Purple Daze: Review

Purple Daze by Sherry Shahan, read for my "Read Outside Your Comfort Zone" Challenge, and also for the YA Historical Fiction Challenge I'm participating in. (Thanks to the author for providing a few photos to accompany this review!)

Goodreads' description:

"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."

Why is it outside my comfort zone? I've tried a few novels in verse before but never really got into them... I'm not too sure why, perhaps because they're often more sparse and lacking in details than standard novels. I think the few I've read have also been rather emotionally dark and dealt with depressing subject matter. I've never heard of a novel in verse set in the '60s before, though (actually, just generally I think it's a gap in YA fiction) so that particularly interested me about Purple Daze.

Did it win me over? Why or why not? For the most part, yes. It took me a little bit to get into Purple Daze, since there are six main characters, and we jump back and forth between each teen's perspective. I found it difficult to distinguish between each of them at first, but after a while I started getting to know them better. I really enjoyed the letters sent from Phil to Cheryl in particular; I felt that of the characters Phil felt the most real and his voice the most authentic. (It turns out the author based his letters on actual letters she received from an acquaintance serving in Vietnam, so no wonder!)

An actual letter from the author's friend in Vietnam.

Despite the fact that there's no central threat (other than the general threat of the war in Vietnam), and thus not really a driving, overarching plot/storyline, the tone and characters are engaging. Instead of a linear progression, we are just given glimpses into brief moments of 1965 for each teen. I had worried at first that I might have to push through this one, but I found myself getting quite caught up in it and nearing the end sooner than I would have expected.

We do see more of some characters' viewpoints (Phil, Mickey, and Cheryl, I thought) than the others (Nancy, Ziggy and Don). I would have liked a few more excerpts from the characters who were given less screen time, since they remained kind of elusive in my mind's eye. I know there were a lot of subplots hinted at (especially involving Ziggy) but because we're only given snippets from each perspective, I was left a little confused about what was going on with some of the characters. There were a few more dots that could have been connected to make their stories more clear and cohesive.

Best aspect? The atmosphere created by Shahan's writing. It's exceptionally evocative of the '60s era, and the richness and boldness of the characters' voices leaps off the pages.

The slang in this book is groovy. Neato, cool beans, hip – can I be any plainer? In other words, it was far out. (Sorry, but how many opportunities will I get to use '60s jargon in a review? Precious few.) 

And I really enjoyed the deepening friendship between Cheryl and Phil, which we see almost exclusively through Phil's letters to her from Vietnam. I did wish that we could see some of her letters back to him (and to her other friend, Mickey) but at the same time, it was fun to pick up on the hints through Phil's letters alone and have to guess about what Cheryl had written. Phil's personality really shone through in his letters, both his tough exterior and glimpses of a more sensitive side in his respect for Cheryl, and his gratitude to her for keeping up with the correspondence. Also interesting is Phil's changing relationship with the war, beginning with optimism, turning quickly to discomfort and disillusionment, and then to a harder cynicism towards the end.

The "real" Phil, in Vietnam.

If I could change something, I would... Change the 'current events' sections, as I didn't think they connected that well with the characters' stories. There were segments every so often that discussed the current events of the time, in paragraph form. While these were informative, I found myself wanting to skim or skip over them and get back to the "real" story of the six teens. They just felt too dry and textbook-like to really engage me, and broke the flow of the narratives.

Also, a glossary of '60s-specific terms would have been helpful. Some of it was understandable from context, but there were a few times that the slang or other references would go right over my head.

Just one more thing I want to mention: I was actually quite disappointed that we don't get more closure with each teen's story. I liked that it chronicled exactly one year in the life of these six individuals, and that the format of the ending mirrors the beginning, but I was left wanting to know more about how each character turns out (especially given the hints of a Cheryl/Phil dynamic). I really wanted to see a reunion of the six at the end!

Would I read more like this book? Yep, I think so. The verse format didn't actually pose as much of a problem for me as I thought it might, once I got used to it. I thoroughly enjoyed the spot-on '60s vibe I got from Purple Daze, and while I would have appreciated more plot than we're given and a centralized storyline, I do think that a novel in verse can pull off a story through "snapshots" of characters' lives more effectively than a novel of standard prose would be able to.

Final verdict: 3 shooting stars. It was difficult for me to rate this one because I don't really have much to compare it to, having not reviewed any other novels in verse yet, so I am ranking it overall. Compared just to other novels in the same format, though, I expect my rating might be a bit higher. 

Recommend for: both those who lived through the "flower power" era, and those who wish they had experienced it! Note: there is a fair bit of mature language and content in here, so I'd only recommend this one for older YA readers.

Author's website: http://www.sherryshahan.com/

The author then (high school yearbook).

The author now.

Disclaimer: I received this book for review from the author/publisher.

If you haven't signed up yet for the "Read Outside Your Comfort Zone" challenge and would like to, you can fill out the form HERE.

YA Through The Ages: the '60s

The 1960s were really when YA literature started to take off. We've seen how limited (okay, nonexistent) it was in the 1800s and how that gradually started to change through the early 1900s and particularly the 1950s. But the 1960s can be seen as the beginning of a significant number of books being written and published FOR teens. There was definitely some branching out in terms of variety of genres and topics covered (and they were getting pretty experimental with the covers, as you will see), but some clear trends still emerged.

A lot of the books fell into one of four categories:

1.) Books featuring African-American characters, often with themes involving prejudice/racism

The most famous example here is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960), which garnered a fantastic reception and won the Pulitzer Prize. I think it was originally intended for an adult audience, but was adopted into high school curriculum because of the strong appeal for younger readers (I read it for school, although I had a really bad English teacher that year, which unfortunately kind of ruined the book for me).

Others that fall into this category include: Jazz Country by Nat Hentoff (1965), The Contender by Robert Lipsyte (1967), To Be A Slave by Julius Lester (1968; was a Newbery Honor book in 1969), The Soul Brothers and Sister Lou by Kristin Hunter (1968), and Sounder by William Armstrong (1969; won the Newbery Medal in 1970).

Given the context – the African-American Civil Rights Movement that was going on in the 1960s – this trend makes a lot of sense. In 1969 the Coretta Scott King Award was created (named after Martin Luther King, Jr.'s wife), which was given for "books about the African American experience, that are written for a youth audience (high school or below)."

In terms of covers, they seemed to tend towards either simple, silhouette images with contrasting reddish, black and white hues...

...or smudgy sketches toned in a dismal combination of grey and washed-out green. I definitely prefer the first choice.

 

2.) Fantasy, mostly of the epic/traditional bent

We saw this area gain some ground in the earlier 1900s, with J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and T.H. White. But that was nothing compared to the 1960s, where a bunch of authors took their example and ran with it. Books published in the 1960s that are now known as YA fantasy classics were: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (1961; 1963 Newbery Medal winner), The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander (one of these was a 1966 Newbery Honor book, and another won the 1969 Newbery Medal), Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper (1965), and A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (1968).

The cover trend here seems to be shades of blue and green. I'm actually sort of liking the plain but symbolic sci-fi design of the A Wrinkle in Time cover.

Of the books mentioned here the ones I really, really adore are the books by Lloyd Alexander. I absolutely love the journey we are taken on with Taran from impetuous Assistant Pig-keeper to thoughtful leader. The characters are all so distinctive and full of life, personality, and humor that you can't help but fall in love with all of them. (Well, maybe not Arawn the Death-lord. But that's kind of the point.)

Admittedly, their first edition covers leave something to be desired. Okay, a lot to be desired.

 

I realized when I saw these covers that I actually *had* a first edition copy of The Black Cauldron at one point! It was a library discard, falling apart down the middle, and I have no idea what happened to it. I thought the cover was totally ugly so once I got a book of the entire Prydain Chronicles, I have the feeling that this one got given away to charity or something...

3.) Wilderness survival stories

These included Scott O'Dell's Island of the Blue Dolphins (1960) and The Black Pearl (1967; Newbery Honor book), as well as The Cay by Theodore Taylor (1969), The Loner by Ester Wier (1963; 1964 Newbery Honor book), and The Curse of the Viking Grave by Farley Mowat (1966; sequel to Lost in the Barrens, 1956).

I think this is where the "close-up of a face" trend began in YA cover design.

 

But there were a couple covers that bucked the norm. Case in point:

Why have a close-up of a face when you can have a close-up of a GIANT STINGRAY?

Not to mention what mustard yellow parkas will do for your cover...

Of all these I think my favourite is The Loner cover, because I like that they were trying to make the font a bit funkier, and also because I love the wraparound effect onto the back:

Covers aside, this type of story never seems to get old; we saw them way back in the 1800s in the form of Swiss Family Robinson and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. However, I think these 1960s ones were perhaps a little less about the "adventure" part of it and a bit more about the struggle to survive in the face of nature's dangers. I know Island of the Blue Dolphins is popular but I wasn't a big fan. However, I remember reading The Cay in Grade 6 or 7 and really enjoying it.

4.) Realistic fiction, many of which were "problem novels"

The book that arguably made the biggest splash in YA literature in the 1960s was The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (1967). Written for teens, about teens, and BY a teen (she was 18 when it was published!) made it exceptionally different from everything else. Also, it contained content that led it to be banned in some places: gang violence, minors smoking/drinking, mature language, and...wait for it...FAMILY DYSFUNCTION. Shocking!

I have a confession: I don't think I've ever read The Outsiders, at least not cover to cover. I know it's often required for school, but for some reason it wasn't part of our curriculum, and I think I may have tried it but not gotten very far before putting it down. But perhaps I could be convinced to give it another try...

Not a copy with this cover though...it creeps me out. It looks like either several people joined at the hip or a very mutated spider. Anyone else getting that?

Others that could be considered "problem" novels (I guess these are what we call "issue" books now), portraying adolescent life in a more realistic manner, include Paul Zindel's The Pigman (1968) and My Darling, My Hamburger (1969), as well as It's Like This, Cat by Emily Cheney Neville (1964; Newbery Medal book) and Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones by Ann Head (1967). These books addressed topics like teen pregnancy and abortion, drinking, body image, and family strife.

 

I like the use of perspective in both of these covers, but I have to wonder: what's up with all of those benches in The Pigman cover? It's been a long time since I've read it but I don't recall that wooden benches played a crucial role...

This is giving off a major 'psychedelic '60s silhouette' vibe. Also, BEST TITLE EVER.

So, how many of the books mentioned here have you read? Any you would strongly recommend? What cover is your favourite? (Or, um, the one you least dislike?) And anyone want to take a stab at convincing me to read The Outsiders? :D