Book review - The Vinyl Underground

Title: The Vinyl Underground
Author: Rob Rufus
Genre: historical fiction
Similar books: Revolution by Deborah Wiles
                      Freedom's Just Another Word by Caroline Stellings
Rating:

more complex than it initially appears

Summary (provided by publisher): Dig it.
During the tumultuous year of 1968, four teens are drawn together: Ronnie Bingham, who is grieving his brother’s death in Vietnam; Milo, Ronnie’s bookish best friend; “Ramrod,” a star athlete who is secretly avoiding the draft; and Hana, the new girl, a half-Japanese badass rock-n-roller whose presence doesn’t sit well with their segregated high school.
The four outcasts find sanctuary in “The Vinyl Underground,” a record club where they spin music, joke, debate, and escape the stifling norms of their small southern town. But Ronnie’s eighteenth birthday is looming. Together, they hatch a plan to keep Ronnie from being drafted. But when a horrific act of racial-charged violence rocks the gang to their core, they decide it’s time for an epic act of rebellion.

My opinion: I'm definitely a fan of music as a metaphor for dealing with social change. It's use in a book set during the Vietnam War era is an obvious choice, with so much music of the time being protest music. The plot doesn't take big risks thematically. It talks about racism, anti-draft sentiments, and gender roles. It lays out a pretty simple good and bad dichotomy. If it stopped there it would be pretty forgettable. But Rufus allows for some gray area, points out the fallacy of most absolutes. There's this idea that no one has the right to make decisions on everyone's behalf. Ronnie engages in this big protest and then realizes that's he's hurt people. That while he was morally right he can't claim absolute right. While the general plot treads very familiar ground it takes some unique views. Most of the explorations are fairly simple and conflicts are perhaps too easily resolved, but I'm a fan of anything that opens up a discussion, that asks us to explore our opinions more deeply and this book certainly does that.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

What am I reading today?

We are Power by Todd Hasak-Lowy

Total read in March thus far: 55

Graphic novel spotlight - The Fox & the Tanuki

The Fox and Little Tanuki by Mi Tagawa

If you have any interest in Japanese folk tales, in magic and mythological beings, then this is the manga you're looking for. Largely a humorous tale, this book is also fully rooted in a complex mythology of spirits, yokai, and old gods. The fox is a spirit who is being punished for cruelty and self-centered behavior. He's presented as a villain but as in many Japanese stories he's not truly evil. He makes bad choices, may even have evil inclinations, but he remains redeemable. He can learn to consider the welfare of others, even while he continues to cause mischief. There's a lot of humor present, making it a lot of fun to read. And as is typical in manga, the art has a heavily cartoony style with a lot going on with facial expressions.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

What am I reading today?

The Green Children of Woolpit by J. Anderson Coats

Total read in March thus far: 54

Non-fiction book review - Bringing Back the Wolves

Bringing Back the Wolves by Jude Isabella

There is certainly no shortage of books about endangered animals or efforts to restore populations. This one stands out from the crowd because it gives us the whole picture. We see first how the wolf population was destroyed and the effect that had on the entire park. We see how losing a key species nearly destroyed the ecosystem. Then, with their reintroduction, Isabella walks us step by step through how the wolves affected various animals and plants. This book functions as a palpable object lesson in the food chain and keystone species. A very cool, very easily understood book.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

What am I reading today?

What I like About Me by Jenna Guillaume

Total read in March thus far: 52

Book review - Zatanna and the House of Secrets

Title: Zatanna and the House of Secrets
Author: Matthew Cody
Genre: fantasy graphic novel/superhero
Similar books: The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner
                      Haphaven by Norm Harper
Rating:

good fun

Summary (provided by publisher): Zatanna and her stage magician father live in a special house, the House of Secrets, which is full of magic, puzzles, mysterious doors, and storybook creatures--it's the house everyone in the neighborhood talks about but avoids.
At school one day, Zatanna stands up to a bully and everything changes--including her friends. Suddenly, Zatanna isn't so sure about her place in the world, and when she returns home to tell her father, he's gone missing, lost within their own home.
With thrilling twists from writer Matthew Cody and dazzling artwork by Yoshi Yoshitani, Zatanna and the House of Secrets will delight readers at the turn of every page--and the opening of every door!

My opinion: DC Comics does it again with this kid's book. Zatanna is not an especially well known character but she sure gets her due in this exploration. And there's no foreknowledge required to understand this plot. Cody introduces the characters and their world in an easily understood way. It's not an especially complex plot and there's certainly room to dig deeper into the relationship between Zatanna's family and the rest of the magical world. It's not a book that will lead the reader to a deep conversation but it's solidly entertaining.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley