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erintowner's review against another edition
4.0
The Beast makes an appearance and I laughed so hard at Jessica's comment on page 44. Solid.
casspro's review against another edition
4.0
I had a copy of this book and after reading it once, decided to donate it to a thrift store. Only once it was gone, did I realize I had a made a horrible mistake. I craved this book and it wasn't until I found it years later in another bookstore that I felt sated. The main character reminds me so much of me in high school, someone who wanted to be hardcore and punk but just didn't make the grade--and instead opted to hang out with the disturbed and dirty youth that could make being a badass look so easy. But there are several layers to being a badass and not all of them are easy or pretty. This book captures that feeling so wonderfully. Someone please tell me there is more of Meno's work out there, because I have yet to find his next piece.
niamwriter's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
My first read of the year and I felt like I flew through it at the start, and then the second section dragged a bit. I really enjoyed the writing style and the narrator's voice. I liked the fact that he definitely came off as a whiney teenage boy because I felt that was the point, and it was funny to read. It read like a journal entry almost, which I appreciated. Gretchen was more compelling to me than Brian was, if anything her character made Brian more interesting. I think the realization at the end and thoughts throughout about identity were certainly interesting but nothing groundbreaking. Normally I would say the point doesn't always have to be groundbreaking, which I still believe, but Brian being a white main character who has a lot of thoughts and discussions about the race relations of his time period and location just come off as very surface level and privileged observations.
mjkienbaum's review against another edition
I barely read anything but almost every sentence was about how fat the female interest was.
amalauna's review against another edition
3.0
Great prose, readable. This book made me nostalgic for high school, but the end was only eh.
kamckim's review against another edition
3.0
This was interesting. I enjoyed learning about a sub-culture I knew nothing about. The narrator Brian goes to a Catholic high school in South Chicago in the early 90s. Through various trials and tribulations, he comes to an epiphany that everyone around him is just a phony. Hmmm, now where have we heard that before? This seemed like an update on an old classic, fresh, but not that original. I'm not even sure the setting will stand the test of time or transcend its core audience. I guess that remains to be seen. Warning: lots of realistic teen dialogue, cursing and sex. Recommended for age 17 and up.
lindsayharmon's review against another edition
3.0
I'd give it a 3.5 if I could. It was a fun read, full of sympathetic characters and a few familiar places.
kaylielongley's review against another edition
2.0
Brian Oswald, sometimes punk and sometimes metal but always angsty, is the protagonist of this little coming-of-age tale. Like every other male in popular young adult fiction, Brian’s an educated Catholic boy, covered in acne, in love with his best friend, Gretchen, always having that one thing on the brain. There’s nothing wrong with these experiences, but as our narrator reflects on his teenage years in Chicago during the 90s, Brian thus becomes every other dissatisfied youth, characteristic of John Hughes and Sarah Dessen, among others.
Author Meno tries to cater to a different audience through allusions to punk culture, such as the movement’s questionable fashion choices, underground concerts, and the necessity of swearing every other sentence. But Meno falls short, simply because his tale is mediocre at best. Nothing is groundbreaking, and the characters and their actions instead feel stereotypical. When his parents separate, Brian turns to drugs, petty crime, and a handful of Misfits albums. His relationship with Gretchen subsumes most of the book, and though there are a couple of touching moments, I was not emotionally attached. Perhaps this is because Brian’s main descriptions for her are “beautiful” and “fat.”
However, Meno does succeed in shaping Brian’s world. Heteronormativity, along with extreme racism and classism, is commonplace. Though Brian is one of many individuals who do not particularly belong, his emotional and social dysfunctions are minimal compared to his surroundings. As the novel progresses, Brian becomes increasingly more aware of these systemic issues, but he does minimal actions to solve them or even address his feelings. As a result, these influences act as mere backdrops or plot devices instead of teachable moments.
This is not to say that Hairstyles contains terrible writing. In fact, I laughed out loud throughout reading. Simply, most of its plot feels aimless, in need of sharp editing and a less moralistic ending. Perhaps I’ve gotten too old (is this possible? Moshing did indeed occur at a concert a couple days ago). Maybe I wanted something new and expected too much for this one.
Author Meno tries to cater to a different audience through allusions to punk culture, such as the movement’s questionable fashion choices, underground concerts, and the necessity of swearing every other sentence. But Meno falls short, simply because his tale is mediocre at best. Nothing is groundbreaking, and the characters and their actions instead feel stereotypical. When his parents separate, Brian turns to drugs, petty crime, and a handful of Misfits albums. His relationship with Gretchen subsumes most of the book, and though there are a couple of touching moments, I was not emotionally attached. Perhaps this is because Brian’s main descriptions for her are “beautiful” and “fat.”
However, Meno does succeed in shaping Brian’s world. Heteronormativity, along with extreme racism and classism, is commonplace. Though Brian is one of many individuals who do not particularly belong, his emotional and social dysfunctions are minimal compared to his surroundings. As the novel progresses, Brian becomes increasingly more aware of these systemic issues, but he does minimal actions to solve them or even address his feelings. As a result, these influences act as mere backdrops or plot devices instead of teachable moments.
This is not to say that Hairstyles contains terrible writing. In fact, I laughed out loud throughout reading. Simply, most of its plot feels aimless, in need of sharp editing and a less moralistic ending. Perhaps I’ve gotten too old (is this possible? Moshing did indeed occur at a concert a couple days ago). Maybe I wanted something new and expected too much for this one.
cemwrites's review against another edition
4.0
The author mentions some bands that I have never heard of before that I am now going to check out. The book was hard to follow sometimes, but that was the intention. It was in the language of a teenager in the early 90's.