Review of Out of the Bassline

[Annika porter]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Out of the Bassline" by Ben Blotner.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Ben Blotner’s novel Out of the Bassline (the title being a clever pun referencing both the musical and baseball elements of the book) follows college freshman Dexter as he adjusts to his new life at Haggerty University in Ohio. Although he plays third base on the school’s baseball team, the huge pop-punk music scene on campus catches Dexter and his new friends’ interest. Unbeknownst to Dexter, the college president was once a wannabe punk-rocker who is now perpetually angry that his family band never gained traction. President Morris has made it his mission (alongside his familial connections to the police force and school board) to destroy the punk-rock scene through whatever legal or illegal means necessary. Between President Morris and his awful nephew Jimmy, Dexter’s college life is a bit miserable, as the antagonists try to destroy Dexter and his friends’ freshman year through a variety of means. A coming-of-age story depicting a variety of highs and lows, the novel shows Dexter and his friends as they find meaning and camaraderie through baseball and music.

As a musician myself, I rather enjoyed this book! Dexter and his friends are all fun characters whom I loved to root for. I love how realistically Dexter is depicted; I cringed when he made certain choices, but I cheered as he grew and gained confidence in himself. Dexter is not portrayed as a perfect character by any means; however, he does a good job of acknowledging his shortcomings and working even harder to achieve his success and change his mindset. In my opinion, this creates a likable character that many readers can relate to. Additionally, the author uses a lot of slang throughout the book that makes the dialogue relatively realistic and enjoyable for a younger audience. I think many high school or college-aged readers can relate to the characters and their challenges, and it is that relatability that makes the novel such an engaging read.

My one critique of this book would be that the perspective jumped around a bit. While the story is mostly focused on Dexter, Lewis, Dazzy, Bobby, and Callie, the book occasionally jumps backward in time to tell the story of teenage Trevor Green, a pop-punk idol (and Callie’s father). While this is pertinent information to the present-day storyline, I believe that the characters could have told this story using dialogue throughout the narrative rather than in flashback format. I feel that the flashbacks muddy the story a bit, and to ensure the book remains engaging throughout these sections could be reworked so that the characters show the readers how these events affected them. As is, I don’t believe that the flashback formula takes away from the story; I just think sticking to Dexter’s timeline could help clarify the narrative.

As stated above, this book is quite engaging, and I breezed through it in only two sittings. Reading about Dexter’s escapades kept me chuckling and on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed Blotner’s novel, and I would give this book 4/5 stars for the above reasons. The book does contain many examples of strong language, drug use, and scenes of a sexual nature, as this is a book about college students. Readers sensitive to such subject matter may not appreciate this book due to those elements. Beyond that, anyone who enjoys engaging, coming-of-age novels combining music and baseball would love Blotner’s story.

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Out of the Bassline
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[Isreal Akor 2]

I totally breezed through this book in just two sittings—it's super engaging! Dexter's escapades kept me chuckling and on the edge of my seat. I'm giving "Out of the Bassline" a solid 4 out of 5 stars. Just a heads-up, it does contain strong language, drug use, and sexual content, typical for a college-age story, so keep that in mind if you're sensitive to those themes. But if you're looking for an engaging coming-of-age novel that perfectly blends music and baseball, you should definitely check this one out!

[Kibet Hillary]

It is good to read that the characters are fun and that Dexter grew in confidence and also became a relatable and likable character. I am also happy to see that he was able to pursue success despite his shortcomings. Many thanks for the review, @Annika porter.

[Hills Christopher Albert]

Loved your review! As someone who enjoys both music and baseball, Out of the Bassline sounds like a unique and relatable read. I’m especially drawn to Dexter’s growth and the realistic dialogue you mentioned. Flashbacks can be tricky, but it’s great to hear the story still flows well overall. Definitely adding this one to my list!