RaveFiction Writers Review... fascinating and deeply compelling ... Yes, this novel ticks all the boxes for a typical debut novel from a promising young male talent...But the key here is Ridker’s keen awareness of this conflict, his attuned approach that immediately assures the reader that they are in capable hands—that something new is going to happen within this novel ... both wildly funny and deeply empathic. Ridker has an incredible penchant for setting each scene in full and populating it with characters that brim with clear-cut emotional depth and realism. And while the author possesses a unique talent for metaphors and similes, he can also deliver gut-busting images around any corner ... required reading for these divisive times. If the end has truly come for the likes of the hoary old patriarchy—if that growing rumble overtaking America really is the unmistakable death rattle—then let it happen on Ridker’s watch, because my assumption is we can expect many more great works of fiction from this extremely talented young novelist.
Joseph Scapellato
MixedFiction Writers Review\"Much of what we come across in The Made-Up Man... by Joseph Scapellato isn’t new territory ... That said, there is a certain charm embedded within The Made-Up Man; many of Scapellato’s characters... are well-drawn and give credence to the realism buried deep within this psychological novel. And for fans of noir, the author has certainly created a moody and dark atmosphere, complete with dimly lit streets of cobblestone and rundown apartment buildings crawling with suspicious characters that keep us guessing ... The Made-Up Man is something of an enigma: not exactly noir, not exactly psychological thriller, and not exactly a bildungsroman about a budding sociopath. But you can certainly find all of these aspects within—and more. In the end, the novel’s stronger aspects outmatch its more clichéd, especially when viewed on the whole. Not everyone is going to enjoy this book, but for those who do, it will not be easily forgotten.\
Michael Zadoorian
RaveThe Michigan Quarterly Review\"Beautiful Music is not only a testament to the rockin’ jams that propelled Motown to become reknown as Detroit Rock City, it swells with the beautiful music of a lively soul ... Zadoorian offers an intimate look at the trials of a youngster evolving into a man in the shadow of Detroit’s skyscrapers — and the even larger shadow cast by his parents. Through it all, there’s plenty of heart and humor, as well turmoil, as the Motor City reels in the years following the 1967 rebellion ... Beautiful Music is touching, hilarious, and heartbreaking, much like the gamut of emotions you may have felt the first time you heard your favorite song.\
