PositivePopMattersThe unconventional dual-voices format makes Shy something of a challenge to navigate. It’s difficult to go wrong with a story as compelling as Rodgers’: a smart, opinionated woman forging her way in a world constrained by rigid gender roles while bearing the psychological damage from a childhood in which she felt inferior to her younger sister, and in which her mother told her, \'We love you, but we don’t like you.\' Rodgers’ narrative encompasses everything from sadness and tragedy to exultant moments of exhilarating joy. But Green’s and Rodgers’ simultaneous voices sometimes come across as competitive rather than complementary. At times, the reader may feel like they are seated between two brash, outspoken people, both talking loudly at the same time and trying to outdo the other in wit and sharpness ... Nevertheless, the setting for much of Rodgers’ professional life – the mid-century era of American theatre that produced some of the greatest stage musicals ever – will make Shy a must-read for anyone fascinated by that world ... The pace of the narrative only starts to pick up after young Mary makes her first attempts at songwriting. But once it gets going, Shy is a fascinating first-person account of a vital period in American theatre history. If the reader can tolerate the dual-narrator format, Shy is worth reading as an account of an unusual, sometimes difficult, but always intriguing life.
Will Sergeant
PositivePopMattersFans of Sergeant’s transcendent guitar work with Echo and the Bunnymen might be frustrated that Sergeant doesn’t even get around to his first band until about two-thirds of the way through. But the life that led up to that event is essential in understanding Sergeant and his music ... Sergeant’s story is as much a depiction of childhood in post-World War II Britain as it is a chronicle of his musical growth. He spares no detail in portraying his grim surroundings in a small town outside Liverpool ... Bunnyman is not a light read by any means, as there are some piercing moments. However, Sergeant’s dry wit and thoughtfulness make it a provocative and compelling experience. Those who expect a standard musical autobiography might be dissatisfied, but Bunnyman escapes the sometimes too rigid confines of that genre, and, like its author, finds its own path.
