Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
One Hit Wonder
Back in the 80s, Mickey De Falco was a teenage heartthrob with a number-one hit. Now nearing middle-age, Mickey is broke and broken, and living with his parents. But to his surprise, his old sweetheart is also back in town. Does a one-hit wonder like Mickey deserve a second chance?
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
October 1st 2010
by Kensington
(first published September 27th 2010)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
569)
Blurb: Back in the Eighties, Mickey DeFalco was America's teenage heartthrob with spiky gelled hair, slanted sideburns, and a number-one hit single -- "Sweet Days" -- a sappy love song he wrote after his high school sweetheart, Lynn Mahoney, broke his heart. Now approaching middle age, Mickey is lucky to land a singing gig at a bar mitzvah. So the one-hit wonder-boy is making a different kind of comeback -- returning to his old stomping grounds in Queens, living with his parents, and sleeping in...more
Imagine breaking up with your girlfriend and then writing a song about it that becomes a number one hit, all while your still a teen. That's just what happened with Mickey DeFalco, he was the true one hit wonder, with his number one song "Sweet Days" a love song he wrote after he broke up with his high school sweetheart Lynn. The song became an instant success and he was able to ride on the success from the song for almost 20 years. Now down on his luck, out of money, he decides to go back home...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
All of us wonder what it's like to be a musician with a top song. At one time or another we've sat around and thought whatever happened to such and such who sang that song? This book is one take on the life of a singer with one hit. As a reader you get to know Mickey as a singer and as a person. He's always got a story for some present day memory. The author captures small town life well and in a way makes the town Mickey's from another character in the book.
I do feel the stereotypical pop star...more
I do feel the stereotypical pop star...more
Mickey DeFalco is a pathetic, yet somehow likable, one-hit wonder in this book by Charlie Carillo.
When he was 18 years old, Mickey wrote a hit song about his first love, Lynn. Now, 20 years later, he is broke and moving back home to live with his parents.
The story intertwines Mickey’s present with his past as the two seem to repeatedly collide. He gets his old job back mowing lawns. He bickers with his parents as he comes to relate to them as adults and find out they really are interesting peopl...more
When he was 18 years old, Mickey wrote a hit song about his first love, Lynn. Now, 20 years later, he is broke and moving back home to live with his parents.
The story intertwines Mickey’s present with his past as the two seem to repeatedly collide. He gets his old job back mowing lawns. He bickers with his parents as he comes to relate to them as adults and find out they really are interesting peopl...more
Mickey is in love with Lynn and has been since he met her. As teenagers, she leaves him, running away from something Mickey is unaware of. A stroke of genius hits him and he writes a hit song inspired by Lynn. It becomes a one hit wonder. His life winds down from there, but for Mickey it was always downhill ever since Lynn left. Now Mickey is 38 and back living with his parents doing the same job he had in high school. He has nothing left of his fame and fortune, both of which were short lived....more
I felt bad for Mickey DeFalco, the main character in One Hit Wonder. I really wanted him to have that second chance he so longed for, but in the same vein I was just so perturbed by how he treated his parents who were intrusive, but truly cared about him that I had a hard tome really rooting for him in the end.
That said, let me be honest with you. This was NOT a fabulous read. It was quite predictable, however, at the same time I found it to be engaging and sweet. Surprisingly it kept my attenti...more
It is always fun to read a Charlie Carillo book. My favorite, by far, is still the first one I ever read, My Ride With Gus, but this one was engaging and enjoyable nevertheless. The premise was a little weird, but I just accepted the improbabilities, read on anyway, and before I knew it, I was on the last page. Fact is, it is hard not to care about the Micky DeFalco character as he battles with his self esteem issues as a has-been teen heart throb. I want to read more from this author, but it is...more
This book tells a fantastic story, but I didn't particularly like the way it was told. I felt for the love interest, though the MC seemed extremely unlikeable at times and I kind of felt like he deserved what he got. And maybe I don't wander in the right circles, but I don't know anybody who drops the f-word in every conversation, and in this book,everyone did. Major turn off.
The author's an excellent writer though, and it's really just my taste in things. I'm sure someone else would appreciate...more
The author's an excellent writer though, and it's really just my taste in things. I'm sure someone else would appreciate...more
I picked up this book as a free read from the Amazon Kindle book store. The premise seemed interesting enough, but this book never quite delivered for me. It is a relatively light read, although not necessarily a quick one. It did drag for me from time to time.
The first half of the book follows the pattern of "here is a present day event that triggers a memory of a past event, so let me tell you about the past event, and now back to the present day..." This is how we learn about the main charact...more
The first half of the book follows the pattern of "here is a present day event that triggers a memory of a past event, so let me tell you about the past event, and now back to the present day..." This is how we learn about the main charact...more
You can never go home again. Or so the cliche goes. Mikey DeFalco finds that this is not always the case in "One Hit Wonder" by Charlie Carillo.
Mickey DeFalco had it all. Having been deserted by his girlfriend when he was seventeen, Mickey poured all his angst, all his heartache into a song. That song took off and took Mickey with it. But before he could even really get used the lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, he was on his way back down. A one hit wonder who tried his best to capture lightni...more
Mickey DeFalco had it all. Having been deserted by his girlfriend when he was seventeen, Mickey poured all his angst, all his heartache into a song. That song took off and took Mickey with it. But before he could even really get used the lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, he was on his way back down. A one hit wonder who tried his best to capture lightni...more
I picked this up in the Kindle store when it was a freebie (I don't think it is anymore). It was okay-- the story did grab me from the very beginning, but the occasional weird and clunky dialog would slow me down. I think a decent editor could have fixed this and made the book so much better.
Would I buy it? Probably not. Would I borrow from a friend or the library? Sure. Dialog issues aside, I do like Charlie Carillo's writing style.
Would I buy it? Probably not. Would I borrow from a friend or the library? Sure. Dialog issues aside, I do like Charlie Carillo's writing style.
Anyone who has ever chased a dream and failed can relate to Mickey DeFalco. Despite his status as a once-famous one hit wonder his journey resonates with the reader. Even as I read about his various blunders I found myself rooting for him. This book is both heartfelt and hilarious (if you don't laugh at the peacock scene, you have no soul) and it is a refreshing tale about second chances. Good read!
A fascinating story about a young man who wrote a love song after a broken heart -- 20 years of living in LA and he was homeless so he returned home and of course, he meets up again with the girl he loved as a teenager. It wasn't bad (actually better than I expected) but it's not one i'll want to read again. (Another free book fof my Kindle)
Mickey is a washed up singer from the eighties who is returning home to live with his parents. He is still in love with the girl he loved and lost when he was 14. (That part was a but over the top for me. I was really just looking for some light summer reading. This was ok, but not great. And not that fun. But still ok.
What a good book. This is the second book that I've read by this author and it was great like the first one, Raising Jake. The plot line was amazing and although we learned about. Some deep dark secrets that Lynn Mahoney had, we found out that Mickey DeFalco had them too. But is it possible to live your life apart and still love that person, even 20 years later despite everything terrible that they've both been through separately? Read One Hit Wonder to find out.
It wasn't quite what I was expecting- less romance and more self discovery- but that turned out to be much better for the main character's needs. However, its the kind of book thats got enough twists that I'm not sure I could read it again with the same level of interest, which is why I only gave it a 3.
Interesting story about becoming a middle aged man, after being a star for about a minute and 1/2. I found this book very honest, sweet, and interesting. It was about human feelings, and emotions. How life sometimes takes turns we do not expect or even want, but the "roller coaster" of life is well worth riding. Great book, I recommend it.
I really wanted to give this book a 4 but I am bordering on 3.5. It was interesting to read this kind of book (almost a chick lit type of book) by a male author.
You have all seen at least one of those "Whre are they now?" shows. Well it actually happens to this character. He grows up in an odd household. Becomes a quick star, never even finishes high school -but then it all fizzles. I felt bad for him because one thign after another happens to him in a bad way. Still in love with his high schoo...more
You have all seen at least one of those "Whre are they now?" shows. Well it actually happens to this character. He grows up in an odd household. Becomes a quick star, never even finishes high school -but then it all fizzles. I felt bad for him because one thign after another happens to him in a bad way. Still in love with his high schoo...more
Passable, with a thin but entertaining plot. Actually, it's pretty much ALL plot: just one thing happening, then the next thing happens, then the next thing... the characters are placeholders, and even some of the details about the music biz aren't on the money. Not upset that I read it, but it's a hard book to recommend too highly.
Such a surprisingly great love story! I am smiling ear to ear feeling like I am a part of Mickey and lynn's love. I am beyond glad that this story ended with a happy ending, even though the ending was a little out of reach with reality; but, I picked this book in order to escape reality and thank goodness I did!
One of the best fiction books I've ever read. I really enjoyed the story.
Funny thing is, this is a book that was free for the Kindle and I doubt I would have bumped into this author otherwise.
I'm now going to try "Raising Jake," which I will buy, so the freemium concept does work.
Funny thing is, this is a book that was free for the Kindle and I doubt I would have bumped into this author otherwise.
I'm now going to try "Raising Jake," which I will buy, so the freemium concept does work.
This was an engaging and easy read. I enjoyed the way the story was told mostly through the present with details given in flashbacks. However, I bemoaned the idiocy of the main character and felt the ending was a little too neat.
This was a Kindle freebie, and I am an unabashed 80s girl, so that was a big draw. I really like Mickey. He was terribly flawed, but I liked him anyway. I would have given in another star but the ending left me scratching my head.
I received this book through a goodreads give away. The story really sucked me in and made me want to find out more. I like how the book was in the present but went back to the past to explain why things were the way they were. All in all a good book!
Let me prefence this by stating that this was NOT a fabulous read, it however was engaging and sweet, keeping my attention for the full story, which is not what most books have achieved this year. It was a bonus that I downloaded it while it was free on amazon (no longer so).
A sweet first love story of a musician who fails and ends up living with his parents. Still in love w/ his first love. The plot did get boring after awhile & I had to push myself to finish it.
This book was surprisingly great! It was free on my Kindle so I wasn't expecting much. I could relate to the characters and it had a nice story without being too predictable or boring. Good read.
I felt bad for Mickey DeFalco, the main character. I really wanted him to have that second chance he so longed for, but in the same vein I was just so perturbed by how he treated his parents who were intrusive, but truly cared about him that I had a hard tome really rooting for him in the end.
That said, let me be honest with you. This was NOT a fabulous read. It was quite predictable, however, at the same time I found it to be engaging and sweet. Surprisingly it kept my attention for the full s...more
That said, let me be honest with you. This was NOT a fabulous read. It was quite predictable, however, at the same time I found it to be engaging and sweet. Surprisingly it kept my attention for the full s...more
Terrific! A great, relaxing read that made me laugh out loud throughout. It reminded me of Tom Perotta's The Wishbones and Joe College.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Sep 26, 2011 10:31am