No Alternative

Dec 10, 2012 Jayne M. rated it 5 of 5 stars

This impressive novel takes place in the 90s, right after Kurt Cobain died.
As the title indicates and the times would predict, the central theme of the book centers around suicide. As haunting as the, it is never morbid or depressing. Through the story of Thomas and Bridget and their friends and contemporaries, No Alternative provides a window into real understanding of the circumstances in which suicide can be seen as a rational choice for these young people. As haunting as that may sound, the...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Chris Mendius rated it 5 of 5 stars

William Dickerson's haunting debut novel "No Alternative" takes place in and around Yonkers, New York shortly after Kurt Cobain shot himself in 1994. Though it isn't necessarily spelled out in the early part of the narrative, a highly insightful and daring introduction indicates that suicide will play a central part in the story and the themes driving it. And if taking your own life is something you ever considered, even if only as a fleeting thought, “No Alternative” will blow you away. However...more William Dickerson's haunting debut novel "No Alternative" takes place in and around Yonkers, New York shortly after Kurt Cobain shot himself in 1994. Though it isn't necessarily spelled out in the early part of the narrative, a highly insightful and daring introduction indicates that suicide will play a central part in the story and the themes driving it. And if taking your own life is something you ever considered, even if only as a fleeting thought, “No Alternative” will blow you away. Howevers, you don't need a troubled past to enjoy it; this deeply moving story is for anyone who can appreciate a great novel.

It starts with the sharp and nuanced portrayal of the characters, the core of which comprise a single nuclear family. Thomas Harrison is, as Dickerson puts it, "the favorite, the only son. And sick of all that." He's also a drummer who jams in a garage band when his creative impulse is not crippled by sadness over the recent death of Kurt Cobain. Bridget is his preppy younger sister who is "trouble, troubling and troubled." She's also an artist who sketches fruit and listens to loud rap music because her brother, her family and her friends all hate it. William is their father that managed to become a State Supreme Court Justice despite a fascinating backstory that includes military service as a Green Beret in Viet Nam and a failed attempt to smuggle home an M60 machine gun for posterity. Maureen is his wife and their mother, a sarcastic hippie version of Martha Stewart with her own colorful past. Aside from the Harrison clan are a number of interesting and funny characters that Dickerson fleshes out so well in the course of the story along with his vivid portrayal of the time and place--New York in the early 1990s.

Along with perfectly capturing the anxiety and alienation of life as a teenager for some, Dickerson also manages to provide a real education about the music scene at that time, which drives the narrative like another powerful character. And he does it without being didactic thanks to a deep passion for the music itself found in both his characters and the narration. He weaves this passion in and out of a complex yet cohesive plot with shifting perspectives that are written seamlessly. In the end, as the title suggests, the conclusion should be obvious yet the story is still surprising and particularly effective. This is the result of a deft narrative shift toward the end of the book which comes from an original and very moving place.

Written for music fans as well as lovers of truly excellent literary fiction, "No Alternative" is one book not to be missed.(less)

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Nov 18, 2012 Susie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: insatiable-booksluts-reviewed, self-published

Rob, an IB contributor, gave this book 5/5 stars on InsatiableBooksluts.com. A copy was provided by the author.

Review excerpt:

"Music is only a vehicle for this book. It is far less about grunge or punk or rap than it is about why this music bubbles to the surface of society the way it does, why it takes hold of you as a teen and becomes a way of life. It isn’t about the music itself, it’s about why we listen to it, how it makes us all feel a little less fragile in a great big scary world, and wh...more Rob, an IB contributor, gave this book 5/5 stars on InsatiableBooksluts.com. A copy was provided by the author.

Review excerpt:

"Music is only a vehicle for this book. It is far less about grunge or punk or rap than it is about why this music bubbles to the surface of society the way it does, why it takes hold of you as a teen and becomes a way of life. It isn’t about the music itself, it’s about why we listen to it, how it makes us all feel a little less fragile in a great big scary world, and why we feel so fragile to begin with–ideas that Mr. Dickerson has hidden underneath his, I suspect, deliberately misleading synopsis. While the book takes place in 1994, some months after Kurt Cobain’s death, Cobain’s death serves only as a focal point; Cobain’s spirit serves as a sort of guide. Not in the sense that he’s a character in the book, just as something you’ll keep in the back of your mind as you read. It doesn’t really matter if you’re a child of the ’60s, ’70s, ’80′s, or ’90s, this book will speak to you. The guiding spirit could just as easily be Hendrix or Morrison. As I said, it’s not about the music, it’s about why we need it.

...

Characters: every one etched with the brutal clarity of a razor blade and shining as bright as a diamond. These characters breathe. You’ve met them. Convincing, compelling, they are about as real as fictional characters can get.

Humor: sad and cynical, and often painful.

Writing: direct, sympathetic, and not a little cunning. My emotions were engaged from the first line (in fact, the first line pissed me off) and didn’t let up once til the end and all without making me feel as if I were being blatantly manipulated. That’s a personal pet peeve of mine, one that would likely make a good topic for Reading Rage. I don’t like it when my emotions are being jerked around in an obvious way, which Mr. Dickerson does not do. He writes his story and leaves it up to you to feel. Or not. But I did say he was cunning, yes? You won’t notice it though, not til the end."

See the full review at our site.(less)

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Nov 05, 2012 Andrew rated it 1 of 5 stars

In an article Stewart wrote for his college music zine, The Note, he didn’t quite suggest that Cobain was a surrealist, but he did imply that his mere existence, and its place in history, may in fact be surreal. His music brought rock and roll back from the dead. Literally. Rock and roll up until that point was dominated by schlocky, vampiric hair-bands, who for all intents and purposes, resembled the featured extras in a homoerotic remake of Night of the Living Dead. Zombies in tight sparkle pa...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Melanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Being born in the mid 80's, I wasn't quite old enough in 1994 to mourn the loss of Kurt Cobain or appreciate the debut album of Green Day. Admittedly, I did spend quite a bit of time in the later 90's being a punk/alternative/wanna be grunge kid so I can relate to some of the social aspects of this book in a way that made me cringe and laugh at the same time.

I wasn't a fan of the writing style of the book. The introductions of characters and important objects were always given a thorough, sever...more Being born in the mid 80's, I wasn't quite old enough in 1994 to mourn the loss of Kurt Cobain or appreciate the debut album of Green Day. Admittedly, I did spend quite a bit of time in the later 90's being a punk/alternative/wanna be grunge kid so I can relate to some of the social aspects of this book in a way that made me cringe and laugh at the same time.

I wasn't a fan of the writing style of the book. The introductions of characters and important objects were always given a thorough, several page long back story. In some cases it worked and in some cases it did not and I felt that it made the story jagged rather than flowing. I also didn't like the glimpses into the future in random parts of the book (ie. the mention of cell phones and text messages not existing or who dies in the future) as it pulled me out of the story. There were portions where I was hooked and other parts when I wanted that segment of the story to be over. I thought the changes of perspective were necessary but felt that none of the characters had their own voice or tone, they were unique but I never felt an obvious shift between them.

Anyway, this book takes place in 1994, months after the suicide of Kurt Cobain. Thomas is a high school senior who is grunge alternative, right down to his strategically chosen shoes. His family doesn't necessarily hide behind the perfect, rich family facade but it is definitely implied that could be happening outside of Thomas's teenaged perspective. His father is a judge and former Green Beret. His mother is a loving mother with a passion for art and a hippy, free love past. His younger sister, Bridget is quirky and is the product of an RX happy therapist. Thomas is different for the sake of being different while Bridget is different because she really is different. She has obvious social anxieties and an inability to cope with the feelings involved with those anxieties. She has suffered through years of therapy and a medicine cabinet full of bottles.

Thomas uncovers his drum set in the fall of 1994 after mourning the death of Cobain and he decides with all of his being that he wants to start a band. And he wants this band to be the face of grunge. Throughout the course of the story we meet his band mates, Connor, Elias, Jeremy, and their self proclaimed manager, Alex. Much to the dismay of Thomas's parents, all the practicing happens in the garage at their house. Amidst more guy drama than I thought was possible, the group plays original songs and seem to be OK. Their lives together don't just revolve around the band, they get into a fair amount of trouble with girls, drugs, and alcohol along the way.

While Thomas is engrossed with his band, we see into the life of his sister Bridget. She's different than most characters I've encountered but that made her more tangible. Bri Da B was the strangest alter ego but it fit her persona and it worked for her.

The ending of this book shocked me and caught me off guard. Think Donnie Darko without the time traveling and strange bunnies, a death helps to save a life (or lives). This story was obsessed with the notion and reasoning of suicide, so it was bound to happen but it didn't happen to the person I expected. I was surprised when I realized that the story continued after the fatal blow. Call it a morale of the story or a chance for closure, but it worked.(less)

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Apr 22, 2013 Victoria Hamel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Coming into the story with no preconceived ideas, only knowing that Kurt Cobain's suicide would feature prominently, I was curious and hesitant. Suicide is such an enormously verboten topic, I don't know that many of us like to poke a stick at it, much less read about it. So I took a deep breath and dove into the story and read and waited for the inevitable shoe to drop. And it did, and with the darkness of that death, came awakening.

No Alternative;, is rooted in the depression and disassociati...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Annabel Smith added it

The idea of what it means to be ‘alternative’ is explored through the stories of siblings Thomas and Bridget. Thomas, a Nirvana devotee, has formed a grunge band and embraced the fashion sense of his idol Kurt Cobain. By contrast, Bridget has styled herself as a rapper called Bri-da-B. A white woman in a black man’s world, a complete aberration in her preppy, waspy school and neighbourhood, Bridget is a true alternative and a really strong, interesting character.

Dickerson has faithfully recreate...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Matt rated it 3 of 5 stars

When asked to review Dickerson's book, I was unsure what I would get. The author approached me directly, asking for a "fair" review, which I interpreted to mean "tell me what you think, not what looks best on Goodreads," for anyone can candy-coat to help sales figures. And so, I chose to undertake this task and hoped for the best.

Let me preface the review by saying that I usually pre-select my books (admittedly NYT authors, or those who write storylines with which I have a great interest) and so...more When asked to review Dickerson's book, I was unsure what I would get. The author approached me directly, asking for a "fair" review, which I interpreted to mean "tell me what you think, not what looks best on Goodreads," for anyone can candy-coat to help sales figures. And so, I chose to undertake this task and hoped for the best.

Let me preface the review by saying that I usually pre-select my books (admittedly NYT authors, or those who write storylines with which I have a great interest) and so I know what to expect. Usually, I know my authors fairly well or have some review to read to help pique my interest. This experiment in reading was fairly new to me, but one that I thought I ought to take, if for no other reason that to broaden my horizons.

Dickerson takes the reader on a journey into mid-90s USA, where music is morphing into many things and teenagers are grasping to understand what is going on to their favourite pastime. Kurt Cobain is dead and this has surely had a large impact on those who are coming of age. We see life through the eyes of many; the angst-filled early teen, who is trying to find her niche; the seventeen year-old main character, Thomas, who wants to find his own place and use Cobain's death to help shape his own; the parental units of these teens, whose flashbacks to their own teen lives leave them wondering how the next generation could ever cope, had they been alive in those scary 60s. All that, with strains of rebellion, teenage awkwardness, sex, and moment of self-discovery, leave the reader to wonder what each page will bring.

I enjoyed the premise of the book and its attempts to present a gritty side to what is surely a grungy time in the lives of these characters. Being slightly younger than these characters (if I were to transport myself back to my age in 1994), I cannot feel the same passions or pains that Thomas and his friends felt for Cobain and his death, though I do remember the event. Some of the great nuances of the story do pop up and are only resolved in the last chapter, when you see things from a completely different perspective. Dickerson is quite clever in doing this and did, in my mind, turn parts of the story on its head by ending the book as he did, in the narration technique he chose.

I felt a strong belief in the characters, such that I could see these people actually existing, with their flaws and struggles, as well as their goals and victories. Dickerson paints them in a great way and his use of narration does bring them off the page. He does deserve praise for that!

While the main focus of the book pushes forward with much success, Dickerson uses an excessive amount of tangential narration, which, in my opinion, takes away from the flow of the book. When introducing characters, do not place them in the larger scheme of the book and then, in the next sentence (and for pages) insert a back story about them. Perhaps there is a way to introduce the character, have their role fit nicely into the plot, and use a section of the chapter thereafter to explain this back-story. It happens repeatedly and left me wondering if this was an editor's way to chop up what could be an interesting story.

Would I read another Dickerson novel? I can see myself doing so, certainly. Did I enjoy this one? For the most part, yes. While bands, music, teen sex, and the associated rebellion are not my usual topics of choice, I did enjoy the book and the author is to be commended.
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Aug 30, 2012 Rich D. rated it 5 of 5 stars

"No Alternative" is the debut novel from William Dickerson and it is a very good one. The novel focuses primarily on the lives of siblings Thomas and Bridget Harrison and their experiences as teenagers during the 90s. Thomas is a grunge fan inspired by Kurt Cobain and his love for music to start a band called The Latterday Saints with his friends while his sister Bridget is an artist and decides to start her own music career as a male gangster rapper called Bri Da B.

The thing that I loved most...more "No Alternative" is the debut novel from William Dickerson and it is a very good one. The novel focuses primarily on the lives of siblings Thomas and Bridget Harrison and their experiences as teenagers during the 90s. Thomas is a grunge fan inspired by Kurt Cobain and his love for music to start a band called The Latterday Saints with his friends while his sister Bridget is an artist and decides to start her own music career as a male gangster rapper called Bri Da B.

The thing that I loved most about "No Alternative" is the depth in which every character, major and minor alike, is developed. In a combination of what I think is just excellent writing and Dickerson's background as a filmmaker, every character seems thoroughly developed and you begin to feel like you know all the characters. Dickerson does an excellent job of allowing readers to feel like they are part of Thomas and Bridget’s life and he does an excellent job of portraying what their daily lives were like. Bridget has grown up feeling different from everyone else, which is partially why she develops the Bri Da B persona, and has been taking a slew of prescription drugs most of her life. Thomas is a huge music fan whose passion is the center of his life and a way to cope with the feeling of something missing in his life.

Dickerson's film making background also gives the novel a very cinematic feel. While reading the novel, you can clearly imagine every scene in the novel and feel like you know the characters and the town they call home. The attention to detail and character development is what makes “No Alternative” a very gripping read, because you find yourself relating to the characters and caring about what paths they are choosing to take.

While the novel is set in the 90s, this is a story that could have taken place in any era. The depiction of teenagers who feel alienated and lost is still a feeling that resonates today. Suicide is still something that affects people every day and “No Alternative” gives a very sobering look at the subject and its impact on those who experience it.

The writing in “No Alternative” is excellent. The story was deeply engrossing and Dickerson’s talent is evident throughout. As a music fan, the scenes of Thomas and his friends starting a band and trying to make it were extremely fun to read. It focused on the pure side of music, just a bunch of kids coming together to follow their dreams. I really related to the members of The Latterday Saints and their passion for music, something I experienced when I first began writing about music. I also enjoyed the musical references to some of my favorite 90s bands like Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr, Smashing Pumpkins, etc.
I cannot wait to see what comes next from Wiliam Dickerson and I hope he plans to write more novels!
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Jun 09, 2012 Lanie Malone rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: five-star-reads, reviewed

From the first sentence, to the very last, this book pulled at a part of me that has long been buried and forgotten. It is an incredibly powerful narrative on teen suicide in the 90’s, a time when suicide was reaching nearly epidemic proportions for Generation X. I don’t know if anyone my age, anywhere in the country, made it out of high school without knowing at least one person (however loose the association may have been) who committed suicide. Personally, at 32 years old, I have still attend...more From the first sentence, to the very last, this book pulled at a part of me that has long been buried and forgotten. It is an incredibly powerful narrative on teen suicide in the 90’s, a time when suicide was reaching nearly epidemic proportions for Generation X. I don’t know if anyone my age, anywhere in the country, made it out of high school without knowing at least one person (however loose the association may have been) who committed suicide. Personally, at 32 years old, I have still attended more funerals for suicides than all other causes of death combined. Some of them were mere acquaintances, some of them were so much more, and the impact their deaths had on me is something that I still carry with me today, for better or for worse.

If you’re looking for a sweet, fluffy, wholesome read…look elsewhere.
This is book is deep.

On to the more technical type stuff:

Characters: I have to say that Jeremy, was hands down my favorite, despite his seemingly small role. His part near the end is, absolutely, the most critical for the future. I know I’m being cryptic, but if you read the book you’ll understand. I refuse to give anything away though.

I loved Bridget as well. She is incredibly bold in her craziness, but then I don’t think that she really is crazy, not in a clinical sense. To me, she is just misunderstood.

Thomas, I don’t even know what to say about, really. The way his thought processes are written, they feel so authentic and so real. It was like taking a walk inside the mind of a teenage boy…as scary as that sounds.

Jackie, while not the most likeable chick in the world is also a very believable character. I felt that her motivations were very realistic. We often wonder why a character does whatever it is that they do, but in this case, the reasoning behind her behavior makes perfect sense in the way that only the teenage brain can make something so stupid make sense. Did that make sense? Again, I know I’m being very vague, but I really hate throwing out spoilers.

Plot: No Alternative has an excellent plot that reads very much like your average teenage drama, but with the wisdom, humor, and insight that can only be achieved by someone with greater analytical prowess than my own. Jackie isn’t the only character whose motivations are clear and genuine, everything and everyone in the book behaves pretty much the way you would expect from a teen, but unlike when we were actually in that age range, we get to see WHY they act that way. Being able to, not only see, but recreate those behaviors in such an authentic fashion is brilliant. It is like a behind the scenes look at the inner working of the teenage psyche.

About halfway through this book I realized something; I enjoyed the writing style so much, that I really didn’t care how it was going to end. The end could have been horrible, and I would have still felt the book was worth reading. It is gritty. It is real. It is horribly depressing, and yet oddly uplifting, in its accurate depiction of life.

There was only one thing that left me really at a loss; the suicide. But then I suppose that question is all part of the point. Whenever anyone commits suicide, the first question is always, “why?” There is never a clear answer, and after reading this I can only come to the same conclusion that I came to in high school; you’ll never know why. The person committing suicide probably couldn’t give you a clearly defined answer themselves. It is easy to sit on the sidelines, look at your accumulated knowledge of a person and their life and say, “But he had so much going for him, why would he throw it all away?” It is impossible to ‘put yourself in someone’s shoes’ to the point where you could ever really understand what would motivate them to take their own life. To quote directly from the book, “At the most basic level, I think the real answer to the question was ejected from my brain the second I put a hole through it.”

Some things are simply beyond words, and beyond understanding.
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Sep 11, 2012 C.V. Hunt rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was approached by the author to review No Alternative after he read my review of Kurt Cobain’s Journals. Anyone who knows me well, or has read some of my books, knows I’m a big nirvana fan. After I read the description I thought I’d be an idiot to not take a crack at reading it. After all, this book had a history I’d lived through, and an insightful approach to my generation.

The story starts in October of 1994, shortly after the death of Kurt Cobain, when “grunge” music was booming. A seventee...more I was approached by the author to review No Alternative after he read my review of Kurt Cobain’s Journals. Anyone who knows me well, or has read some of my books, knows I’m a big nirvana fan. After I read the description I thought I’d be an idiot to not take a crack at reading it. After all, this book had a history I’d lived through, and an insightful approach to my generation.

The story starts in October of 1994, shortly after the death of Kurt Cobain, when “grunge” music was booming. A seventeen year-old, Thomas, with the help of his love for music, and dusty set of drums, decides to start his own band. His sister, Bridget, (fifteen years-old) hates Thomas’s music and is struggling to find her own identity. The teens are raised in a privileged household, on the East Coast, with a father who’s a judge and their mother is a homemaker.

I had trouble sympathizing with the teens since I lived through this era, experiencing the same timeline, but was not raised in a well-to-do household. “Grunge” is a different experience when you’re from a small town in the Midwest, and you can’t afford a pair of Allstar Chucks.

But this book is the perfect example why I refuse to leave a star rating for a book unless I complete it. While the story is engaging, the narration becomes sidetracked for several pages at a time to give the reader a history lesson on the economy and music from the 1960’s and 1980’s. This may be something a younger person would enjoy if they didn’t know about how the events in those eras effected 1994, but since I lived it, it just felt excessive to the story at hand. There was also a lot of commentary throughout the book that seemed unnecessary, but is redeemed and explained in the last 15% of the book. (I’m not sure of the exact page numbers. I read this on my Kindle.)

Overall I liked this book, but I wished the history lessons had been eliminated. It’s well written, but sometimes I just want a story about people living their lives and let me take it in and interrupted it in my own mind how I would like. Not everything has to be explained away.
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Sep 18, 2012 Mandy - Lace Vintage ♥ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: music, reality-bites, my-reviews

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review, so here goes.....

~2.5~

Suicide is unbiased, non-partisan. It transcends gender, perhaps even species. In a biological sense, it’s pure. Page 9. Chapter 1.

I've never been a fan of "grunge" it always seem like some lame try hard rich kids bitching & dressing like hobo's while making pretty lame try hard music....hmmfff.....give me punk, horror punk, Screamo,Psychobilly,Dark cabaret, anything just make ithard core!....So about now you may...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Greg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, books-about-music

This book has been a pain in my ass to review. I've been trying to write it every Sunday night for the past month. I've written tons and tons of shit, most of it stuff I just don't feel like sharing.

I'm starting over from scratch.

No Alternative, is the name of the book. It's also the name of a Patti Smith produced benefit compilation from I think 1993. It was a good compilation of Alternative bands at the time and it had some interesting other-versions of tracks by some of the artists. I norma...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: music, e-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I finished this on the plane, complete with tears and snot. This is the story of my generation and something future generations I think will be able relate to as well. Generations X, Y, Z - unknown, lost, full of loss, and anger. Still angry to this day, indeed. Sex, drugs, rock n roll, and suicide are prevelant themes through out this story.

The narrative is told in third person, which is a challenging format to write in, but for this story it actually worked out fantastically well! The last boo...more I finished this on the plane, complete with tears and snot. This is the story of my generation and something future generations I think will be able relate to as well. Generations X, Y, Z - unknown, lost, full of loss, and anger. Still angry to this day, indeed. Sex, drugs, rock n roll, and suicide are prevelant themes through out this story.

The narrative is told in third person, which is a challenging format to write in, but for this story it actually worked out fantastically well! The last book I read in third person and really enjoyed was Anna Karenina, so this is saying a lot.

The characters I could really relate to the most were Bridget aka Bri Da B, Jeremy, and Thomas, in that order. Bridget and Thomas are brother and sister. Bridget is very artistic. She likes to paint, play her keyboard, and come up with raps. Bri Da B is her alter ego. Thomas is also artistic. He plays drums, because it is the one instrument that is designed to annoy. Neither one can relate to their parents, and their parents have a hard time relating to them, as well. Both have a lot to work out with themselves. Jeremy is the bass player in the same band Thomas plays drums for, The Latterday Saints. As a band they performed the shortest gig ever in the basement of the church, but it's one that everyone who was present fondly remembers. Soon after this iconic performance Thomas discovers he has genital warts. He got it from the only person he's ever slept with, Jackie. Jackie is a strange character. She's only in the book for a short amount of time and as a reader, she's the one character I'd like to know more about. Anyways, after this, Thomas is understandably upset and depressed. He then goes into his parents room, pulls out the gun, and blows his head off. Bridget is the one to find him and the way she describes this moment is both lovely in it's clinical details and emotionally heart wrenching. However, this moment, allows Jeremy to tell Bridget his secrets after the funeral, and they are forever friends. This is the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, so to speak.

I had no idea what this book was about when I picked it up, but I'm really glad I did, since I really enjoyed it. This is William Dickerson's first novel, but I really hope it won't be his last.(less)

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Oct 02, 2012 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 07, 2012 Rosie added it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. First, I want to mention that the author approached me to write a review of his book. I was certainly flattered, and am grateful for the opportunity.

I've been considering for a few weeks since finishing the book how many stars to give it. At this point, as I am still unsure, I am leaving it unrated. As a writer (though unpublished) myself, several small things added up for me to detract from my reading experience.

I will say that the narrative voice in this novel is very strong and steady in its...more First, I want to mention that the author approached me to write a review of his book. I was certainly flattered, and am grateful for the opportunity.

I've been considering for a few weeks since finishing the book how many stars to give it. At this point, as I am still unsure, I am leaving it unrated. As a writer (though unpublished) myself, several small things added up for me to detract from my reading experience.

I will say that the narrative voice in this novel is very strong and steady in its quirky, against-the-Man attitude throughout the novel. I enjoyed the snarky undercurrent of the narration.

What I kept trying to figure out throughout the story, though, was: What do these people want? I almost never understood any of the characters' motivations. Not only that, but I had difficulty understanding how they related (or, as it were, didn't relate) to one another. For example, in the first chapter there is a flashback scene between Thomas and his father, the crew-cut, ex-military guy who, in my imagination, was cut from similar cloth as the neighbor's father in American Beauty (without the gay slant). Coming from a military family myself, and having been about the same age as Thomas in 1994, I feel that I could have strongly understood their relational dynamics. However, Thomas insults his father with foul language (which I would repeat except that I don't know Goodreads' policy on such things), and what I would have expected from the father would have been anger that boiled until it exploded in a fitful rage of yelling, grounding, etc., when what actually transpired is almost a farcical chase scene that reminded me of two teenage boys as opposed to son and father.

I also thought much of the character development was either lacking or non-existent. For example, the mother, who as a character was so flat to be almost unmemorable, and hence my inability to remember her name, has no development until well over halfway through the book. She simply appears in scenes and then disappears again, or fades into the background to be forgotten. By the time her backstory appears, in my mind, I had already created a persona for her, which I couldn't connect to the woman who had barely graced the pages prior.

Finally, while I did enjoy the flavor of the voice, I had a few problems with the narration. First, the story is told in present tense, and yet it's also peppered with tidbits of future knowledge, like references to Sex in the City, which seemed at the time like the author interfering, or the workings of some kind of timeless narrational god. Yet, come to find out, the narrator is a post-mortem Thomas, relaying his tale from beyond the grave. Okay, under some circumstances, I could handle this just fine, though it's a tad cliche. In this case, however, I can't oblige, and for one simple reason. Before Thomas dies, he is obviously still the narrator (though the reader doesn't know this yet), and he is narrating events in which he never took part, entire scenes in which he never appears, when, for instance, his parents are alone with each other, or events in his sister's life that he didn't know about until after he died. This is a narrational impossibility. Unless we're going to start playing with the physics of time and space, or Thomas has the ability in death to move through time, there is no way he could be the narrator for events during his own life when he had no participation in them.

Dickerson's central idea for this novel ultimately had my attention, the death of rock and roll, the conflict of race found through music in the mid-90s. There was so much I wanted from this book. It just left me wanting so much more.(less)

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Nov 23, 2012 Nate rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012-cycle

So somewhere around the mid 90s the whole Generation X thing got to be just a huge marketing tool. People loved to brand this whole "slacker generation" as Generation X. Now twenty years later it feels like William Dickerson is trying to contrive up nostalgia for this whole time and generation that got overbranded. I didn't buy into the self consciously and meticulously slacker persona that Thomas was donning. I didn't buy into the suicide. I didn't buy into Bridgett's persona as anything more t...more So somewhere around the mid 90s the whole Generation X thing got to be just a huge marketing tool. People loved to brand this whole "slacker generation" as Generation X. Now twenty years later it feels like William Dickerson is trying to contrive up nostalgia for this whole time and generation that got overbranded. I didn't buy into the self consciously and meticulously slacker persona that Thomas was donning. I didn't buy into the suicide. I didn't buy into Bridgett's persona as anything more than words written on a page. It was just bullshit. And I don't mean that as a derogatory statement. I mean it just all felt filler. It felt too much like a writer trying to sound like a writer. The whole time I felt like rolling my eyes.

Dickerson tries so hard to sound culturally savvy and aphoristic that it just sounds dumb. Need I remind you that this is a book about the 90s. So putting on a sociological savvy voice about a time gone by about teenagers that act as shallow and stupid as teenagers are. I mean cliche loaded teenagers, but as a former teen I can tell you that that's what my life was filled with. You've got your typical teens making out in the back of the car, teens trying to get their band to "make it" (don't even get me started on the fact that there's virtually no buildup or chemistry legitimized in the text to make me feel like these kids even really know each other), and there's your typical depressed teen who is over-medicated. It feels like a lot of cookie cutter characters that are as dimensional as a Cartesian y-coordinate.

If I were going to categorize this book I'd think it belongs closer to the YA spectrum of things, which is not typically my taste in literature. I've read John Green. That's it. It has a kind of feel of a really cheap Nick Hornby if Nick were American and less into his characters. Now while I would recommend Hornby to people, because he's got talented voice and emotion in his characters, I wouldn't recommend this book. Ultimately tries too hard and seems to take the his material more seriously than the reader. Which leaves me, a millenial, asking what does this matter to me? (less)

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Nov 13, 2012 Angie ~aka Reading Machine~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads-review-books

I've read many books over the reads yet none have touch on before, during, and after affects of suicide on a whole family. This is what presented in No Alternative from the beginning to the end of the book was poignant process of the affects and effects all together. The family showcased thru out the book is the Harrison family. They're a well to do family living thru 1990's generation. I remember most of this time period as a young adult just after graduating high school and going to college wh...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

I’ll start off by declaring that I was (and still am) obsessed with the grunge-era. I was one of those teenagers who spent 6 months—make that years—mourning the death of Nirvana front man, Kurt Cobain. April 5, 1994. The day the music died in my little corner of the world. Suffice to say, I instantly found myself connecting with the teen protagonists in this book. I WAS one of those teens. Thomas, one half of the brother-sister team of protagonists, and his band mates could have very well been f...more I’ll start off by declaring that I was (and still am) obsessed with the grunge-era. I was one of those teenagers who spent 6 months—make that years—mourning the death of Nirvana front man, Kurt Cobain. April 5, 1994. The day the music died in my little corner of the world. Suffice to say, I instantly found myself connecting with the teen protagonists in this book. I WAS one of those teens. Thomas, one half of the brother-sister team of protagonists, and his band mates could have very well been friends of mine, turning their feelings of loss into a creative incentive. It is a common human defense mechanism—to channel pain into something beautiful. (OK, well, maybe labeling grunge music as “beautiful” is overselling it a bit, but the philosophy is sound)

I found a lot of beauty illustrated in the pages of this novel that are also rifled with pain and raw human emotion. Beautiful chaos is what comes to mind, when reflecting on this author’s writing style. A bit reminiscent of Chuck Pahlaniuk’s rapid-fire sardonic wit—a style of which I am quite fond. It may not work for everyone, but I think it works particularly well for this particular content-- layering the rich background of the time period in question, while conveying the tumultuous nature of being a teenager in any era. It succeeds in bringing to life this small chunk of history and, most importantly, does so in a way that makes it feel genuine.

What has stuck with me the most after finishing this book, is the uniquely hilarious –and very troubled-- character of Bridget, Thomas’ younger sister. Here is a young girl whose talent is often overshadowed by her personal demons—insecurities, anxiety, everything a normal teenager feels amplified by 1000. She doesn’t strive to be different, she just IS—whether that is to her benefit or detriment. And through her “different” type of behavior, a lot of humor could be derived. It is her journey that really captured my attention and elevated this story from a casual read, to a deeply enjoyable character study. This is a girl I felt compelled to read about and, more importantly, to root for. She felt very real to me, and it was in following Bridget’s artistic and emotional journey that this story came to a satisfying close.(less)

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Sep 18, 2012 Merredith rated it 3 of 5 stars

The author emailed me and asked me to review this book if he sent it to me and i said, sure! Who doesn't like getting a book? This book takes place in the 90s, right after Kurt Cobain died and is about two siblings, one who was slightly older than I was at the time, and one who was slightly younger. when i was in high school, i wore the plaid shirts, but only hand me downs from my dad and brother, because we didn't have enough money to buy me new real clothes. I honestly didn't like alternative...more The author emailed me and asked me to review this book if he sent it to me and i said, sure! Who doesn't like getting a book? This book takes place in the 90s, right after Kurt Cobain died and is about two siblings, one who was slightly older than I was at the time, and one who was slightly younger. when i was in high school, i wore the plaid shirts, but only hand me downs from my dad and brother, because we didn't have enough money to buy me new real clothes. I honestly didn't like alternative music. I still don't like that stuff. shortly after this book took place, my brother used to sit in his room for hours on end listening to it, and wouldn't talk to the rest of the family. when i read this book, i thought about him. i tried to read it from his perspective instead of mine. I was the outsider with no friends, although i had a sorta friend who i remember being super upset over Cobain's death. I didn't like rap, like the sister in this book either. i was so against the music of the 90s that i listened to the oldies station to 60's music, or andrew lloyd webber music, or even classical. The 90s, especially the first part of the 90s, was a horrible time for music. This book seemed to presuppose that i knew a lot about the music scene at the time. It kind of lectured about it. That part bored me. But then there's the part about these two kids, feeling out of it and all alone, and i got that part. I felt that for much of my life, and i'm sure a lot of other people who read this book did too. I admired the sister Bridget for being so outrageous and so out of the box and strong. Near the end, there is a big twist, kinda shocked me. But then I felt like the book should be over. It took me a while to finish it because the rest of the book felt kinda...extra. In the end, i think this book was good, but not not intended for someone like me as an audience. it was so much about the music of the time, and being such a music fanatic for my current music, i can imagine more what it would mean to someone who was into that whole scene back then. For me, it's a 3 stars, I liked it.(less)

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Jan 10, 2013 Anderson O'Donnell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: rock-n-roll

A stunning “must-read,” Dickerson’s NO ALTERNATIVE captures—brilliantly—what it meant to be a teenager at the end of the American Century. Dickerson uses the music and culture of the early 90s to explore some of the most delicate aspects of the human experience—innocence, love, death, family, and rebellion. Lots of novels use music as a story-telling vehicle, but Dickerson’s passion for the grunge-era, and his devotion to its various saints and saviors (Cobain looms particularly large) sets this...more A stunning “must-read,” Dickerson’s NO ALTERNATIVE captures—brilliantly—what it meant to be a teenager at the end of the American Century. Dickerson uses the music and culture of the early 90s to explore some of the most delicate aspects of the human experience—innocence, love, death, family, and rebellion. Lots of novels use music as a story-telling vehicle, but Dickerson’s passion for the grunge-era, and his devotion to its various saints and saviors (Cobain looms particularly large) sets this novel apart.

Dickerson’s story is brilliant. Specifically, Bridget is one of the most compelling characters I’ve encountered in some time. I must admit: I initially balked at the idea of a young, white female transforming herself into a gangta rapper. But Dickerson is one hell of a writer, and Bridget’s fresh and daring character quickly quelled any doubts I had about "Bri Da B." With Bridget leading the way, Dickerson creates a memorable cast of authentic, relatable characters whose interactions, both with each other and the culture of the early 90s, offer a cutting, insightful exploration of art’s ability to transcend and transform.

In fact, Dickerson’s characters are so strong that NO ALTERNATIVE’s only flaw is that, on occasion, the author works too hard to tell, rather than allowing his creations to speak for themselves. But even when Dickerson lets his own viewpoint slow down the narrative, his passion and voice are strong enough that the reader remains engaged.

Ultimately, NO ALTERNATIVE offers not only an incredible story and cutting social commentary, but the novel stands as a monument to the possibilities of the indie publishing revolution. Anyone considering taking the indie publishing plunge should take a page from Dickerson’s playbook—NO ALTERNATIVE is as professional as anything you’ll find on the shelf at Barnes and Nobles. Likewise, consumers still wary of the self-published label should let NO ALTERNATIVE demonstrate just how talented independent authors can be. (less)

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Oct 23, 2012 Marybeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

No Alternative takes place in the early 90's around the time of Kurt Cobain's suicide. Now if you don't know who he was ... he was the lead vocalist for the grunge band Nirvana. This is a story about a brother and sister, one who is starting an Indie/Grunge band and the other who is into gangsta rapping. Although William Dickerson is spot on for all the events that unfold in the 90's. This book goes much deeper than that ... it's about family, love, loss, and suicide. And I don't mean Kurt Cobai...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Tyf marked it as to-read

Shelves: kindle-cloud

Amazon freebie 4/27

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Jan 08, 2013 Charity rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: only-true-currency-is-being-uncool, finishing-up-2012, generationxcellent

I tried to find something redeeming about this read, but came up with nothing. It is so poorly written. Between the clunky sentence structure, the over use of words, and the inability of a thought/scene/dialogue to be delivered in an interesting/compelling way, I just wanted to take a pen to the text and edit it myself like I would have in the fiction writing classes I took in college.

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Aug 28, 2012 Jasmin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: won

The story that was presented in this book was very deep and emotional. It's written excellently diving into the lives and thoughts of all the characters that make you connect and understand their lives. This story will definitely leave a deep impression on the reader and is sure to become a favorite.

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title link	preview: No Alternative
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