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Alive in '95
ALIVE IN '95 IS A FAST, FUN, NOSTALGIA-SOAKED RIDE LACED WITH BANTER, DESIRE, AND THE SUSPICION THAT IN LOVE AND MUSIC, TIMING IS EVERYTHING.
It's 1994, and music television is about to peak. A record exec on the brink sparks a made-for-media rivalry between her fading stars, The Reverie, and Bolero, the punchy newcomers led by the magnetic Dempsey brothers. Nat's all hustle, Jamie's all chaos, and there's nothing fake about their feuding.
No one's had more close-ups with the brothers than lifelong friend Eleanor. Fiercely independent but professionally flailing, Eleanor is suddenly conflicted by a questionable job offer with Bolero and a connection with The Reverie's frontman.
Tensions rise when old feelings resurface in the new dynamics. As Bolero starts to headline more tabloids than gigs, loyalties are tested, and the lines between performance and reality blur. A world tour is coming fast, but with all the twists of temptation and fate, will anyone be left standing when the curtain rises and the ball drops into 1995?
Perfect for fans of Daisy Jones & The Six, Deep Cuts, High Fidelity, A Visit From the Goon Squad, Dolly Alderton, Irvine Welsh, and the Oasis reunion, ALIVE IN '95 blends grit, longing, and humor into an unforgettable debut.
Major Themes
Nostalgia & Coming of Age in the 1990s
Music as Identity & Transformation
Love, Rivalry & Creative Tension
Timing & Missed Chances
Women Navigating Power in Male-Dominated Spaces
Grief, Growth, and Rebellion
It's 1994, and music television is about to peak. A record exec on the brink sparks a made-for-media rivalry between her fading stars, The Reverie, and Bolero, the punchy newcomers led by the magnetic Dempsey brothers. Nat's all hustle, Jamie's all chaos, and there's nothing fake about their feuding.
No one's had more close-ups with the brothers than lifelong friend Eleanor. Fiercely independent but professionally flailing, Eleanor is suddenly conflicted by a questionable job offer with Bolero and a connection with The Reverie's frontman.
Tensions rise when old feelings resurface in the new dynamics. As Bolero starts to headline more tabloids than gigs, loyalties are tested, and the lines between performance and reality blur. A world tour is coming fast, but with all the twists of temptation and fate, will anyone be left standing when the curtain rises and the ball drops into 1995?
Perfect for fans of Daisy Jones & The Six, Deep Cuts, High Fidelity, A Visit From the Goon Squad, Dolly Alderton, Irvine Welsh, and the Oasis reunion, ALIVE IN '95 blends grit, longing, and humor into an unforgettable debut.
Major Themes
Nostalgia & Coming of Age in the 1990s
Music as Identity & Transformation
Love, Rivalry & Creative Tension
Timing & Missed Chances
Women Navigating Power in Male-Dominated Spaces
Grief, Growth, and Rebellion
318 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 5, 2025
6 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 31, 2025
Alive in '95 by Jennell McHugh is a series of contradictions. In the wake of Ozzy Osborn's death, this homage to the music industry was a nostalgic experience.
The plot revolves around Nat and Jamie the Dempsey brothers, rising stars of Bolero, a powerful band, their childhood friend and photographer Eleanor on one side and Jamie's girlfriend Frida and Will, the singer of Reverie, a competing older band on the other. The plot traces the helical dance between Bolero and Reverie with the singular goal of going down in the annals of music history.
The language is the first contradiction. The dialogues flow effortlessly while the descriptions break the rhythm of the prose to stand out like crags on an otherwise smooth narrative terrain. Further into the novel one gets more accustomed to the dissonance, although it does create an impediment to speed reading.
The description is so littered with 90s references that, counterintuitively, it fails to capture the essence of the age that McHugh tries to bring to life.
Each chapter is named after one of the core characters. The third person omniscient narrator, in each case, reveals the inner workings of the individual character. But inexplicably this method still fail to bring them to life. They merge into each other without individuality in their voices.
Despite this, the meandering path that the plot follows makes the story a deeply endearing experience. The author has managed to capture the essence of the places she describes, with contemplative lines like 'Berlin was both godless and spiritual.' McHugh exposes the intricacies of the music industry with deft insight and witty observations. The story examines themes of felial love and love of a dream in the same breath. Indeed, love for music is the undercurrent that binds every paragraph to the next. Through her characters the author delves into questions of identity and the cost of ambition.
In that capacity, Alive in '95 reflects the very heart of every musician in the 20th Century. This is a delightfully chaotic homage to 'drugs, sex and rock n roll'.
The plot revolves around Nat and Jamie the Dempsey brothers, rising stars of Bolero, a powerful band, their childhood friend and photographer Eleanor on one side and Jamie's girlfriend Frida and Will, the singer of Reverie, a competing older band on the other. The plot traces the helical dance between Bolero and Reverie with the singular goal of going down in the annals of music history.
The language is the first contradiction. The dialogues flow effortlessly while the descriptions break the rhythm of the prose to stand out like crags on an otherwise smooth narrative terrain. Further into the novel one gets more accustomed to the dissonance, although it does create an impediment to speed reading.
The description is so littered with 90s references that, counterintuitively, it fails to capture the essence of the age that McHugh tries to bring to life.
Each chapter is named after one of the core characters. The third person omniscient narrator, in each case, reveals the inner workings of the individual character. But inexplicably this method still fail to bring them to life. They merge into each other without individuality in their voices.
Despite this, the meandering path that the plot follows makes the story a deeply endearing experience. The author has managed to capture the essence of the places she describes, with contemplative lines like 'Berlin was both godless and spiritual.' McHugh exposes the intricacies of the music industry with deft insight and witty observations. The story examines themes of felial love and love of a dream in the same breath. Indeed, love for music is the undercurrent that binds every paragraph to the next. Through her characters the author delves into questions of identity and the cost of ambition.
In that capacity, Alive in '95 reflects the very heart of every musician in the 20th Century. This is a delightfully chaotic homage to 'drugs, sex and rock n roll'.
August 9, 2025
I devoured Alive in '95 and loved every minute of it. This book was the bright spot in my summer.
The prose are fast paced and oroginal. The story is rich and compelling. Each character is complex and delightfully entertaining. The chemistry between the characters is electric and their dialogue is crisp and witty. Overall a such a fun read. I would highly recommend Alive in '95!
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The prose are fast paced and oroginal. The story is rich and compelling. Each character is complex and delightfully entertaining. The chemistry between the characters is electric and their dialogue is crisp and witty. Overall a such a fun read. I would highly recommend Alive in '95!
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 7, 2025
Alive in ‘95 is a gritty, intoxicating dive into the tension-filled rise of a band on the edge of fame, set against the backdrop of 1990s New York at its most iconic. Think Almost Famous, if the dialogue were written by Sally Rooney, soundtracked by Oasis, and filmed by Cameron Crowe with a cigarette behind his ear.
At the heart of the novel is Bolero, a band led by the Dempsey brothers: Jamie, the magnetic but combustible frontman, and Nat, the introspective songwriter with a poet’s soul and a not-so-secret secret he can’t outrun. While Jamie’s ego burns hot, fragile, and often reckless, Nat is the slow burn, the one readers may find themselves rooting for most.
But the true center of gravity is Eleanore Houston, a sharp, complex, and layered protagonist who holds the novel’s emotional core. At once muse, memory, and mirror to the band’s complex dynamics, Eleanore is written with raw vulnerability and quiet strength. Her angst and existential drift are counterbalanced by steel-edged self-awareness and mindful sensuality. Through her lens as a budding media professional and unofficial documentarian of Bolero’s rise, we get a front-row seat to the beautiful chaos of ambition, art, and young love.
In contrast stands Frida, a globally recognized fashion model and Eleanore’s unlikely new confidante. If Eleanore is the storm, Frida is the eye. Reserved, elegant, and fiercely self-assured, Frida offers a feminist counterpoint: both women are carving paths through male-dominated industries, but their choices, personalities, and survival instincts couldn’t be more different. Together, they elevate the novel’s feminist themes beyond trope or tokenism. What emerges is nuanced, honest, and deeply human.
The narrative unfolds through multiple voices and perspectives, giving the story a layered, cinematic feel.
It kicks off like the opening chords of a great album, fast, loud, and full of promise, before slowing into deeper emotional terrain. The cast of characters may feel like a swirl at first, but tensions build steadily with the true players rising to the forefront. By the time the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, 1995, you’ll swear you were there.
What makes Alive in ‘95 so gripping isn’t just the romantic or creative tension; it’s the characters themselves. Jennell McHugh delivers razor-sharp dialogue, richly rendered imagery, and a reverence for music and pop culture that’s palpable. She captures the nostalgic ache of a time and place—late-night dive bars, Discmans as lifelines, the electric stillness of a night spent beside the person you can’t stop thinking about—with stunning clarity and heart.
You don’t have to be a Gen Xer or a rock memoir obsessive to love this book. But if you’ve ever believed in the slow burn of love or that 'timing is everything,' Alive in ‘95 will hit hard.
It’s messy. It’s sexy. It’s smart. It’s Alive in ‘95. And I, for one, am already picturing the HBO adaptation.
At the heart of the novel is Bolero, a band led by the Dempsey brothers: Jamie, the magnetic but combustible frontman, and Nat, the introspective songwriter with a poet’s soul and a not-so-secret secret he can’t outrun. While Jamie’s ego burns hot, fragile, and often reckless, Nat is the slow burn, the one readers may find themselves rooting for most.
But the true center of gravity is Eleanore Houston, a sharp, complex, and layered protagonist who holds the novel’s emotional core. At once muse, memory, and mirror to the band’s complex dynamics, Eleanore is written with raw vulnerability and quiet strength. Her angst and existential drift are counterbalanced by steel-edged self-awareness and mindful sensuality. Through her lens as a budding media professional and unofficial documentarian of Bolero’s rise, we get a front-row seat to the beautiful chaos of ambition, art, and young love.
In contrast stands Frida, a globally recognized fashion model and Eleanore’s unlikely new confidante. If Eleanore is the storm, Frida is the eye. Reserved, elegant, and fiercely self-assured, Frida offers a feminist counterpoint: both women are carving paths through male-dominated industries, but their choices, personalities, and survival instincts couldn’t be more different. Together, they elevate the novel’s feminist themes beyond trope or tokenism. What emerges is nuanced, honest, and deeply human.
The narrative unfolds through multiple voices and perspectives, giving the story a layered, cinematic feel.
It kicks off like the opening chords of a great album, fast, loud, and full of promise, before slowing into deeper emotional terrain. The cast of characters may feel like a swirl at first, but tensions build steadily with the true players rising to the forefront. By the time the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, 1995, you’ll swear you were there.
What makes Alive in ‘95 so gripping isn’t just the romantic or creative tension; it’s the characters themselves. Jennell McHugh delivers razor-sharp dialogue, richly rendered imagery, and a reverence for music and pop culture that’s palpable. She captures the nostalgic ache of a time and place—late-night dive bars, Discmans as lifelines, the electric stillness of a night spent beside the person you can’t stop thinking about—with stunning clarity and heart.
You don’t have to be a Gen Xer or a rock memoir obsessive to love this book. But if you’ve ever believed in the slow burn of love or that 'timing is everything,' Alive in ‘95 will hit hard.
It’s messy. It’s sexy. It’s smart. It’s Alive in ‘95. And I, for one, am already picturing the HBO adaptation.
September 19, 2025
This is a rager, a romp, a rollercoaster ride! I read it in less than a day. I was transported back in time and around the world with an unforgettable cast of characters. When I wasn't cheering for them, I was cringing, pitying, and/or wanting to shake them. All signs of a deep investment in their growth, or mere survival for those not ready to grow. It read like a movie script with a killer soundtrack. There's so much love packed in these pages...romantic, familial, platonic, along with passion for artistic expression and quirky subcultures. Crank up your favorite mixtape, pour a drink (that you should be, but aren't, ashamed of liking), and indulge in this heart opening adventure!
September 23, 2025
From the first chapter to the last, this novel is brimmed with wit and sex appeal. The plot follows two dueling rock bands on different trajectories, colliding with intimate relationships and tangled business interests. Each chapter focuses on a different character's perspective which creates a feeling of deep familiarity with the entire cast. The conclusion leaves you more than satisfied and sweaty - enjoy!
September 3, 2025
A fantastic mix of emotion and humor! I enjoyed every minute of this book.
Jennell McHugh brings her characters to life in a way that made me want to hang out with them all after a Bolero show, which as a native of the Chicago music scene in the late 90s/early 00s, I can only assume would be played at the Metro.
Jennell McHugh brings her characters to life in a way that made me want to hang out with them all after a Bolero show, which as a native of the Chicago music scene in the late 90s/early 00s, I can only assume would be played at the Metro.
August 18, 2025
This book took me right back in time to cities and places I’ve loved. Along with rich characters and a fantastic storyline, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey. I can’t wait for the day that this story jumps from page to screen.
August 23, 2025
I absolutely loved this book. Alive in ’95 nails the messy magic of the ‘90s alt-rock scene. The characters were great, the band drama sucked me in, and I tore through it. If you’re into music and nostalgia, this one’s for you.
November 30, 2025
I couldn’t get enough of these characters. McHugh does a great job forming them into truly 3D personas - wish the book had been longer so I could have spent more time with them. Such a rich read and a wonderful world to dive into - highly recommend.
October 1, 2025
LOVED!! So proud of my friend Jennell!
July 15, 2025
This was fun but it didn’t wow me. I enjoyed it!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews