, but the feeling never changes—the helplessness, the anguish, the passion, all those things. I also appreciated the gruesome details of heroin addiction because it felt very real. It was not just a mean to make Joel look tall, dark and handsome, and it did not glorify addiction in any way (yes, I’m referring to the Afterword).

What I felt a little less was, sadly, the romance. I loved Joel, his torment and his intensity. He was a great character.
But I couldn’t connect with Harry. I liked him and his quirks, but I didn’t love him—he always felt too distant. For this very reason, I couldn’t see him fall for Joel. I know it happened and I know it was real, but the relationship—uhm, something about it was missing.
I think that it had something to do with the writing. The prose was beautiful, but sometimes the pace was off, and there was too much tell and not enough show. Also, I like continuity, so this first-third-first person POV thing didn’t work for me.

Still, I really liked the book and I stand with the author. Thank you for talking about this topic in a sensible way.

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This book deals with some heavy issues and personally, I think it did it well. It shows a lot of the nitty-gritty horror of addiction which might be a heavy topic to deal with for some readers. The relationship is there, but not as heavily as the addiction storyline is, really. Read for the characters first and the relationship as an afterthought.

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