Customer Reviews

Shapeshifter : The Demo Tapes -- Year 1

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ever wonder what happens behind the stage of a rock band? Well, while you might not find out, you can certainly have a few laughs and find out what a fictional character would do! These are the "out takes" - the things that didn't make it into a book that the author is writing. The little things that I'm sure just add to the story once the book comes out, to make you want more :)

This was a cute little collection. I liked the intros to each story, telling us how it came about... I'm in my 30s and, yes, folks, I'm a Trevor groupie. *hangs head in shame*

Seriously, though, this was a fun book... well worth a read or two.

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A band's demo tape is intended to introduce listeners to their music. Likewise, this collection of short pieces allows readers into the fictional world of Trevor Wolff and his band, ShapeShifter.

Originally published online between April 2006 and March 2007, The Demo Tapes -- Year 1 brings together the moments that parallel -- but never encounter -- Susan Helene Gottfried's debut novel, Trevor's Song. Arranged chronologically and with introductions to each, this is a must-have volume for anyone who's ever wanted to hang with a rock band.

ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes: Year 1 is a collection of short stories about band life. The focus in the stories seem to primarily be on Trevor, but my interest resided more with Mitchell. I may just be more of a lead singer type of girl though. This collection is like an appetizer to wet your appetite for the book, Trevor's Song, and it's very successful. It's fun, it's real, it's got some edge and it's totally rock and roll. It really made me want to read Trevor's Song. Year 1 was an easy read, written in a conversational tone that made it very relatable. If you were ever in a band or just dreamed of being in one, you'll love this insider look at ShapeShifter.

ShapeShifter : The Demo Tapes -- Year 1 will be unlike any other books on the market because it is a short volume of material from author Susan Helene Gottfried's blog.

These snippets and scenes take readers behind the scenes of a band in the beginning and on the road, providing 100 pages of sheer entertainment, laugh-out-loud moments, and pure joy. Whether readers are fans of 80s hair bands and heavy metal or not, the plight of these boys on the road will have them shaking their heads or laughing right out of their chairs.

In one section of the book, Gottfried uses vivid, snappy descriptions to bring Mitchell's green hair to life on the page after than band spends three days in Phoenix at the pool.

In a variety of demos, Trevor, Mitchell, Eric, and Daniel are introduced, complete with their outrageous behavior and the tensions often prevalent in a band of young men. ShapeShifter : The Demo Tapes -- Year 1 will whet readers' appetites and have them salivating for more, like so many record companies waiting for the next biggest band.

I'll admit I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. Even though I have been to The Meet and Greet, which by the way I promise is a blog like no other you have ever been to. Even though, Susan had kind of explained it to me...I'll admit I can be more than a little slow to catch on.

What this book is essentially, is a collection of short stories that introduce you to Trevor Wolff and Mitchell Voss, (their band Shapeshifter) and a bunch of other really cool characters that will someday become part of Susan's first novel Trevor's Song which is in the works and with our support will be published. These pieces have all been published online between April 2006 and March 2007.....and now you're asking "then why do I need the book?". Well, for lots of reasons the most important of which being that you get the pieces in chronological order and ...I don't know about you, but I have to be able to hold a book in my hands...it's just a weird thing with me...I like the smell of paper.

Here's the thing...I LOVE IT!!...This has been a wonderful book for me to carry around the past few days, pulling it out while I'm waiting for the kids here and there, the short pieces are the perfect length and you get so much insight into the characters in each and every one...Trevor is every girls bad band boy, I swear I felt like I was 17 again and wanting to be a groupie. It really is so much fun! I caught myself laughing out loud in several public places while reading it.

Some of my favorites are: Soy Sauce, The Strand, The Time Before Dinner and Quitting

But my favoritest of the favorites is this one:
Rain
((("Mitchell nudged Kerri awake. When she tilted her face toward him, he whispered, "Rain".She listened. Sure enough, even over the rumble of the engine she could hear the rain beating on the bus and the sound of water being pushed aside by large wheels. She couldn't remember ever feeling more safe. "Rain", she whispered back, pressed more firmly against him, and promptly fell back to sleep.-Susan Helene Gottfried")))
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Trevor, Mitchell, and the Shapeshifter guys (and their loved ones) are a delight to hang out with. After reading these stories, they will feel like old friends. They leap off the page with all their attitude and passion, and their relationships with one another -- whether friends, family, or lovers -- are portrayed in a compelling and nuanced way.

When I finished this book, I immediately turned back to page one to read it again, and that's a rare thing for me to do. You'll enjoy your time with Shapeshifter so much that you won't want to leave their world.

I have been reading Susan's blog for several years now and I love the fact that she put all of these short stories together in one easy to read place. Year One gives you a great background on the start of the fictional Metal band, Shapeshifter, how Trevor and Mitchell became friends and their developing personalities. Year Two furthers these thoughts and will make you want to read TREVOR'S SONG.

I read this before the full length book Trevor's Song, which features the same characters, and it instantly drew me in. I liked how the author introduced the stories and snippets with explanations about why she wrote them. The stories are quick and enjoyable to read and provide further depth into the characters from Trevor's Song