Purple Daze by Sherry Shahan

I'm using the Goodreads blurb because my summary gave away too much & I really wanted to leave the content as a surprise. The way the novel unfolds is much more eloquent & enrapturing than any summary I could devise.

Purple Daze is a young adult novel set in suburban Los Angeles in 1965. Six high school students share their experiences and feelings in interconnected free verse and traditional poems about war, feminism, riots, love, racism, rock 'n' roll, high school, and friendship.

Although there have been verse novels published recently, none explore the changing and volatile 1960's in America— a time when young people drove a cultural and political revolution. With themes like the costs and casualties of war, the consequences of sex, and the complex relationships between teens, their peers, and their parents, this story is still as relevant today as it was 45 years ago.

From Goodreads

This book blew me away! I thought that I had read all the different versions of 1960's youth portrayals & that this would fall under the category of "been there, done that, got the t-shirt." I'll be the first to admit, I was way wrong.

We are introduced to the six main characters who are all loosely related to one another & who all represent different movements (for lack of a better word) from this time period. We have feminism, drug use, anti-war protesting, draftees serving in Vietnam & a whole slew of other things. These teens are at the most pivotal points in their lives where they are branching out of the "safety" of their parental homes & really discovering who they are & what they are willing to fight for in their lives.

The 1960s was a turbulent era because the youth were going in divergent directions. Specifically, this book takes place in 1965 (after the assassination of JFK) & so these teens we're following have experienced a great trauma & are insecure in regards to the future. Not only are they experiencing social & political upheaval, but even the music is "dangerous." Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix... just to name a few. Watching these teens choose their own paths based on their personal experiences was mesmerizing. And never fear if you aren't a history buff, there is more than enough context clues & subtle hints to help you understand what's going on.

Simply put, this book is profound. It will challenge what you think you know about an adolescence during this time & help you to understand why it is such a pivotal time in this nation's history. A tremendous read, I can't wait to buy a finished copy. I leave you with a song dripping with history.

ARC kindly provided by the author.

Waiting on Wednesday: Purple Daze

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Purple Daze by Sherry Shahan came out yesterday. This phenomenal book is so entrancing that I read it in under 24 hours. There was so much to soak up from the time period to the characters, but it was such a fast read. The blurb really condenses it well.

Purple Daze is a young adult novel set in suburban Los Angeles in 1965. Six high school students share their experiences and feelings in interconnected free verse and traditional poems about war, feminism, riots, love, racism, rock 'n' roll, high school, and friendship.

Although there have been verse novels published recently, none explore the changing and volatile 1960's in America— a time when young people drove a cultural and political revolution. With themes like the costs and casualties of war, the consequences of sex, and the complex relationships between teens, their peers, and their parents, this story is still as relevant today as it was 45 years ago.

From Goodreads

I've got lots of fun stuff coming up with this book so be sure to check back for more information. What are you waiting on this week?

Nostalgic Friday: To Kill a Mockingbird

Welcome back to Nostalgic Friday! Since I love all things historical (culturally, physically, and personally) I do a post on Fridays honoring some awesome book that is a bit older. Many of them are books I enjoyed in my teens and others are books that I discovered as an adult that I think are relevant to YA readers.

As some of you may or may not be aware, this year marks the 50th anniversary of a landmark in literature. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee was originally published in 1960, has sold millions of copies worldwide, and is a staple in the American high school curriculum. I personally read this book in 6th grade when it was recommended to me by my public librarian. She knew I loved reading outside the "norm" for my age group and thought it would be a suitable fit. Boy did she know me well.

To Kill a Mockingbird starts out by introducing the reader to the sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. Middle-aged, widowed Atticus Finch is a local lawyer and the father of two very rambunctious children, Jem & Scout. The children spend most of their time entertaining themselves by sharing ghost stories & rumors about the elusive "Boo" Radley, a neighbor who is never seen outside of his house, but who has managed to leave gifts for the children in a tree.

The narrative takes a serious turn when Atticus is chosen to defend Tom Robinson, a poor, black man, against the charges of rape from Mayella Ewell, a young, white woman. Tensions rise all around town as the racial charged atmosphere escalates. When the trial is over, things start to settle back down, but the plaintiff's father won't let the issue fade. He does something drastic that changes everyone's perspective.

I absolutely adored this book! I feel that using Scout as the narrator adds a sort of accessibility that would be lacking from any other point of view. The issues handled are very heavy and one could get lost in them, but with Scout's carefree childhood experiences mixed in, the novel is broken up into more manageable parts.

Scout was my hero as a kid. Between stepping up for what she knew was right and befriending the neighborhood recluse, she was absolutely perfect. Never one to whine, Scout was a well-defined heroine in a book whose only other female lead was representing the evil in the book. Atticus was also a great guy. A man struggling with what's best for his family, but also with what's right in the eyes of equality. Depression-era Southern states were notoriously dangerous territory for anyone with a progressive thought process.

The setting, morals, and plot were incredible and it's no wonder that this book is so timeless. While many other books dealing with racism & discrimination are falling out of favor due to their inaccessibility, To Kill a Mockingbird is actually experiencing a resurgence of appreciation. If you've never read it, I would highly recommend it. Not to mention, right now there are probably groups of people getting together to celebrate it's 50th anniversary. In local libraries, bookclubs, and book stores around the country, people are having cover re-design contests, discussing the book, and just generally celebrating the awesome that is To Kill a Mockingbird.

When did you read this FABULOUS novel? If you haven't, are you thinking about it now? :)