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Overview
Purple Daze is a young adult novel set in suburban Los Angeles in 1965. Six high school students share their experiences and feelings in interconnected free verse and traditional poems about war, feminism, riots, love, racism, rock 'n' roll, high school, and friendship.
Although there have been verse novels published recently, none explore the changing and volatile 1960's in America-- a time when young people drove a cultural and political revolution. With themes like the costs and casualties of war, the consequences of sex, and the complex relationships between teens, their peers, and their parents, this story is still as relevant today as it was 45 years ago.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
Shahan's (Death Mountain) novel in verse is packed with the experiences and emotions of six suburban Los Angeles high school students during the tumultuous year of 1965, set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War draft, political assassinations, racism, the advent of LSD and Napalm, and rock 'n' roll. More than anything it's a story of innocence lost: Nancy unhappily works in a diner after her boyfriend Phil is drafted; Cheryl is attacked by her "sex pervert" neighbor, and her relationship with Don is on the rocks; and Ziggy runs wild with sex and drugs after her boyfriend, Mickey, joins the Navy ("Think I'll drop out and enlist./ It'd be a blast to blow stuff up"). Telling her story largely through the characters' journal entries, notes, and letters, Shahan also offers interludes about period events, speeches, and culture, further contextualizing the setting and helping illuminate each teen's circumstances and their shared feelings of abandonment, resentment, and betrayal. Shahan's writing pulls no punches as she offers a poignant mosaic that functions on personal and universal levels. Ages 14–up. (Mar.)Children's Literature -
It is 1965 and a group of friends are preparing for life beyond high school. Their stories are told in letters. Some are sent to each other and others are written as assignments for the teacher. Each letter reveals sentiments and feelings expected of teenagers living in the turbulent and changing times of 1965. Interspersed throughout the letters are short reports that tell of the events happening at the time. Many young men were burning their draft cards, Dr. King was marching for civil rights, and drugs such as LSD were being made in makeshift laboratories. Readers will better understand the friends' feelings and actions as they see how they are affected by these unsettling times. Readers will also get to know each of the six friends and will empathize with every one of them, especially as they lose their innocence and are forced into a chaotic and confusing society. This compelling novel is moving and evocative. The characters will live with the reader long after the book is finished. Reviewer: Denise DaleyVOYA -
Six teens attend a Los Angeles suburban high school in 1965. Their stories interweave through poetic prose, free writing, and free verse. The Vietnam war, riots, civil rights battles, and protests combine with teen angst, young love, and rock and roll. Don's hippie parents tune in and out, while Cheryl, his college-bound girlfriend, tries to bond with her single mom. Mickey ditches his alcoholic dad for the Navy, and his discarded girlfriend, Ziggy, seeks comfort in meaningless sex and drugs. Phil is drafted and sent to 'Nam, while his girl, Nancy, moves on to feminist stances and independence. Letters from Phil and Mickey to Cheryl provide powerful, realistic images of the war that dominated the decade and ripped apart their friendships. A brief time line begins and ends the book, along with a historical chronology. Shahan captures the tension and desperation of 1960s young people who were caught up in the events while highlighting the chaos with song lyrics. Purple Daze will enable young adults to identity on a personal level with The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien (Houghton Mifflin, 1990), which is often included in curriculum lists. Reviewer: Judith A. HaynSchool Library Journal
Gr 9 Up—This novel-in-verse features snapshots of the turbulence of 1965 as caught in both a wide angle and telephoto lens. It not only follows the lives of several southern California teenagers through the young folks' own poetry, journal entries, and letters, but it also focuses on the bigger picture: Vietnam, Civil Rights, Malcolm X, LSD, pot, war protest, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and feminism. History lessons in third-person prose are sprinkled throughout the more human scale of poetry depicting teen musings and angst, but no segment fills more than a page, making the book perfect for short attention spans. From the three dating couples who populate and pen the poems, some central characters emerge. Ziggy, the easy chick who sleeps with her boyfriend, Mickey, barely survives his absence when he joins the Navy. Cheryl won't put out for her stateside guy, Don, and is actually the perfect wartime pen pal for the other two military teens: Mickey aboard the USS Hermitage and especially Phil, who is drafted to soldier in Nam and whose letters will evoke sympathy. Infidelity, abortion, friendship, grief, personal growth, and forgiveness are just some of the issues involved. While the poetry is neither particularly lyrical nor deft, it does manage to communicate story. Reluctant readers may be the best audience to enjoy this fast ride through the period.—Suzanne Gordon, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill, GABook Details
Published
July 31, 2012
Publisher
Running Press Book Publishers
Pages
224
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780762446094