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Mar 28, 2010

Thomas rated it:

"Hairstyles of the Damned" is about Brian Oswald, a guy in high school who is growing up punk. At first he's a sort of needy and whiny character who is in love with his best friend, but as time passes in his harsh high school he must learn to be tough and act like a punk. He meets people, does drugs, listen to cool punk music, and gets a girlfriend or two along the way.

Um, yeah. I kinda strongly disliked this book, :/. I mean it wasn't the worst thing ever but I felt like I More...

2 comments like (6 people liked it)

Dec 17, 2007

Jason rated it:

(My full review of this book is much longer than GoodReads' word-count limits. Find the entire essay at the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com].)

So a big confession before anything else -- that I went into this book really wanting to like author Joe Meno. And of course part of why I want to like him is because he's a Chicago writer, one of the more high-profile writers in Chicago right now in fact, who has won the prestigious Nelson Algren award in the pas More...

2 comments like (6 people liked it)

Dec 17, 2009

Kristin rated it:

I truly wanted to love this book because I read The Boy Detective Fails Again by Meno first. I adore that book--it's one of my favorites. This one was disappointing, to say the least.

The first 200 pages were filled with a lot of teenage-boy angst and the nothing that is a high schooler's life. Many of my favorite books are books within which nothing really happens, so this wouldn't have phased me if the "nothing" that happened actually seemed to be moving toward "so More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 03, 2010

Leo rated it:

Unlike most of the other reviewers, I had not heard of this book or Mr. Meno before, and had no expectations going into it.

What I deem to be positive about this book are its attention to racial tension in the main character's environment, its lack of sugarcoating of what teenage kids are really like: full of mistakes, pettiness, and insensitivity towards others visibly portrayed through the uses of non-PC words many teenagers often utter ("gay," "retarded," " More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 10, 2008

Hannah rated it:

Imogen liked it so I liked it (coz I am a convictionless little bastard most of the time when it comes to Art and can easily be swayed in any ol' goddamn direction or other by any ol' goddamn random-ass espousal or denunciation from someone I love or loath). But I think I wouldn't have otherwise. Mainly coz of how I am also MEAN and tend to have the least room in my heart for that which reminds me most ably of myself.

Certainly there were parts where the narrator's voice was angsty More...

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

Sep 14, 2007

Alika rated it:

I enjoyed reading this book, but it felt a little simplistic to me. Meno uses language throughout that is very typical of a teenager (like, I mean, maybe, etc) which is fine and doesn’t really bother me but I could see some people getting annoyed. It’s a definite voice technique and if you stripped that away, what would you have? But I like the way the chapters are very short and just move from scene to scene. And the kid is overall very likable. And there’s some good points to be made about tee More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 12, 2009

Laura rated it:

Any book that assaults your dad with Misfits lyrics and pranks the school bully with photos of kitty cats with X's on their eyes and pleas to be kind because "everytime you're mean one of us dies" is pretty much one of the greatest punk high school kid coming of age stories ever.... "I ain't no Goddamn son of a bitch!"

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Oct 19, 2007

Rose rated it:

damn! i really like this book. a sort-of love story from the pov of a sort of metalhead-punk rock boy at a catholic boys school, the 'fat' girl he's in love with, his assorted friends getting high and drinking shitty beer in the basement, divorcing parents, and generally coming of age.
there are two moments that I especially love, his describing a girl as something like 'mean and sour looking, like she'd just make out with you because she's bored' and his feeling after going to his first s More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jan 25, 2009

Barky rated it:

I have the weirdest sensation that I’ve already read this…This was entertaining and kind of fluffy high school relationship stuff. You’ve seen all of these characters before, and they’re not all that distinguished here, but Joe Meno does really have the language down, and the sense of time. If you grew up in that era, you’ll feel right at home…and maybe anyone growing up at all would be able to relate to the constant flow of profanity that doesn’t even have any real purpose except to pepper yo More...

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Dec 13, 2008

Sarah rated it:

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

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Jan 26, 2012

Lisa rated it:

I read this book a few years ago. I remember loving it. I want to re-read it someday but at the moment, my copy is back in Canada. :(

“‘You never know. That’s the trick, Brian. You never know which times are going to be important until later.’
‘Yeah,’ I said, feeling more weird each fucking minute. ‘I guess.’
‘That’s why you shouldn’t worry. You should just be happy when you can.’
‘That sounds good, Mr. D.,’ I said. ‘Listen, I think I’m gonna head home. I’ll call Gretch
More...

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May 01, 2011

Jessica rated it:

I read this book because the Gaper's Block book club selected it to be its first title, so I thought I'd read it in case I decided to go to the discussion. Turns out the discussion was scheduled at the same time as my guitar class, so I didn't go, but that might be just as well because I didn't think much of the book, anyway. It's written in the same confessional, rambly style as The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Catcher in the Rye, but I couldn't find anything likeable about the narrator More...

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May 04, 2010

Susan rated it:

When I finished reading Joe Meno’s Hairstyles of the Damned, I had two thoughts. First was that this book belongs on my list of rock and roll fiction. The mix tapes, the way these characters connect to music and allow it to define their identity make this a slam-dunk to be included on the list.

My other thought wasn’t quite so charitable. You see, I recently read The Secret Fruit of Peter Paddington, and these two books were quite similar. The themes of young boys in puberty, beginnin More...

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Dec 15, 2008

Amanda rated it:

For being written by a creative writing professor, this book is overwhelmingly stereotypical. The rebel girl who dyes her hair pink; the twenty-something who can't get away from high school; the boy with his constant erections and lascivious thoughts who really just wants some confidence. And everyone hates their parents (who likewise have stereotypical issues). While I agree that we all go through a lot of the same things in adolescence, sometimes I just wanted to slap the narrator and yell ge More...

2 comments like

Jul 13, 2011

Darcus rated it:

I loved this book. It had me interested from the very first page. It's a different type of book than I would normally read, but hey, sometimes when you read out of your comfort zone, you find awesome books! This was definitely one of those cases. I'm sad that I borrowed this novel from a friend my mine and my husbands. I may possibly buy this book in the future.

Hairstyles of the Damned is an honest, real look at adolecense and the trials and tribulations that a teenager goes th More...

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Dec 22, 2010

Alissa rated it:

Brutally honest and real. Meno wastes no time in skirting around life issues like sex and violence. Readers are in Brian's mind, which is not always a happy place: it's full of babble and rambling, swearing, and lusting. His voice is real, even though at times you'll wish it was fake.

The book is jampacked with emotion, and Meno's writing style is what enables this. Sentences have no pauses, often stringing down the page with Brian's thoughts. It's rushed and seemingly ran More...

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Nov 03, 2010

Very rated it:

Earlier this year, I decided to stop buying books. Instead, I would check them out of the library and only buy copies of the ones I really loved. But this book and its intriguing title made me break that rule. I read the Amazon excerpt and really thought I would like it, but the library didn’t carry it. So… I went to Barnes & Noble and read even more of it. I liked the beginning so much that I had visions of it becoming My New Favorite Thing. I decided to take a chance and buy it.

I pa More...

8 comments like (4 people liked it)

May 27, 2009

Natalye rated it:

"Hairstyles of the Damned" -Joe Meno (2004)

For a work of fiction, this story reads much like a memoir, which is what I liked about it. The characters were interesting and developed in such an unconventional way, but I really liked the whole vibe I got reading this book, the references to mixtapes and the detail of what characters do and think and feel, good and bad. I admit the story began a bit slow, but about halfway through, the story caught up with itself and began to pro More...

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Oct 26, 2009

Jennifer rated it:

This is a punk rock coming of age story about a shy high school junior named Brian Oswald with a crummy home life who is in love with (or thinks he is in love with) his best friend Gretchen, who continuously pines for a skinhead, white- power 20-something named Tony Degan. Gretchen is not stupid or racist, she also comes from a messed up home life. Her mother has died before the book begins and she is desperately looking for someone to love her and see her and pay attention to her. Brian's feeli More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 25, 2012

Ada rated it:

Hairstyle of the damned is mostly based on the protagonist's point of view. The protagonist liked this girl called Gretchen that is not the most feminine girl in the world. Gretchen is a girl that likes to pick fights, and curses a lot. Even the protagonist does not know why he likes her but he just does.
i did not like this book that much because i did not understand what was happening. It seems like everything in there is repeating itself. Also i don't really like it beca More...

1 comment like

Aug 05, 2011

Larry added it

I really enjoyed this book. If you've ever felt like you didn't fit in and/or struggled to find out who you are, then this book is for you. Some reviewers have called it a punk "Catcher in the Rye," but I don't think that's quite accurate.

Brian Oswald is a high school student at an all-boys Catholic school. His parents' marriage is falling apart, he hasn't had much luck with girls and he finds himself falling for his best friend, Gretchen, who iis very fond of beating people up. Bri More...

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Jul 30, 2011

K. Elizabeth rated it:

Meh. It was a quick read and a good summer read. It didn't make me think too much, and it evoked memories from HS. The plot lacked but the character development was solid. The author wrote from the perspective of a HS kid quite well. I wouldn't recommend it to most people, but if made mix tapes for girls/boys you liked and were always on alert for new band names, you might really really dig this book. It was recommended to me (thanks Chrissy!) - and I would read what she recommended next, but in More...

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Dec 15, 2008

Julie rated it:

I couldn't believe my ears when I heard The Misfits coming from the RADIO! Sure enough, it was coming from NPR on a Saturday morning. Meno was promoting this book and the background soundtrack and interview was enough to propel me right to the library (15 minutes!) to check out this book. I read it all that day and found it entertaining while immersing me with nostalgia. The lyrics, the band names, the descriptions of the characters and "shows" in the basement brought back sweet memori More...

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Oct 19, 2009

Megan rated it:

Hairstyles of the Damned is one of those books that you either love or you hate. Luckily for this review, I loved it. This book is full of regular teen angst set against a backdrop of the Chicago punk scene in the early 90's. Full of top 10 lists and mix-tapes, Joe Meno sets the triumphs and failures of his main character against a rockin' soundtrack. Full of heartache, longing, confusion, and sometimes acceptance and understanding, Hairstyles of the Damned can conjure up memories from our o More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 04, 2009

Kristen rated it:

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

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Mar 06, 2011

Milli rated it:

I remember picking up this book at the bookstore because I was intrigued by the cover. I started reading and his settings seemed oddly familiar. The Haunted Trails on 79th street? Wait... there is a Haunted Trails on 79th street. I used to go there with my friends. And then I realized that it was all true. Brother Rice and Mother McAuley are real high schools in Chicago. He even mentions Queen of Peace girls, which is where I went to high school! I was so happy I found this book. What a coincide More...

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Jul 29, 2010

James rated it:

Wasn't too bad. The point of this book was to relate - to have characters to relate to, to have scenes to identify with and project your own memories onto, to have parents to hate, to have girls to fall in love with, whatever, I got it. And all of this is OK in theory, barring the facts that mid-90s punk happened before my time and the story isn't particularly groundbreaking (these all universal suburban American teen tropes). However, I'm not sure Meno had to make it so easy for us. I don't und More...

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Feb 28, 2011

Leah, Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle Yeah rated it:

I read this book a couple of years ago. To be honest, the only reason that I read it was because it was about people who went to the Catholic schools in my area (Brother Rice, Mother MacAuley, Queen of Peace, St. Lawrence), including my high school (even though QoP is only very briefly mentioned). I thought that it was an okay book. I'm glad, though, that I borrowed it from my friend (she rec'd it to me) and didn't waste my money buying it since I have no desire to read it ever again. As the tit More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 15, 2009

Abby rated it:

I was seduced by the atmosphere of the Book Cellar -- you know those little bookstores where the employees scribble their own reviews below books they recommend, and they have their own little theme and serve coffee, this one even has wine -- into buying this book at the rec of an anonymous employee. I mean, the Wine Cellar is cute, accessible, in Lincoln Square in Chicago, and this book is by a Chicago author and takes place in Chicago (albeit the South Side; I'm from a North 'burb). Much like More...

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Jan 27, 2012

Susan rated it:

this book is started out with Brian, the protagonist. he was portrayed as an average high school student that feels outcast from the real world of his. in the book, Meno capture the feature of what teens and adult struggle through life. Brian rely on his friends to overcome his home life and adolescent.
i would recommend this book to people are interested in teenager's life. this explains a lot about how teenager tries to change their identity to try to fit in and uses music to express their More...

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