The BookNest: March 2021

**WARNING!!!! May Contain Spoiler Alerts!!**

Book Title: American Pop
Author: Snowden Wright
Format: Paperback (ARC)
Page Count/Location: 386 pages
Book Genre(s): family drama, fiction, historical fiction, realistic fiction, cultural-USA, location-USA

**Categories for Rating**
see post at my blog for rating system:
https://the-book-nest.blogspot.com/2021/01/book-review-template-2021.html

A. Characters: 8/9
B. Cover Art & Design: 9/9
C. Enjoyment: 7.5/8
D. Plot (Storyline): 8/8
E. Writing Style & Editing: 8/7.5
F. Variable: Genre, Relating (optional): 8/9

**Pros: Enjoyable, believable story, nice flow in/out of historical events in regards to how the family related to them and as a backdrop for the story. Characters had depth, and there were some societal taboos that came in to play, that added interest and intrigue to the overall book. Definite diversity between the characters, whether it was social background, race, sexual orientation, station in life and more.

**Cons: It sometimes got a little ... wordy ... even though I understood that it was the author's way of giving the "old Southern genteel" feel to the way the story was being told.

**Honorable Mentions: You could tell that the author did his homework not only in regards to the historical events, however also in regards to the rise of 'certain' soda companies ( ::cough cough:: ) and their falls, and using it as a sort of rivalry backdrop to the "sensation" of PanCola. At times it felt like I was actually reading non-fiction about Pepsi and/or Coca-Cola!!

**Memorable Quote(s):

His father pulled Branchwater into his arms and pressed his cheek against his son's hair. "Because both of you are my children. You and your brother. Don't you know that?" he said. "You can't choose who you love and neither can blood." He pushed his son's head back so he could look him directly in the eyes. "Blood doesn't make a family. Love does."

**Personal Like/Dislike: Again, my only real "gripe" was the wordiness, however I *do* understand why it was written that way and appreciate the effort the author took to try and inject a feel of authenticity for the time frame of the book. I don't think I'd want to read a bunch of "wordy" books, however once in a great while ... not a big problem.

**Does this book "fit in" to the genre(s) it's listed under? Yes, it does. Very much so.

**Final Notes: I had received this book as part of a giveaway via the publisher, about 2 years ago. I am glad I finally took the time to read it, and sorry that it had taken so long. I want to say, the cover art is wonderful and really gives a good feel for the story that is found on the pages in between. The author has a superb skill for description, and for helping you feel like you were there, observing it all first-hand. While I am not a fast reader, I will say that, while the story overall is not fast-paced, it is steady, with very few - if any - real lulls.

For those who enjoy historical fiction with some pop culture mixed in, with good characters, a solid story which moves as a steady - albeit not fast - pace, with a chuckle or two mixed in, I would recommend this book. I would caution, however, if you have issues (i.e. "triggers") with taboo issues such as inter-racial and/or same sex relationships, you might want to think before reading. While they are not all over the book, there are a few instances of both, however, they are very much a part of the story and helps to relay the importance of these connections within the overall historical setting(s).

In closing, I'd like to thank the author and publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book via the giveaway. I understand that a review is/was not required, and I give honest review of my own

Final Rating: 8.08 / 8.41 = 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 4.5 (rounded up to 5) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Notes on Rating: Overall, a fair rating. Not a lot of minuses to the overall book.

This review can also be found here, on GoodReads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2531148290