Completed on: September 28th
# of Pages: 313
Bingo Category: A Book About Music
This is a book that I took out from the Welland Public Library when I was in high school to enjoy, and this summer when it came time to make my pilgrimage to the same library, I thought of this book and remembered how much I enjoyed it the first time around. Not to mentioned I needed to fill up a square with a book about Music, and I knew that this book was dripping with a love for music, specifically a love for vinyl LP's, and I knew I had to include it among my YA reads for this year.
I will openly admit this, but the majority of the references tracks and artists and LP's contained in this book (and this book is packed full of them!) go right over my head. We did have a record player when I was growing up, but my dad wouldn't let me near it except to play the one and only Strawberry Shortcake vinyl that we owned while I played in the rec room. I am of the downloading age that Allie, the main character of this book, loathes with a great passion, and I make no excuses for that. But even with not recognizing the names of the LP's and tracks that Allie was constantly listing off, especially for her blog posts, she does a very good job at explaining why that LP is significant and the feeling it brings about in her every time she listens to it. I do feel that I have always had a strong connection with music, ever since 8th grade, so on this level I am able to relate to her.
The fact that the main character starts up her own blog was also fascinating. This book was published in 2010, so the world of blogging back then was quite different from how it is now, but considering that a lot of the greatest blogs that I read have been years in the making, it does put Allie in an interesting spot to observe how she writes her posts and oh-so-quickly gains interest and followers. I'm not sure it's really supposed to happen that quickly in real life, but maybe that genre of blogging, writing posts as an avid vinyl collector, hits upon a whole new niche that we writing/geek bloggers know nothing about.
One big factor with this book, that I enjoy in many of the books I have read this year, is that unpredictability factor. With this story it is very easy to follow, and the characters that come across in the pages are always humorous and keep you constantly entertained, but it's also great to know that I'm not anticipating every single twist and turn that the plot has to offer. Allie is a very unique protagonist, and the people she surrounds herself with are able to grow and change and express honest, human flaws that I could greatly relate with. Even if this story is told in the perspective of a vinyl junkie, you get a wide range of characters, from the non-stereotypical mother to the quirky best friend to all of the weirdos that make up the lively area of Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley.
If you're looking for a unique read with humorous but very human characters, I definitely recommend you pick Yvonne Prinz's book up. It might not be common to find on bookstore shelves right now you can always order a copy, or better yet, see if your local library has it among their shelves :)
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