Scenes from a Song by Susan Sloate is a musical themef novel featuring Jimmy Welton, doing side quests for the family while having music running in his bloods. Which way the life turns…?? Let’s find out..
“On Halloween Eve, in his Bronx apartment, young Jimmy Welton hears the opening notes of a song in his head. Jimmy’s still remembers his father, who taught him to play the guitar but recently died in a house fire (as a firefighter), leaving his family sad. Jimmy takes this song, about all he gaps in his life now, to his after-school job at a NY park, where he meets Mark Morgan, a teen with his own band, who eventually invites Jimmy to join them. And the rest is rock’n roll history…”
Book Review: Scenes from a Song by Susan Sloate
I went into Scenes From a Song expecting a light “musicians chasing dreams” story—and I got that—but I also got a whole lot more heart than I bargained for.
Susan Sloate doesn’t just write about music; she writes like music. The rhythm of her line, carries the emotion, there a beats between dialogue—it all sings like a melody in your heart.
We start with Jimmy Welton, a 17-year-old man in the Bronx in the early ’60s, who’s just trying to keep his family safe in turn of finances and maybe, turn his passion music into something real.
Then comes Mark—a kid who practically has charisma flowing into his DNA—and suddenly, Jimmy’s world widens from small-apartment gray to guitar-string gold. From there, the book moves around friendship, ambition, grief, and that delicious sort of feeling of realizing you might actually be good at something that matters.
“They floated in and they stayed, and he knew as he dressed for work that he’d have another song finished soon.”
What I Loved
The vibe. This book gives the feel of its era without just nostalgia. You can literally smell the vinyl records and taste the Coke from a paper cup after a late-night jam. The dialogue feels natural—teenage cockiness one minute, raw vulnerability the next.
Without giving much spoilers, few things i like to point at, the chemistry between Jimmy and Mark at the starting absolutely hums. It’s not romantic ( at least not much ), but it’s close to heart in that feel, in a way people can inspire and unsettle each other. Their creative energy together? Pure lightning in a bottle.
The pacing occasionally drifts. Some early part of the books take their time setting up the world, and if you’re lil bit of impatient type, you might start tapping your foot. But once the music literally kicks in, it flows smoother than a well-played guitar solo.
Reading the book felt like going through the record of someone’s young life —each chapter has its own story. It’s a story about how art saves us in the quietest ways and how sometimes, one song can change everything.
So yeah, consider me a fan. I finished the book feeling nostalgic for a time I never even lived in.
Also Read: Best Paula Hawkins Books Ranked
| Genre | Psychological Thriller |
| Number of Pages | 255 pages |
| My Rating | 4.5⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Release Date | August 19, 2025 |
Quotes:
“The song was unfinished—no middle eight bars or opening lines, but the melodic line was solid—when the train reached his stop.”
Also Read: All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
Final Verdict?
Overall, a very good emotional and musical sort of read…
Who should read it:
- If you are Music lovers and creative dreamers.
- If you are Fan of emotional, character-driven fiction story.
- Readers who enjoy nostalgic, 1960s settings.
- People who prefer slow-burn storytelling.
Books like Review: Scenes from a Song:
- Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- They Dream in Gold by Mai Sennaar
