Rob Rufus provides a number of key ingredients that result in a winning choice for readers, especially males looking for themselves in a protagonist. He has a character dealing with loss, expectations, and love, all at once. He also provides a killer soundtrack and a couple of amazing capers. Finally, he forces readers to see that actions have consequences. I can't wait to get this one in my shelf!

This book was FANTASTIC, I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the heartbreak and the triumphs. This is not my typical choice in material but I had a really hard time putting it down and was drawn in quickly. I thought the song suggestions and letters together was a really powerful way to express the brother's connection and it was such a smart and intuitive thing. I found myself listening to some of those tunes throughout my reading of this book and I think creating a playlist for the book would be a good idea. I will certainly look for more titles from this Author. Thanks for the opportunity to read and share my thoughts.

I loved this book! 4.5 stars.

It's 1968 and Ronnie is grieving his older brother's death in Vietnam as his 18th birthday, and the draft, loom large in front of him. He spends time wrestling, working at the movie theater, playing his brother's records and reading the letters he sent during the war. Soon, Japanese-American high schooler, music lover and activist, Hana, enters his life and he and a few other outcasts form The Vinyl Underground: A club where they listen to music and talk about how to damn the man (and how to get Ronnie to fail his enlistment exam).

This book has lovely spare prose and a built in soundtrack as Ronnie's love of music spills out of the page. It is a book with heavy intersecting subjects but reads quite quickly given its spare writing and voice.

Listen to more thoughts on the 11/27 Teen Title Talk. https://teentitletalk.podbean.com/

Well worth your time.

Ya girl has issues with requesting arcs and TOTALLY forgetting the premise of them by the time approval sets in cause I remember this was centered around music but not Vietnam 😂😂 I started to read this and was instantly turned off, DESPITE REQUESTING, and almost put it down because I’m not one for historical fiction centered around a war. Instead, I pushed on and I am so glad that I did because this book was absolutely phenomenal!

Like I said, I’m not one for historical fiction centered around a war but this one took an anti-Vietnam stance so I was super intrigued when that sentiment became the forefront of the book. I really enjoyed that it not only took that stand but it did so without shaming the soldiers who were forced to go over there and serve, which if you know anything about the Vietnam War, was a huge thing that happened back in the day. Soldiers who came back traumatized were further traumatized by anti-war protesters despite some not even wanting to go in the first place.

The characters themselves were super fun to read about. Each one had their own distinct personality, voice, and taste in music. Here lately I’ve been reading a lot of books where the MC is well fleshed out but the side characters really aren’t and that isn’t the case with this novel at all. We get a bit of each characters backstory as well as plans for the future once the book starts coming to the end. I really loved that aspect of the book and though Rob did an excellent job with it.

There is a lot of racism discussion and honestly, I was very apprehensive about this considering it is a book set in the ‘60s and those times were not at all friendly to anyone not white or American or, quite frankly, male. Again, Rob did a good job handling it! The MC was called out on his shitty behavior when it happened, he learned, he grew. A lot of 2019 woke-ness makes appearances in the book but it’s done in such a way that I really enjoyed. I mean, obviously not every white person in the ‘60′s was bigoted and racist so it’s plausible that some actually stood up and fought back, but I had never encountered that in a novel so I was extremely happy to see that aspect in a ‘60′s based story.

As a matter of fact, besides the anti-Vietnam War theme, racism and bigotry is talked about a lot. The only female, Hana, in the group is half-Japanese, a badass, and has NO QUALMS with calling her friends out on their shitty behavior. Not only that but she isn’t hypersexualized as a lot of novels tend to do for Asian women. Hana’s this super smart, aspiring journalist with excellent taste in fashion and music. She isn’t just there to teach them not to be bigots. She’s got her own distinct point in the book.This is what I’m saying when I say the side characters are well fleshed out!

There was once instance that was extremely hard to read so trigger warning for that because it involves racist induced violence and it really turned my stomach to read on the page. I’m not saying anything else because of spoilers but be mindful it’s there.

There is also a teeny tiny hint of romance to the novel. It’s really more of a blink and you miss it kind of thing. Honestly, I could’ve done without it. The book stood up very well on it’s own without having to add it in at the end. All in all, I really enjoyed the book and will be purchasing my own copy when it comes out.

This book started out slow but picked once I was able to get into it. Set in 1969, it's historical fiction but not so far off that it isn't hard to relate to the trials and tribulations of these teenagers. Touches on civil rights issues and racism without being preachy and really explores the friendship between the main characters.

Set in 1960-era America, The Vinyl Underground follows four outcast teens and the companionship they share through their record club called The Vinyl Underground.

Ronnie's older brother, Bruce has been killed in the Vietnam War, leaving Ronnie to cope with his loss and with high school graduation approaching, his father is determined to send his other son to fight overseas. Meanwhile, Hana, a Japanese girl with radically progressive ideas, moves next door to Ronnie and is often subject to racial slurs in school. Together, with Ronnie's best friend, Milo and Bruce's best friend, Lewis, they form The Vinyl Underground, bonded by their love of music.

The setting is vivid- Rufus does an excellent job weaving in pop culture and music references into this novel and discussing prejudice, racism, and grief/healing. Courage plays a huge role in this book and it was interesting to see what courage meant to each of the characters. An interesting historical fiction YA novel with themes that remain relevant today.

*Thank you to NetGalley and North Star Editions publishers for providing a free ARC

A righteous book that combines the art of music with the cruelty, violence, and pain of the Vietnam war, and the discrimination in the 60’s. With the use of flamboyant language and and a slew of 60’s slang; I knew exactly when and where I was.

The Vinyl Underground, a record club of four outcast teens who are dealing with the War in Vietnam and all of the events associated with that time frame. The novel Is set in 1968 and weaves together the music of the era and the events of that timeframe.

Young Adult readers may have difficulty relating to the events of 1968, but they will be able to connect the topics presented in the book such as racial discrimination, bullying, and privilege. Topics that are relevant today. If you enjoyed “The Breakfast Club”, you’ll enjoy this novel.

I really enjoyed this piece of historical fiction. Set in 1968, Ronnie's brother, Bruce, has recently been killed in Vietnam. Now he's about to graduate and the draft hangs over him. Despite having already lost one son to the war, Ronnie's father is determined to see his second son honor the country with his service too.

When Ronnie meets Hana, the new girl who moves in across the street, his thinking begins to change. She's half-Japanese and faces daily slurs about her race at the still-segregated school they attend in small-town Florida. Having come from Chicago, Hana has new ideas about the war and justice and many other things Ronnie has never thought about before.

Along with Ronnie's best friend, Milo, and Bruce's best friend Lewis, Ronnie and Hana start up a club, The Vinyl Underground, as a way to share the music all four kid love. But their weekly meetings become more politically charged as the conversation flows. Before too long, the group have come up with an audacious plan to keep Ronnie from being drafted.

Things should calm down for Ronnie once the threat of going to war is lifted from his future, but instead, an act of racially charged violence shatters their tight-knit group and together they plan an act of revenge that may just change the lives of their peers forever.

The characters in this book feel very real and complex. They are children, yet face the very real possibility of being sent to a foreign country to be killed. How they are expected to go to school and study the heroics of American politicians in the face of this level of terror is beyond me. This would have been a very real fear at this time, and I loved how creative these characters are in their planning.

I would definitely recommend this one, even if you're not interested in historical fiction. The themes explored here are just a relevant today.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review, so thanks, NetGalley!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this free electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book started out slow for me. However, once the story really got going I felt it was the type of YA novel that was needed. It talks about how different people handle grief, how great friendships are formed and how even if the adults in your life don't seem to care, they really do. This book touches on the struggles of life and offers an honest perspective on both the good and bad parts of life.

While YA readers may not be able to directly connect with the idea of Vietnam and the draft lottery, they can connect with the ideas of racial discrimination, preferential treatment, privilege and other topics that are present within the book. Rob Rufus does a great job at acknowledging the fact that people can be ignorant without even realizing they are. One of my favorite topics that this book talked about is the idea of courage and what it means to be courageous. There are many different characters throughout the novel and all have a different idea, none of which were necessarily wrong. It showed that courage means different things to different people and that it is okay to not feel the same way as someone else, as long as you remain true to what you believe and respect the beliefs of others.

Hopefully this book is able to show young readers that it is okay to believe in different things and be passionate about those things so long as they are conscious of the beliefs of others and are respectful towards those beliefs.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinion was not affected by the free copy.

This is exactly the sort of YA novel we need out in the world right now. It talks of rebellion and hope, of different layers of courage, it shows that some adults actually care and are involved (even if they are misguided at times), it depicts great friendships, it touches on grief and the struggles of life, and it's honest about both the good and the bad. I requested this book because I'm a music nerd and anything with music as a focal point is good by me, but also because of the point in history this is focusing on.

Like I said, it's very honest about things. It goes into segregation and racial discrimination, it shows preferential treatment and privilege, and it acknowledges how many times people are unknowingly ignorant about things or not speaking up even when they feel there is injustice in the world. To me it didn't feel like those who were ignorant and not speaking up were bad, just that they needed their eyes opened. I like that though these friends fight and disagree, they come back together to talk about it. And as I mentioned, I liked the examination of courage and how there are many different ways of showing it.

There are many ways one can stand up for what they believe in and have their voices be heard. I hope this book inspires everyone who reads it to find their way, and to find their courage.