Allie is one of the last of a dying breed of true vinyl and music appreciators. She works blissfully at Bob and Bob Records, a haven for music enthusiasts in Berkeley, California. Allie would be happy just to live as she is, surrounded by vinyl, forever, but she wonders if there are more people like her out there, such as that cute guy who has spent so much time in the store lately.
Allie starts to reach out to vinyl lovers everywhere by starting a blog, but she begins to learn that she can reach out just within her own neighborhood as well
I have trouble finding the words to describe my experience of reading THE VINYL PRINCESS. It is an understated novel that makes its impact not with an incredible premise or fast-paced action, but with the quirky nuances that often pass by unnoticed in our everyday lives, and I love it so much for doing that.
Allie isand at the same time isntyour average teenage girl. She holds herself above the usual petty melodramas of her peers, which makes her refreshing to read about, as well as gives her a potential crossover appeal. She has a sort of wry narration and a deep confidence in her music knowledge and taste, which at times made me a bit uncomfortable. I couldnt help but imagine that the bookish equivalent of Allie would probably disdain me for reading *sniff* a young adult novel. Ah well. Too bad I still cant help but be interested in people like her, who seem to be so sure of themselves and their passions.
The jacket synopsis doesnt give credit to what goes on in this book. In fact, Allies blog is only a small thing of interest that happens to her in the course of the summer. THE VINYL PRINCESS deals elegantly with family tensions, best friend troubles, economic woes, and the adorable uncertainty of unexpected, budding romance. Even in moments when the plot seems to stumble in terms of believability, nothing really feels disbelievingly dramatic, and Allie and the supporting characters never lost my sympathies.
THE VINYL PRINCESS is a strong contemporary YA novel that will appeal to readers who like voice-driven fiction, featuring a main protagonist who seems older than her years. In fact, Im kind of surprised that this wasnt published as an adult novel, for in many ways its contemplation of society and humanity will be more appreciated by an older audience. It has definitely put Yvonne Prinz on my list of YA authors to watch out for, and I look forward to what she does with other characters in different situations in the future.
Allie starts to reach out to vinyl lovers everywhere by starting a blog, but she begins to learn that she can reach out just within her own neighborhood as well
I have trouble finding the words to describe my experience of reading THE VINYL PRINCESS. It is an understated novel that makes its impact not with an incredible premise or fast-paced action, but with the quirky nuances that often pass by unnoticed in our everyday lives, and I love it so much for doing that.
Allie isand at the same time isntyour average teenage girl. She holds herself above the usual petty melodramas of her peers, which makes her refreshing to read about, as well as gives her a potential crossover appeal. She has a sort of wry narration and a deep confidence in her music knowledge and taste, which at times made me a bit uncomfortable. I couldnt help but imagine that the bookish equivalent of Allie would probably disdain me for reading *sniff* a young adult novel. Ah well. Too bad I still cant help but be interested in people like her, who seem to be so sure of themselves and their passions.
The jacket synopsis doesnt give credit to what goes on in this book. In fact, Allies blog is only a small thing of interest that happens to her in the course of the summer. THE VINYL PRINCESS deals elegantly with family tensions, best friend troubles, economic woes, and the adorable uncertainty of unexpected, budding romance. Even in moments when the plot seems to stumble in terms of believability, nothing really feels disbelievingly dramatic, and Allie and the supporting characters never lost my sympathies.
THE VINYL PRINCESS is a strong contemporary YA novel that will appeal to readers who like voice-driven fiction, featuring a main protagonist who seems older than her years. In fact, Im kind of surprised that this wasnt published as an adult novel, for in many ways its contemplation of society and humanity will be more appreciated by an older audience. It has definitely put Yvonne Prinz on my list of YA authors to watch out for, and I look forward to what she does with other characters in different situations in the future.
Reviewed by Cat for TeensReadToo.com
How does a self-proclaimed music geek with encyclopedic knowledge of vinyl's history survive in an MP3 obsessed, Billboard Top 40 world? If you're sixteen-year-old Allie, you spend every free moment "practically running" Bob & Bob's Records, comb the flea markets of Berkeley for classic LPs, while composing articles for your blog and zine.
Not that any of this means Allie's without a life - thank you very much. She spends plenty of time patronizing the bohemian eateries and coffeehouses populating downtown San Francisco, hanging with best friend and vintage fashion maven Kit, and keeping an eye on her scatterbrained mother as she reenters the dating scene.
Should Allie let her mother's personality-transplant-for-a-boyfriend, or twenty-something stepmother Kee-Kee's pregnancy, send her into a tailspin? Of course not!
Who cares if Bob & Bob's owner keeps threatening to sell the store? He's been saying that for years.
And why worry too much about a series of robberies plaguing businesses along Telegraph Avenue? With regulars like Allie keeping their eyes peeled for anyone suspicious, the police will catch the thieves sooner or later.
So what if Allie hasn't found a boyfriend of her own? Sure, she's got her eye on the mystery hottie "M" who's recently become a customer, but it's not like she expects to stumble across her musical soul mate at work...right?
I *LOVED* this book with a blinding passion! Everything from Allie herself, to her eccentric family and kooky coworkers, the descriptions of food, the plethora of music history and the way Yvonne Prinz infuses the city of San Francisco with so much life and vivacity, it becomes a character in and of itself. Even though I'm an iPod devotee, I got a kick out of Allie's references to MP3s and downloading as "the end of civilization as we know it."
THE VINYL PRINCESS is hip, blunt, quirky, and just plain fabulous - if books were people, I'd marry this one. Seriously guys, this is one you shouldn't miss.
How does a self-proclaimed music geek with encyclopedic knowledge of vinyl's history survive in an MP3 obsessed, Billboard Top 40 world? If you're sixteen-year-old Allie, you spend every free moment "practically running" Bob & Bob's Records, comb the flea markets of Berkeley for classic LPs, while composing articles for your blog and zine.
Not that any of this means Allie's without a life - thank you very much. She spends plenty of time patronizing the bohemian eateries and coffeehouses populating downtown San Francisco, hanging with best friend and vintage fashion maven Kit, and keeping an eye on her scatterbrained mother as she reenters the dating scene.
Should Allie let her mother's personality-transplant-for-a-boyfriend, or twenty-something stepmother Kee-Kee's pregnancy, send her into a tailspin? Of course not!
Who cares if Bob & Bob's owner keeps threatening to sell the store? He's been saying that for years.
And why worry too much about a series of robberies plaguing businesses along Telegraph Avenue? With regulars like Allie keeping their eyes peeled for anyone suspicious, the police will catch the thieves sooner or later.
So what if Allie hasn't found a boyfriend of her own? Sure, she's got her eye on the mystery hottie "M" who's recently become a customer, but it's not like she expects to stumble across her musical soul mate at work...right?
I *LOVED* this book with a blinding passion! Everything from Allie herself, to her eccentric family and kooky coworkers, the descriptions of food, the plethora of music history and the way Yvonne Prinz infuses the city of San Francisco with so much life and vivacity, it becomes a character in and of itself. Even though I'm an iPod devotee, I got a kick out of Allie's references to MP3s and downloading as "the end of civilization as we know it."
THE VINYL PRINCESS is hip, blunt, quirky, and just plain fabulous - if books were people, I'd marry this one. Seriously guys, this is one you shouldn't miss.
