A tribute to a different kind of Jersey girl.
In New Jersey during the summer of 1989, an awkward thirteen-year-old who was obsessed with weird music fell head-over-heels in love with the coolest post-punk rock girl he had ever met. Nicholas was insecure. He was a daydreamer, wishing for romance when he was told, over and over, that he could not have it. He was a toy, pulled and pushed, wanted and used, dragged along yet held at a distance. Nicholas fell in with the out crowd, and loved every minute of it. He fell in love and got left behind, but not before she changed him forever.
This is an irrational, emotional love story for the teenager inside all of us. The music is loud, and you’re about to be pushed into the pit.
What some people are saying…
“I should have put you in therapy.” – my mother.
“I can’t believe you’re publishing this. You do not have my permission to use my real name.” – name redacted.
“I insist that you use my real name.” – Kevin.
“Finally, a title that doesn't scare people off. Not like the first book, The Coolest Way to Kill Yourself.” – Kim Gray, publicist
I think Nicholas has become one of my favorite storytellers. I don't mean this to be a simple compliment. Great storytelling is an art form to me. Nicholas paints pictures with his words. "She was chaos. What better person to guide me through chaos than someone who is chaos themselves?" He takes us to a place in time as teens where we awkwardly debate whether to be our own person, expressing our secret unpopular opinions out loud or just imitate what everyone else is doing and conform under layers of Aquanet. "We were united by diversity, we were a little different from each other, but our rejection of popular culture brought us together" He sucked me into a world that was so crazy and exciting to experience as a reader. It almost made me feel like a teenager again. This book was more than Nicholas losing his virginity and first loves. He learned through Kim and her beautiful band of weirdos, that being weird is the coolest
Well said Tam, well said.
ReplyDeleteWell said Tam, well said.
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