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.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Very well paced but the story itself was kind of all over the place. I did enjoy the writing style but the plot could have used a bit more refinement.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Flux for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Set in 1968, The Vinyl Underground by Rob Rufus follows Ronnie, a seventeen-year-old whose brother recently died in the Vietnam War. Ronnie deals with grief, as it affects not only him but also his family and his friends. He begins attending meetings with friends to listen to records -- called The Vinyl Underground. He meets Hana, a half-Japanese teen who's recently moved into Ronnie's neighborhood. She challenges Ronnie and their other friends to see the world differently, the see the war differently.

While I enjoyed a lot about this book, it wasn't quite engaging. It felt like things happened to the characters but it never struck me or pulled me in (with the exception of an awful thing that happens to Hana. CW for racial violence).

The historical detail, the characterization, the plot was all there, but it didn't quite mesh together for me. A solid read, but ultimately not a favorite.

I was immediately drawn to this book because of what I imagined would be a killer look at music and records in the 1960s, but I was sucked in even further when I saw that this was a book whose main plot centers around the Vietnam War. I have read a lot of historical fiction, but tend to pick up books about WWI or WWII, and don't really delve into other eras (to my own disappointment in myself).

I'm glad I picked this up, and I'm so glad I read it. The way Rob Rufus writes about music and what it meant to these teenagers is just as poignant as when he is discussing the war in Vietnam and what the prospect of being drafted into military services feels like for these teenagers. He was able to bring that time - the fears, the worries, the concerns, the anger, the sadness - to the forefront of this story and give them a tangible feel and believability.

I think so much of this book is so important, but I especially loved the way that racism was discussed, and how the three young men in the story were held accountable for both their action and their inaction. Hana was a very strong character, even in parts of the story she did not have an active role in, and the other three men were all well created and relatable. The stories about the draft and how different people viewed it were also great, and I loved that at the end of the book you're left to make your own opinion about the "act of rebellion" that the group took part in. (Also, most all of the ways of draft dodging that were referenced were totally true and terrifying.)

Thank you to NetGalley& North Star Editions for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this from NetGalley, thank you so much. I loved this book so much!

I think the biggest thing I loved about this book is how authentic it felt. The dialogue between these characters never felt forced and I loved that while they were all different they showed a truly great friendship. They argued and disagreed, but these four teens were not forced together, they were simply friends dealing with terrifying and uncertain circumstances. Plus, the real life events and issues that were present throughout still feel very contemporary.
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The Vinyl Underground is a book about the power of music, rebellion, hope and the complex layers of courageous actions. I think both YA and historical fictions fans will find this to be fantastic read. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up immediately.

A brilliant coming of age story, engrossing and entertaining.
I liked the description of the '60s, the great cast of characters and loved the references to the music.
It's a great picture of a past era even if some of the social themes it talks about are relevant in the current world.
An excellent read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

The latest novel from author Rob Rufus takes us back to the late 1960s, when America's sons were drafted into the army and sent to fight in the Vietnam conflict. Ronnie is a high school senior who has already lost his older brother, Bruce, to the war, and as his eighteenth birthday approaches, he knows he doesn't want to serve.

This knowledge is compounded when new girl Hana Hitchens moves in across the street. Hana is half-Japanese, and in the small Northern Florida town of Cordelia Island, segregation and hatred still run deep. Hana is immediately labeled as Vietnamese by some of Ronnie's wrestling teammates, but Ronnie and his best friend/neighbor Milo befriend Hana with their common love of music as the foundation. The fourth member of their club, The Vinyl Underground, is Ronnie's brother's best friend Lewis, aka Ramrod.

Rufus builds the friendship well, including a plot to get Ronnie a 4-F draft classification. But when a violent act shatters their small town, and half of the Vinyl Underground are its victims, things have to change. And Ronnie has to figure out what his future is, now that he's no longer going to be a sidekick to his dead brother's DJ plan.

As historical fiction goes, Rufus does a great job weaving this story. Certainly worthy of a read.

The year is 1968, the American military is in Vietnam, and high school boys are being preyed on to enlist before they turn eighteen. Ronnie and his older brother, Bruce, used to have plans to go out west and become big-shot radio DJs as soon as they could, but their plans got derailed when Bruce shipped out to war. Now, grieving and lost without a plan for the future, Ronnie is terrified of being drafted. The Vinyl Underground began as a record club to listen to music with friends, but as tensions in their small Florida town mount, Ronnie with his best friend Milo, Bruce’s best friend Lewis, and the rebellious new girl Hana all come together to wage war against war with the power of music.

The Vinyl Underground is a complex novel that explores many themes, like grief, social norms, war, and racism. In general, these sensitive topics are handled with grace and a careful knack for storytelling. My one hang-up is that a major part of the novel’s plot is driven by racially-charged violence specifically targeting one of the main characters, Hana, who is half-Japanese. However, Hana as a character could stand to be more thoroughly flushed out. As it is right now, she’s floating in ‘manic pixie dream girl’ territory, and the heinous act of violence committed against her functions as a plot device for Ronnie, a white character, to reflect on how upside down his town and peers are.

Despite this critique, I completely enjoyed reading The Vinyl Underground. Rob Rufus has a succinct style of writing that really conveys the emotions and atmosphere of the characters and story. The worldbuilding is clear and vivid in an authentic—at least to my young eyes—way. Rufus plays with style and format in an interesting and effective manner, such as lightening the font of certain dialogue when Ronnie experiences temporary hearing loss and using large, bold text to indicate the lyrics of deafeningly loud music. And, possibly the most important, the story has a natural pace with gut-wrenching tension in all the right places. Readers who enjoy novels about the 1960s, rock-n-roll music, and strong friendships will love The Vinyl Underground.

The look into the music world left me bored and therefore I did not complete. Maybe this would be something easier to complete via audio book, but I didn't become attached to any character to keep me intrigued enough to continue reading.

This one is worth your time! I admit that I picked up Rob Rufus’s novel because it promised to be prose suffused with the music of the Sixties and Seventies. While it certainly lived up to this promise, The Vinyl Underground has a lot more to offer than nostalgic earworms. The prose is excellent – even thoughtful as the characters work out the beliefs they will carry into their adult lives – the sense of history is spot on, and the group of friends that make up the club from which the novel takes its name are engaging and authentic. The book takes place against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, with its young protagonists suffering from the loss of friends, relatives, and classmates and fearing that they, too, will be called to war. As the war goes on, the characters must decide what they believe about war and courage and resistance. I guarantee you’ll want to be there as they struggle through and suffer for their choices. There are no simple and easy answers in this one, but it never becomes patronizing. This would be an excellent book to include in a history class to bring the days of race riots, assassination, and the draft to life.

I think this might be one of my favorite books I've read this year!

This book is one of those that, when you read it, you can truly feel the music. It's the story of a small revolution, and, considering the state of the United States right now, it's timely despite the over 50 year gap.

Ronnie's life is just go to school, wrestle, work with his best friend Milo at the theatre, come home, get high, and listen to his dead brother Bruce's albums. Bruce was shipped off to Vietnam, throwing a wrench in his and Ronnie's plans to head to Los Angeles to be radio djs. All Ronnie has left are his letterman jacket, his car, and his killer collection of vinyl.

Enter Hana: a truly radical girl from Chicago, biding her time before she can run off and be a journalist. Hana is punk before punk knew what it was. She's into MC5, she's attended more protests than you can shake a stick at.

Milo and Ronnie are immediately drawn to her. Why wouldn't they be? She's snarky, she's into music. Oh, and she's half-Japanese. Ronnie stops some of his racist ass team members from roughing her up, only to get punched in the nose. Thus, the Vinyl Underground is born!

There's so much to love about every one of our four leads (Ramrod, though he didn't get as much page time, is wonderful),  but their sheer drive is what makes me want to protect all of these babies.

Their plan for getting Ronnie out of the draft? GENIUS, but also, as a sound engineer, HOLY SHIT DO NOT DO WHAT THEY DID, THAT'S A BAD MOVE. But it still makes so much sense!

A timely story despite the history, The Vinyl Underground is a story that carries hope and revolution in the forefront. I give it 5 out of 5 45 adapters.

I really enjoyed this. Historicals are usually hit and miss with me but I most enjoy ones that dont feel like a historical. This fits the bill. The characters felt like genuine people. Ronnie's journey of self discovery felt honest (if not a bit rushed). He is coping with the loss of his brother while determining what his future looks like. I think it portrays grief in such an honest and all encompassing way that shows how grief impacts the rest of your life. I also enjoyed how open Ronnie was with his emotions, especially towards his dad and in his relationship with his best friend Milo.

It also really discusses race and class inequality while ultimately connecting how those inequalities tie into the political times as a whole (especially the draft). Hana was such a welcome addition to the story because she allowed for visibility of different perspectives and really propelled Ronnie's journey. I do wish Hana has existed outside her role to Ronnie, especially a less violent role, but her perspective was definitely needed. I also think the story briefly looses its focus by trying to tackle too much. It quickly comes back together but it's not as tight a story and the impact isn't as strong. Ultimately I really enjoyed this story. It was occasionally hard to read and definitely emotional but overall it worked.

Content Warning for racial prejudice and violence.

Thank you Netgalley and Flux for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't really know how to explain how I feel about this book. The only thing I can say is that I just didn't care. Whenever something significant would happen to our characters I just didn't care. I also just didn't like the way the story went a couple of times. There were some more interesting things introduces that could have been explored futher. I haven't read anything set in this time though and I really liked how it explored the time period it was set in. In the end I also think some characters didn't really get a proper resolution and I think this is one of the few books where an epilogue set a couple of months later would have beneficial. My main gripe with this book was the romance that was all of the sudden thrown on us out of nowhere. Like why was that nececary. I don't get it. I would still recommend this book though because it was very interesting and had a great set of characters but I just think this book wasn't for me.

You're never supposed to judge a book by it's cover but I wanted to read The Vinyl Underground the moment I saw the cover. I didn't even read the description before deciding it because it just screamed old school for me. Or maybe it's because my brother is now obsessed with records. Either way I wasn't disappointed. It's not often that you have a YA novel that focuses on Vietnam and honestly I don't think I've ever read one. but Rob Rufus did an amazing job with this novel. It weaves such an important story about what teenagers went through knowing there was a draft happening and music together perfectly. Rob also didn't shy away from the racism people faced because of the war. Just because you were in the US didn't mean you were safe from the darkness of the world and Hana saw that first hand. And while I did thing some things went a bit far for a YA novel (the description of what happened to Hana and Milo for example) it was still well written. Things weren't gratuitous and while there was a fuck load (get it) of cursing it didn't feel forced.

Honestly I would recommend this novel to just about anyone. I read it in a day because I couldn't put it down. It was the perfect Leap Day read.

Thank you to #NetGalley for a copy of this ARC for an honest review.

The Vinyl Underground by Rob Rufus is a well written novel set in the 1960's set around the events of Vietnam. The characters in this novel are dealing with the effects on the home front. Each of the characters is looking for a connection that they create through friendship and shared experiences. There are several dark themes covered in this book. I think YA readers can relate to what the character experiences.

I really wanted to enjoy this novel more than I did. I was initially hooked by the premise, as the Vietnam War is a moment in history I find, although harrowing, very interesting in American politics. The time period and setting felt very real, and part of it was due to Rufus' knowledge on the subject. I felt as though I was living in 1968. I also really enjoyed the characters; they all felt like real teenagers struggling to be different and brave in such a hard time. I think the discussion on racism was mild, but well done (as the main characters are seventeen year olds in the 60s). I really was enjoying this book until the last 70 pages or so. I think the ending suffered from having conveniently-unaware parents/authorities and an unrealistic ending considering their final act of defiance (I will stop there at risk of spoilers). I will end this saying I really enjoyed the format of the novel (seperating into sides of a record), and I loved how music brought the main characters together. The whole novel until then felt real and emotional, but unfortunately it's ending left me confused.

A fresh take on what it feels like growing up as an adolescent in the 60s era with the war looming all around the world.

Requested this eARC on NetGalley as the description says music and Coming-of-age but yet the elements of Vietnam War and even the MLK event made the story more appealing and raw.

Also, this is a collective story of four different boys growing up under different consequences united by their love of music. The storyline also packed with emotional content leaving you feel nostalgic as if you lived with the main characters in this specific era.

Overall, this was a enjoyable read and a great find.

I haven't read a lot of literature set in the 60's, so this was a great introduction! The setting and timeline was vivid and the characters drew me even further into the story. However, I would definitely include some trigger warnings for verbal abuse and drinking problems.

~~I have received the ARC thanks to NetGalley, Flux and Rob Rufus in exchange for my honest review~~

Before reading this book I thought it was going to be about musica and the history of kids that are changed by the power of music. But while I read it I discovered that it was more how the Vietnam War changes the youth.

I have learned so much about the draft system, I love reading and more if the book teaches me something about history or life.

This Historic Fiction is a wonderfull work I just loved it the characters are not relatable but not because the way they are potrayed is wrong but because it focuses on the war and the feelings and actions of the people in war time

3*

I have to first admit that I completely forgot this book was approuved to read and so it took me a while. And then I wasn't in the right mindset and it took me multiple tries to read it. I'm not that familiar with the Vietnam war and I'm not a historical fiction buff either but I'm glad i gave this a go.

It's 1968. Ronnie's brother bruce died during the Vietnam war and he fears that when he turns 18, he's going to be drafted. Hana is a half Japanese girl completely anti-war and her parents make her move to Florida, away from all that protesting she's been doing. Bruce's best friend Ramrod, purposely fails at school so he won't be drafted. All together with Milo, they form this club called The Vinyl Underground and the purpose was to mainly listen to music but then it becomes more than that. They plot a scheme that will help Ronnie get disqualified from the draft.

The Vinyl Underground has a strong setting and the world building for this story is obviously well done since it is based on a real event.

As for the characters, i thought they were built up nicely but I had a few issues with Hana. The Asian representation was definitely a nice touch but I had a hard time getting her/understanding her at times.Maybe it's the character development, maybe it's something else. I'm not too sure. Characters like Lewis could have benefited in to more development. Also, I'm not sure if it's the time period or the restrictions of school or what exactly but I have a hard time believing that teens would be able to skip school as many times as these kids did without consequences?!

Like I said, I'm not a history buff so i did have a hard time connecting to the idea of war and drafting but I did like that this book touched on racial discrimination, preferential treatment and other subject. Pretty sure that I would have liked this better had I been more knowledgeable with events like this, however.