The Vinyl Underground

(Paperback)

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Description

A Vietnam-era Breakfast Club bonds over music and their distaste for the Vietnam War and decides to take a stand against the US government and the violent racism in their own town. Dig it. During the tumultuous year of 1968, four teens are drawn together: Ronnie Bingham, who is grieving his brother's death in Vietnam; Milo, Ronnie's bookish best friend; "Ramrod," a star athlete who is secretly avoiding the draft; and Hana, the new girl, a half-Japanese badass rock-n-roller whose presence doesn't sit well with their segregated high school. The four outcasts find sanctuary in "The Vinyl Underground," a record club where they spin music, joke, debate, and escape the stifling norms of their small southern town. But Ronnie's eighteenth birthday is looming. Together, they hatch a plan to keep Ronnie from being drafted. But when a horrific act of racial-charged violence rocks the gang to their core, they decide it's time for an epic act of rebellion. AGES: 14 to 18

Reviews

A novel about grand ideals and hard lessons. Kirkus Reviews
"This book fuses these events in American history with a defiant rock-and-roll edge that will keep readers engrossed to the very end."Booklist
Big topics include alienation, grief, patriotism, racism, generational clashes, and the question of what heroism really is. Recommended.School Library Connection
Highly recommended, unforgettable historical fiction. Historical Novels Society
"Rufus skillfully uses period details to recreate the cultural atmosphere of 1968."Chapter16.org

Author Bio

Rob Rufus is an author, musician, screenwriter, and activist. His literary debut, Die Young With Me (Touchtone 2016) received the American Library Associations Alex Award and was named one of The Best Books of The Year by Hudson Booksellers. It is currently being developed for the screen. Rob lives in East Nashville, Tennessee. Catch him on the road, or find out more at www.robrufus.net.