Synopsis
""Hairstyles of the Damned" is about Brian Oswald, a guy in high school who is growing up punk. At first he's a sort of needy and whiny character who is in love with his best friend, but as time passes in his harsh high school he must learn to be tough and act like a punk" (Amazon.com).
Genre
Coming-Of-Age, Drama
Review
This book had really good realistic elements. The setting was realistic and believable (and I'm not just saying that because I'm from Chicago), and the teen angst and the coming-of-age feeling were a nice touch for this novel. The author of this book is from Chicago, so you can tell that he wrote what he knows. That is always a good idea for writers because YOU are the only one that can describe your experiences. Also, the story centers on a punk kid and I think that that was a good main character. Usually, punk kids get put in the corner and are only a part of the film or novel to add some 'spice' or 'diverse' groups of kids n high school. So, I liked getting to know Brian as more than a shell to the plot.
When I was in about fifth grade I read this book and what made me think of this book is the cover. I thought the cover was so unique and it is quite a memorable cover. After reading it as an adult, I see the book in a different light now. There were some things that I don't understand that I understand now. With that being said, one criticism that I have for this novel is the language that this novel uses. This novel takes place in a time when derogatory language just rolled off the tongue. When those moments came up I kind of cringed and rolled my eyes. It was just excessive because of those languages. I also feel like Brian was judged so much because of his appearance and the things that he liked, he wouldn't want anybody else to feel like that. Overall, I think there are some things in this novel that could change, but nonetheless took away from the meaning.
Rating
I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars. I would recommend this book as well, but beware of the language.
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