Till the Wheels Fall Off Paperback – July 12, 2022

In Brad Zellar's "Till the Wheels Fall Off," main character Matthew Carnap returns to his sleepy (heh) hometown in search of... himself. And through Zellar's mix of honest and rigid and amiable and heartbreaking descriptions and dialogue that teeter back and forth between then and "now," we get to piece together this character through his own retrospective dissection.The narrative is delivered in a way that's effortless and conversational. And straight-up genuine. While the idea of jumping from one thought to the next with no real systematic outline might, in theory, seem calamitous, the flow of events instead feels distinct and transparent. There's a very personal element that helps readers both form a deeper connection with and better define Matthew -- at the same time he's figuring things out himself.This is easily the best thing I've read all year. And for that matter, in a long time.Zellar's prose is simple yet engaging. His conversational tone gives this story and this character a natural flow and straightforward essence through which I was quickly and immediately immersed. And that his novel is set (mostly) in a roller rink to a soundtrack of impressive and impressionable music taps into nostalgia like a drug -- and we're all a bunch of junkies looking for more.In fact, I was so engaged that, with about 30 pages left, I almost stopped reading because I didn't want the adventure to be over. Yes, it's really that good.Everyone has an origin story, a defining history through which we've traveled from there to here. Whether or not it's compelling is another matter, dependent on memories and observations and seemingly insignificant moments that instead hold a great deal of meaning to help shape who we become. Composing all of that in a way that resonates with anyone hearing or reading it is what creates the draw. And that's the trick.To move people with words is a bona fide gift. And Zellar has it. How do I know? Simple: I read his book. Give "Till the Wheels Fall Off" a spin and you'll know exactly what I mean.

Brad Zellar can describe a place in such a way that you inhabit it before you finish reading. The writing is breathtaking and evocative, and before you know it you're in the middle of a story as lush as velvet, and much like a dog you never wish to stop petting, I wished it never would end. A novel full of romantic solitude and small town magic just bursting with music and forward motion.

Hard to follow the story.

what a beautiful beautiful book! I didn't grow up in a small town or the midwest, but there was so much I connected with. it’s a haunting study of relationships and family that slowly unfolds, drawing you in. definitely a book more about the journey than the destination (that said, I found the ending incredibly satisfying!)

I thought the story, and the writing of it, were both impressive. I enjoyed the reflective nature of the book. Childhood reflection. Equally strong characters: time and place. It became easy to imagine myself listening to records with Matt and Russ. Unique and recommended.

Excellent description and an unlikely, thoroughly original plot. But it’s the characters who will stay with me — they all but leaped (or rolled) off the page. Even some of the minor characters had stories that could support their own books. I wish at least one or two of the female characters had been stronger— they felt more to me like plot devices than people. But the rich depth and loving attention to detail in the male characters really kept me reading on to the charming end of the story.

I grew up in a small Midwestern town during the early '70s, hungry for music I could only find on the rare FM radio signal or occasional trips to record stores in "The Cities". This beautifully written story sparked all kinds of memories and reminded me why I sometimes loved (but not always) small town life, and how important music was/is as my social roadmap, savior, and guide.

A brilliant dance through the childhood of Matthew Carnap, complete with the detailed small-town setting and cast of characters surrounding him. Zellar examines the pre-teen years with immediacy and with the benefit of hindsight when the young adult Carnap returns to his Midwest hometown.Those preteen and teen years are marked by sleepless nights, an unhappy mother, and the fascinating relationship with his stepfather who runs the roller rink adjacent to their apartment and spins the records so influential in young Matty’s life.The few friends, awkward conversations, difficulties at school, and drifting through night streets and river corridors all depict the young life suspended between dream and reality. More of a reckoning than a nostalgic tale, “Till the Wheels Fall Off” grapples with passion and estrangement, youth’s “happy oblivion with a glorious soundtrack,” and the “Hole Theory” estimating what it might take to fill the holes left by life’s biggest losses.Read with pencil in hand. You’ll want to track the music references and the most beautiful passages.