Review: Raised on Rock by Thomas Drago

Anyone who has ever set a personal dream aside understands the pain and nagging doubt that can come along with such a decision. Youthful ambition drives us to pursue even our most outlandish hopes, but as the years pass, those old possibilities dwindle and narrow, even if we hate to admit it. In Raised on Rock, a novel by Thomas Drago, this challenging shift in reality is explored in stark detail.

Dante Rose has been enthralled by rock and roll since he was young, and chased that rocker lifestyle for years through small-town North Carolina with his band Thorn. Although high school is now far behind him, it is difficult to shift his mindset, or find new goals besides hitting it big and getting the recognition he so desperately craves.

Dante is supported by his wife, Penny, who understands his determination, but also sees the massive toll that years of disappointment have taken on her husband. Dante believes that if he could convince Joe Mars – the old lead guitarist – to come back to the band, even just to record an album, they could finally take their shot at stardom.

The interplay of these characters is what makes the novel so striking and engaging. The husband-wife dynamics are delicate and well-crafted, and Drago is highly skilled at slowly building tension between friends both old and new. Similarly, the plot is leaked out slowly, from countless angles and small contributions from peripheral characters. The bitter history of Thorn, Dante Rose’s place in the town, his strained relationship with his parents, and the feelings of self-loathing residing in his gut develop gradually as the chapters unfold.

In some ways, Dante is also an unreliable narrator, which always makes for a compelling read. Artists of all kinds tend to look at their own lives in a more romanticized way, often making it difficult for them to accept the hardest truths about their abilities. As this novel reaches its climax, the chances of reuniting the band seem smaller than ever, and the world continues to pile on Dante’s shoulders, threatening to crush his spirit and his lifelong aspiration.

Capturing such intense emotions on the page is no easy task, but Drago seems to understand the mental space of lofty dreamers, and has personal experience in the small streets of North Carolina, where the idea of “getting out” is ever-present. There is an authenticity in every scene, from card games and dive bars to hospital visits and deeply emotional conversations. The novel is an homage to would-be rock gods, but also a portrait of small-town America, where survival is often dependent on not giving up hope, foolish as that may be. Growing up can happen at any age, and Thomas Drago provides a profound and touching peek into that painful, universally recognizable process.

The terse, choppy writing style is fitting for the characters and tone, although it somewhat limits the descriptive power of the narration. In terms of editing, the book is cleanly written and polished, with few wasted words and believable dialogue between all the characters. Furthermore, the moments of self-reflection and Dante’s inner monologues are used effectively to keep readers in the loop, without spoon-feeding them plot details or internal revelations.

As a whole, Raised on Rock is a deeply relatable novel of family bonds, loyalty, love and lies, with the sharp, passionate edge of a rock ‘n’ roll origin story.