The Vinyl Underground

"In the turbulent year of 1968, four teens band together amidst the chaos: Ronnie, who recently lost his brother to Vietnam, his best friend Milo, who dreams of making films, Lewis/"Ramrod", a high school athlete who's secretly draft-dodging, and Hana, the new half-Japanese girl who knows how to rock, but faces discrimination at their segregated school.<br/><br/>Together, they create "The Vinyl Underground", a weekly get-together where they enjoy the music of the times, their own small form of protest against the world. But at the approach of Ronnie's birthday, they form a plan to get him away from the draft.<br/><br/>But when a terrible act of racist violence threatens to destroy their group, they decide to fight back, finally rebellious against their unfair, war-torn world.<br/><br/>A riveting piece of teen historical fiction, "The Vinyl Underground" is a vivid picture of the world of 1968, and how teens of the time were living. In this authentic narrative, the reader is forced to consider questions such as: What is courage? Is it different for everyone? What morals do each need to hold themselves to? When and how is the right time to stand up to injustice?<br/><br/>Something great about this story is that it does not just show one side of the coin. It tackles the issues discussed from all sides, and the characters fall into revelations that things aren't just black and white; more often than not, there's a bigger picture, and more than one way to see things.<br/><br/>With writing that doesn't avoid what needs to be said, "The Vinyl Underground" is an anthem to the younger generation of the Vietnam War Era, and everything they were faced with during that time of controversy and hardship. It is a beautiful, gritty snapshot of 1968, delving the reader into a world of great music, rebellion, and courage that every generation has the potential to take ownership of."

"The love of books and the love of music can easily come together in this novel. The importance of music & finding one's self is made clear through the troubles of these kids. It's a great read with unexpected life lessons learned along the way. "