Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Vinyl Princess

by Yvonne Prinz (Goodreads Author)

3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 · rating details · 881 ratings · 174 reviews

Summer is here, and 16-year-old Allie, a self-professed music geek, is exactly where she wants to be: working full-time at Berkeley’s ultra-cool Bob and Bob Records. There, Allie can spend her days bantering with the street people, talking the talk with the staff, shepherding the uncool bridge-and-tunnel shoppers, all the while blissfully surrounded by music, music, music....more

Hardcover, 313 pages

Published December 14th 2009 by HarperTeen

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn

YA Music Books

14th out of 161 books — 374 voters

Fiction Involving Music

24th out of 369 books — 495 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 2,921)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Mar 05, 2010 Mahlon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone whois from northern CA, or likes musically-themed novels

Recommended to Mahlon by: Amazon

The Vinyl Princess is a must read for anyone who spent any time in Berkeley in the 90's. When I was in college Amoeba Music (disguised as Bob and Bob's records in the book) was my refuge from the chaos and craziness that was (and is) Berkeley. Reading this book brought back many memories for me. While not as good as other novels in the genre such as High Fidelity or Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, it comes very close. Anyone who enjoyed those two books will enjoy this one.

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 13, 2012 Isamlq rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5/5

It’s a good thing I don’t judge books by their first lines. Or their second lines for that matter because lines like, “I sensed him in my midst. The air seems to thin when he’s near me.” Does not even scratch the surface of how delightful I found Allie to be. With those two lines, one might imagine girls of the frilly dress and maybe even ghostly would be lovers. Not the case. Thank god.

Vinyl Princess is a girl with a passion for the little record shop she works in; a passion running a c...more 3.5/5

It’s a good thing I don’t judge books by their first lines. Or their second lines for that matter because lines like, “I sensed him in my midst. The air seems to thin when he’s near me.” Does not even scratch the surface of how delightful I found Allie to be. With those two lines, one might imagine girls of the frilly dress and maybe even ghostly would be lovers. Not the case. Thank god.

Vinyl Princess is a girl with a passion for the little record shop she works in; a passion running a close second for her true passion: LP’s. It’s her passion that shone through. Because it’s a passion I like to think I possess for the second hand book shops (Book Sale) and Fully Booked Shops here at home. But more than her passion, there’s also the fact that she could read wise (with her ‘think it through’ bits of wisdom for Kit,) and then sound so young (with her considering a certain someone’s eye color: ahem, sea glass green;) and then be absolutely hilarious (with her blurting out thoughts on speedos and whether seeing someone in one was next to seeing them in their underwear.)

So old soul, music lover, and part time world changer all in a tidy package that’s self described as boyish, (i.e. flat in the general area between neck and tummy.) The world changer bit is something I laughed at a little. She’s rather ambitious, but honestly, I thought got a bit self-aggrandizing with the fanzine. But I like her spunk, of how one moment she’s thinking of something; then the next she’s doing something about it. Because throughout the book, she does what she wants. Whether what she wants be to mock her father or her father’s new wife or even herself; or to write up a blog to get people to pay attention to music and yes, maybe even conquer the blogosphere.

Past the first two lines, this book was an absolute blast. When you get to the point where she talks normally of her day to day, you really do get a sense of how normal she is. Her relationship with her mother, for instance, it’s not dysfunctional. They care about what the other says and are present for each other. Sure, she’s unsure about changes happening, both of them are… but the changes don’t cancel out the fact that there’s a real relationship there. Or her with father, that they connect on one level but somehow missed out on all the others felt sad but real. And then of course the bit that brought out the ridiculously young sounding side of her: Kit. Allie’s smarter with her, but less serious too. I like them together, but there could have been more. I wanted more. And Pierre, the cat. I love, love, love how accurately the cat is painted in this one because ours are just as prissy-royal as Pierre sounds.

Another thing I enjoyed was how unapologetically snobbish she could be. Allie is just of the musical variety ( she listens to Dave Mathew, she sort of sneers.) This should give you a sense of how odd AND normal most everyone is in this book. She seeks to rejuvenate the world with a love for LP’s and seems pumped up enough to blog about it, then write, publish, produce a fanzine for the same. Plus have I mentioned how the girl could poke fun at just about anything: her non existent boobage for one, or her non-loyal feline companion caught cheating on her Japanese would be ghost of a renter? I liked it all, her descriptions, her wordiness, her humor.

And though she may not have been living a difficult life, her story has got me pumped once again over the twinning of music and YA. That something special I was looking for in Amplified is something I have found here. The love angle was in turns interesting then cute then predicable and obvious, but just get a load of what she has to say for the mixes: “The mating call of the romantically challenged.” Damn me, if I don’t love how she put things.

3.5/5
(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 17, 2013 Saviourofmusic rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This is my favourite book, hands down, always will be, and I have read a LOT of books.
This story is about a teen music junky named Allie who works at a vinyl music store called "Bob & Bob's" and her summer there.
The plot is very subtle and there are many other subplots to it. That's kinda what I like about it. It's a really laid back story but at the same time it can keep you on edge.
The characters are fantastic. Allie is so indie and unique you have to love her. She's anti-mainstream and lo...more

2 likes · like · see review

May 15, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction

Yvonne Prinz is one of the co-founders of Amoeba Music, an independent music store with locations in Hollywood and Berkeley, California. So she has first hand knowledge and experience befitting this novel about a young girl working at a record store on Telegraph in Berkeley.

Allie is sixteen years old and it is summer. Now working full-time at Bob & Bob Records, she has also decided to start up a blog devoted to vinyl records, called “The Vinyl Princess,” and is working on a printed zine to p...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 07, 2012 Canadian Children's Book Centre added it

Reviewed by Rachel Siegel

Teen audiophile Allie has a busy summer ahead of her. Working at Bob & Bob Records, she’ll also be launching her Vinyl Princess blog, and working on her fanzine, which she plans to distribute in the store. For Allie, it’s a summer where anything can happen, and she sits poised and ready to embrace whatever may come her way.

Allie, short for Alberta, offers a unique voice in teenage heroines. Allie’s number one priority is music, and she immerses herself in it. Her kn...more

like · see review

Aug 09, 2010 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Just okay. A LOT of YA books have a protagonist with an immense passion/talent/hobby/etc., and sometimes it feels real, and sometimes it doesn't. This one didn't ring true for me. The passion for music/vinyl felt hollow and forced. I did like the details surrounding vinyl collectors and Berkeley though............

Ugh. It's been extremely difficult for me to construct my review of this book. I hate being scared to give a harsh review on Goodreads, but I am. I really wish we could set our reviews...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 29, 2010 Adele rated it 3 of 5 stars

Reading this book is a little like struggling to work out who you are as a person. Your identity is seemingly in flux and there are many details and facts floating around but you're not exactly sure how they all fit together to make you. The Vinyl Princess is a book that knows what it wants to be but isn't wholly successful. If it were a tiled floor I would say the grout was missing, it has all the right pieces but just doesn't mesh together entirely.

The characters voices were indistinct, the pr...more Reading this book is a little like struggling to work out who you are as a person. Your identity is seemingly in flux and there are many details and facts floating around but you're not exactly sure how they all fit together to make you. The Vinyl Princess is a book that knows what it wants to be but isn't wholly successful. If it were a tiled floor I would say the grout was missing, it has all the right pieces but just doesn't mesh together entirely.

The characters voices were indistinct, the protagonist never really distinguishes herself outside of her interests and the book's agenda is pushed a tad too hard. And yet I enjoyed it to some degree. Prinz educated me with her vast knowledge of music which was cunningly added through Allie's blog entries and discussions with other music junkies. Though the occasional long tract of music tracks and musician's biographies seemed a little indulgent of the author's own superior knowledge. There's a fine line between too much and too little information and the author seemed to enjoy treading into the former.

I suspect some of my discontent with this book stems from the depiction of a blog. It is a fantastic device to use as part of the narrative but some of the facts of it were a little off base. Most readers probably wouldn't be aware but I certainly did. Allie gains popularity for her blog almost immediately scoring hits and comments that climb in frequency at rates that just aren't authentic. At one point she mentions having had 42 comments early on and I nearly fell over...that's not realistic at all. There are elements were a web designer offers free service and a business offers to buy the site within two months of the blog being launched and it just didn't sit right with me.

Mostly it was the superficiality that began to grate. A scene were something quite traumatic happens is quickly brushed aside as an embarrassing situation rather than a terrifying one, supporting characters float around to engender laughs but don't really propel story or growth and very little happens. Every character is outwardly quirky in an unrealistic sense and flutter around like somewhat pretty butterflies that bore themselves. I believe Prinz had great intentions in pushing the value of vinyl and the independent record stores but the shallowness of the endeavour paled what she did achieve. In attempting too much, she achieved very little.

A well intentioned examination of a music geek's summer adventures in a very unique neighbourhood.
(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 03, 2009 Alex Green rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Vinyl Princess
By Yvonne Prinz
Harper Collins
ISBN# 978-0-06-171583-9

"I've always loved independent music stores because the staff is usually there because of a genuine love and appreciation for music…some of my greatest music discoveries have come from picking up an album at an indie store and the cat behind the register saying "You like this man? Have you heard of so-and-so?" I prefer to shop where people understand me and the music--the music I like."

--Brother Ali

“Folks who work here are pro...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 30, 2009 Lyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sixteen-year-old Allie lives in Berkeley with her mom, an indifferent cat, and a nearly-invisible boarder. She's on summer vacation, but instead of hanging out at the mall, Allie is working a dream job and feeding her passion for vinyl at Bob & Bob's Records, an independent record store on Telegraph Avenue. Allie collects vinyl records the way some kids collect baseball cards, and she knows music like other kids know designer shoes. To share her passion, she starts a blog, The Vinyl Princess...more

like · see review

Feb 12, 2013 cEe beE rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-star-reads, geek-heroine, music-is-love, cool-teens

Superlative read! I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The narrator is 16 yr old Allie. Smart, wry and obsessed with music and vinyl records, she works at Bob's and Bob's Records in Berkeley. Summer is out, and unlike other girls her age, she prefers to hang out full time at the musty old store, waiting on customers, watching for shoplifters and the resident crossdressing homeless duo who loiter around.

Meanwhile, she started her own blog, aptly called The Vinyl Princess that's slowly gaining some fol...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 08, 2010 Trisha W. rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who likes music.

Shelves: my-books

I wasn't going to write a review for this book because it wasn't the best book I have read and I thought if I wrote a review it would be a negative one. But after thinking about the book some more I have decided to still write my review and give it my honest opinion.

I liked The Vinyl Princess. I think the one thing that made me keep reading it was the boy that is mentioned in the beginning of the book. I wanted to know who he was so I kept flipping pages. And as soon this boy was out of the pict...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 06, 2011 Raina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: feminist, realistic, romance, ya

Ok, first off, I have to say that the cover on this is totally wrong. It's attractive enough, but Allie describes her look as "the love child of Sid Vicious and Chrissie Hynde," and repeatedly describes her own rooster hair and brunette hair color. Long golden locks? I don't think so. But that doesn't make the book bad.
I found it quite compelling, thought-provoking and entertaining, actually. We follow Allie, a 16-year-old who's been (unlawfully) working at a record store for two years. She's ob...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 29, 2011 Ofilia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Allie is a sixteen year old vinyl obsessed music geek stuck in the digital age. She is passionate about music and not just one genre, but she is an expert in just about everything. She works at a grungy old record store with a varied cast of crazy characters which suits her just fine. Her entire identity is wrapped around her work and love of music. Prinz includes tons of info about the music and musicians that make you wish the book came with a soundtrack accompaniment. Luckily thanks to music...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 14, 2011 Matti Karjalainen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Matti by: Arja

Shelves: musiikki, nuoret-aikuiset, nuoret, tytöt, 2000-luku, realismi, cdn-kans

Kuusitoistavuotias Allie on kesäduunissa berkeleylaisessa Bob&Bob -levykaupassa, työskentelee eksentrisen myyjäporukan keskellä, keräilee vanhoja vinyyleitä, pitää musiikkiaiheista blogia ja setvii siinä sivussa niin omia kuin läheistensäkin ihmissuhteita. Kuulostaako tutulta? Niinpä niin! Jos Nick Hornby olisi kirjoittanut mestarillisen "Uskollisen äänentoistonsa" ensisijaisena kohderyhmänään teini-ikäiset tytöt, niin lopputulos voisi olla hieman Yvonne Prinzin "Vinyyliprinsessan" (Karisto,...more Kuusitoistavuotias Allie on kesäduunissa berkeleylaisessa Bob&Bob -levykaupassa, työskentelee eksentrisen myyjäporukan keskellä, keräilee vanhoja vinyyleitä, pitää musiikkiaiheista blogia ja setvii siinä sivussa niin omia kuin läheistensäkin ihmissuhteita. Kuulostaako tutulta? Niinpä niin! Jos Nick Hornby olisi kirjoittanut mestarillisen "Uskollisen äänentoistonsa" ensisijaisena kohderyhmänään teini-ikäiset tytöt, niin lopputulos voisi olla hieman Yvonne Prinzin "Vinyyliprinsessan" (Karisto, 2011) kaltainen.

"Vinyyliprinsessa" kuuluu tasoltaan vaihtelevaan, modernia tyttökirjallisuutta sisältävään Siskodisko-sarjaan. Kyseessä ei ole missään tapauksessa suuri mestariteos, mutta henkilökohtaisesti pidin joka tapauksessa lukemastani, olihan kyseessä eräällä tapaa myös rakkaudentunnustus musiikille ja itsenäisille levykaupoille, sekä samalla eräänlainen muistokirjoitus ns. vanhoille hyville ajoille, jolloin musiikki hankittiin muuten kuin netistä lataamalla. Kirjan juoni on itsessään hieman ennalta-arvattava, eritoten mitä ihmissuhteiden muodostumiseen tulee.

Allie on melko tyypillinen nuortenkirjan päähenkilö, jonka erikoinen (?) harrastus erottaa hänet massateineistä, joita voidaan katsella hieman alaviistoon. Teinityttömme myös tuskailee olevansa enemmän tai vähemmän ulalla vastakkaisen sukupuolen kanssa, mutta on siitä huolimatta tavattoman sanavalmis sutkauttelija, jolla riittää nasevia kommentteja vaikka muille asti jaettavaksi.

Luultavasti otan "Vinyyliprinsessan" mukaan yläkoululaisten vinkkauspakettiin, mutta ihan helppo vinkattava tämä ei kuitenkaan taida olla. Suurta draamaa ei ole oikeastaan tiedossa, vaikka hieman ennalta-arvattavaan juoneen onkin ympätty mukaan rikostarinan aineksia. Musiikkikorttiakaan on hieman vaikea pelata pöytään, sillä hieman kirjan sivuilla pudotellut bändit ja artistit tulevat ensisijaisesti 1960- ja 1970-luvuilta, ja saattavat sen vuoksi jäädä hämäriksi nykyajan teineille. No, ainahan voinee toivoa, että kirjan lukeminen saa jonkun etsimään käsiinsä Gram Parsonsin "G.P.:n" tai Rod Stewartin "Every Picture Tells a Storyn"... Tässäkin suhteessa olisi mielenkiintoista tietää, miten oletettu kohderyhmä ottaa kirjan vastaan, mutta ehkäpä se selviää vielä syksyn mittaan!(less)

like · see review

Mar 08, 2011 Alexandra rated it 3 of 5 stars

As far as purpose goes, this novel satisfied mine: distraction from real life and mild entertainment during my free time, with a cute little romance thrown into the plot.

But as far being predictable, that's exactly what you get. If you're someone who has read as many Young Adult novels as I have (I spend about as much time in the YA section of my local library as Allie spends amongst the stacks of vintage vinyl LPs in Bob and Bob's) or even if you just have mediocre inferencing skills, the endin...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 14, 2011 Hilary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary

"The music makes it official: This house of worship is open for business. This is the place where people come to find community; they come here to confess their sins and talk to their gods; they come for validation and understanding; they come here to get their groove on, let their hair down, visit the past, look to the future, find some spirituality, search their souls, get some peace, stir things up, or live a little. This is Bob & Bob Records. This is where I work."

"...camping is not a da...more

like · see review

Dec 04, 2010 Jodi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: light-hearted-fun-summer-reading, teen-self-discovery, funny-teen-cool-music-berkeley

The best teen book I've read in awhile. Well written, smart, funny, sharp, contemporary, takes place in my beloved Berkeley and thinly disguised Amoeba Record store. Funny, well done descriptions of infamous Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley and it's unique colorful inhabitants. Not snide, cynical or mean-assed tone like lots of current YA fiction; but genuine, honest, sweet and sassy in a warm fuzzy way. Some good modern romance with a realistic twist too. Nice, realistic, sweet and completely accepti...more

like · see review

Feb 07, 2010 DeEtte rated it 3 of 5 stars

Goodreads needs a half star choice...I would give this book a solid 3.5 stars. It was super predictable and super corny, but also super cute and cool. Let me preface my review by saying that I worship at the altar of rock! I love music, I spent a huge portion of my teenage years in independent record stores. I totally related to the theory that you can completely bond with someone over a mutual love of music. I would guess that in my late teenage/early adult years most of my relationships were f...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 25, 2010 Mti Librarian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen, music, summer

Allie definitely has the best summer job working at Bob & Bob records, a vinyl LP music junkie idea of heaven. She's focused on sharing her love of vinyl through a new blog and newsletter. Allie checks out that cute guy in the record store and manages to overlook the boy gem right under her nose, but seems very level-headed compared to her best friend, Kit, who almost has a degree in boy drama, and Allie's mother, back in the dating pool after a recent divorce and dating like a ball in a pin...more

like · see review

Dec 13, 2011 Aimee (Coffee Table Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

I really liked this one. I couldn't help it, no matter how the author described Allie, somehow I pictured her as Watts from Some Kind of Wonderful. She even had some of the same attitude.

I really liked that this was more than just a romance. So many things happen in this, all of it feeling well connected to the story. I really hadn't seen a few things coming, like things with Mystery Guy. This was more of a coming of age story than a romance, and I think the novel was better for it. I liked seei...more

like · see review

Apr 10, 2011 Vicki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, young-adult

Allie lives in Berkeley with her mother, cat, and a ghost of a boarder. She loves her job working at Bob & Bob Records. Life is good. That is until a rash of robberies begins in the neighbourhood and Allie starts dealing with some boy trouble.

I enjoyed this book, really. It made me want to haul out my vinyls and just chill. I mostly liked the characters and the writing style was fine. But that's it. The book was just fine. There was nothing wrong with, except perhaps Allie's music elitism. T...more

like · see review

Nov 29, 2010 ananka rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: music, crime, friendship, teen, tween

Allie is a vinyl expert. At 16 she has already put in 2 years of service working at her local record store; her home away from home. But the numbers of record aficionados are shrinking and so are the store's clientele. In order to reach more LP fans, Allie starts a blog and a zine, talking about all her favorites slowly garnering a larger and larger fan base, including "Fan in Berkley" whom she fantasizes is the illusive mystery man she sees occasionally in the store.

Like a simplified High Fidel...more

1 like · like · see review

May 16, 2011 Sofia rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a great read. So, yeah there might be that typical and cheesy moment when she talks about her crush, the mysterious 'M'.

But you have to appreciate the love for music that ingraved in every sentence. I assure you as someone who only has her face in books, I'm not that connected to other musc besides the songs I've had for years now. Don't even get me started on technology, that's where I'm a fail.

Allie has a great personality and I find it amusing at how caring she could be for her m...more

like · see review

Sep 13, 2010 Amber rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, reviews

I'm more of a paranormal type of gal so when it comes to contemporary YA, I like it to have a little flair. I usually find my flair in the form of the novel using a different media to tell a story coupled with regular first person/3 person POV-- Gamer Girl had online gaming, Hold Still had Ingrid's journal, How To Say Goodbye In Robot had the radio show to name a few recently. (Oddly enough, I didn't connect this piece of information until I was thinking about this review, but it's really true)...more I'm more of a paranormal type of gal so when it comes to contemporary YA, I like it to have a little flair. I usually find my flair in the form of the novel using a different media to tell a story coupled with regular first person/3 person POV-- Gamer Girl had online gaming, Hold Still had Ingrid's journal, How To Say Goodbye In Robot had the radio show to name a few recently. (Oddly enough, I didn't connect this piece of information until I was thinking about this review, but it's really true) So I picked up The Vinyl Princess at the bookstore and was instantly fascinated about a blog being in a book. I really wanted to love this novel but, unfortunately, I didn't.

I felt the blog element wasn't really utilized to have maximum effect. I did get to see some insight in the blogs Allie posted but I would have liked them to tell me what she was thinking about more. It felt to me that they basically felt like filler. Kind of an "oh yeah, I have to do that too" rather than something that worked well around her life. In the end, the blog was the only thing Allie had left and it was doing well, but it just wasn't enough for me to feel satisfied.

I really liked Allie's character. She's my kind of girl-- smart, edgy, and down for anything. She holds her own and her sort of punk attitude and boyish, grunge style isn't seen a lot in this genre. For the most part, she's really perceptive. In the middle of the novel, she did start to make me mad *SPOILER ALERT* when the store she supposedly loves and is her home is robbed and she refuses to tell the cop that she knows the guy that did it is the boy she's been dreaming about and worked her over on a fake date for information about the store *END OF SPOILER ALERT*. But, she wises up and I went right back to enjoying tagging along with her. She also knows her stuff. Music is this girl's life. It's funny but this is one of the reasons I picked up this book-- because music is my life too-- but it ended up being one of the things I disliked.

I knew going in that Allie's tastes were going to be old school and refined which I didn't mind but it was the way she looked at other people that kind of bothered me. I knew going in that I was going to be in her "music club" because I'm reading her but I became increasingly uncomfortable there as she passed judgement on others for their music tastes and felt like as soon as I closed the book I'd be kicked out of her "club". Also, ALL of the music references got a little cumbersome, especially since I'm guessing the audience Prinz is writing for probably doesn't know all this stuff that extensively. For instance, she goes through some musician's entire career with what band he was in and when, and what albums he guest stars on. I would have believed Allie easily knew without ALL that proof. That could just be me though.

I also felt like the story dragged a little bit. In the first chapter, we get set up with what the store looks like and who goes in there and other characters that sometimes show. I would have rather had these details spaced out and thrown in other scenes with the store and gotten to the action. I guess I was looking for a little more suspense and got some that could have been dragged out a bit to finish the story around it and then it be done.

As always, I was a fan of the character's in the cast. Allie and her mother had an awesome relationship that I was completely absorbed in. They were close, talking through music and she actually didn't mind hanging out with her mom in public. It was refreshing to see a relationship where mother and daughter were mostly honest with each other even if the news wasn't so good or somethings were withheld. Zach was a great character and I would have liked to see Allie and his relationship move more towards something real before ending the book. They didn't have to fall into each other's arms or anything but I did generally really like Allie and wanted to see her happy with Zach. Also, Kit, Allie's best friend, was ace! She was funny and a great big ball of energy which was great since Allie was sometimes lacking in that department. They relied on each other and gave each other GOOD advice.

I also really liked the atmosphere. Allie lived in Berkeley and the author went to great lengths to explain how Telegraph Avenue, the street Allie's record store was on, was slightly run down. She described the people that hung around-- the homeless, the drunk, the poseurs-- and the many cool little vintage clothing stores and tiny ethnic restaurants. I liked pretending I lived there, going out to tiny cafes for breakfast bagels and picking up noodles for lunch with Kit.

Over all, this book was a fun read and something I enjoyed. I think I was hoping for a little bit more in the plot area, especially since Prinz established a good one that ended about halfway through. If you're a music lover, I'd so go on ahead and read this one. You'll probably getting something out of it. Be warned though, you'll want to check your your blog every five minutes!(less)

1 like · like · see review

Aug 05, 2011 Kristy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of those books where a whole lot of nothing happens.... Don't get me wrong the characters experience a few things... maybe it's just not that interesting. Not bookworthy perhaps?!?!?

The book is basically about a girl who works in a record store. She's really into music. She starts a blog about said music, witnessess a robbery and meets a fella with the music bone as well. Throw in freshly divorced, dating parents and a somewhat quirky best girl friend experiencing a cheating boyfrien...more

6 likes · like · see review

May 12, 2012 dontouchmychocolate rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love music but damn, I feel like I've just had a 300-page lesson on music.

There was such a heavy emphasis on music and vinyl records that the plot itself fell flat for me. Gosh, and the music snobbery! Anyone who doesn't own a vinyl record really has no chance when reading this propaganda-like book. Seriously, all the mentioning of artists and albums and music tracks almost drove me mad enough to set fire to everything in sight.

The Vinyl Princess honestly felt like an outlet for the author to...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 13, 2011 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gorgeous-covers, excellent-contemporary, best-friend-material, all-time-favorites, good-enough-to-get-physical-copy

For more reviews, check out http://vivaladolcevita14.blogspot.com/

Damn, this book rocked. I'm a huge music geek, so this book definitely appealed to me, even though I'm not the same kind of music geek Allie is. This book went nice and slow, pacing just right and hitting you with twists when you least expect it. Then when you're finally finished with the book you realize "huh, the clues were there the whole time." I loved every moment, savoring them.

Allie is a really cool character. Like I said,...more

like · see review

Feb 18, 2011 Monique rated it 5 of 5 stars

Book review:
I was reading the Vynnyl princess. It was a really good book. At first There is a girl and she creates a website called the vynnyl princess. She also is on summer break and she gets to be in her favorite place. The record store, where she has a job there. Then she meets someone named Joel. She thinks that she might be falling in love with someone she doesn't even know about. So one day she is helping him out at the record store and he asks her out. And of course she says yes and she...more Book review:
I was reading the Vynnyl princess. It was a really good book. At first There is a girl and she creates a website called the vynnyl princess. She also is on summer break and she gets to be in her favorite place. The record store, where she has a job there. Then she meets someone named Joel. She thinks that she might be falling in love with someone she doesn't even know about. So one day she is helping him out at the record store and he asks her out. And of course she says yes and she freaks out. Then on the date she is really falling for him because he is telling her all these amazing stories about his life. Once the date is over she finds out that she is really liking this guy.
Later when The vynnyl princess was watching t.v she found out there has been a bunch of robbers who are robbing stores around the town. Then her mom gets all overwhelmed and wants her to quit before anything ever happens to her at the record store. But she can't quit cause she loves the place. I think that the vynnyl princess should have told her mom no instead of lying to her. But at the record store she finds a guy who is obbsessed about music too. He is kind of geeky and annoying. One day they really start to bond(his name is Zack) and when they bond she invites her over because when they heard all the things about the robery they did not know it would happen to them. But it did. Two guys came in and took all their money and had a gun. But someone in the store called the police and they came so they left. But when they left one of them said. “Have a nice day!” and the vynnyl princess recongnized the voice. It was Joel.
So when Zack comes over it is because Bob(the owner of the store) wants to close the store and the vynnyl princess is so upset and crushed. She is also a little shock that Joel was the robbers from all those stores and she won't tell the police. That is when I got mad cause she doesn't want to tell the police that she knows who the criminal is because she thinks that he can change and fall in love with her. But she didn't know that Zack kind of has a crush on her and when he came to comfort her, he had kissed her. She wasn't having the most normal day. But a couple of days later her best friend made her go to the police station and confess that she knows who it is. She has to look at a bunch of pictures. And she didn't get to finish so they have to go everyday until they find it. But the next day when they where on their way to the police station they heard a BANG! And they ran to it. They saw a bunch of police cars and an ambulance. They looked in the store and saw Joel shot and bleeding and his friend was in the bag they put you in when they are dead. She sees someone holding a gun and realized that he shot Joel. I was really surprised at that and apparently so was the vynnyl princess. A couple of days later The vynnyl princess starts to date Zack and the record store closed so that was the downer in the book(for her) but the ending was noce cause she got a boyfriend that understands her and likes all the things she likes so the book was really good. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Nov 11, 2012 Zoe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, squeaky-clean

I didn't read this book properly. There's a lot I skipped. But there was something really special about it. I think it's all the music references and the sweet but totally reserved romance between Allie and Zach. I really liked them. Zach's nerdy and a bit of hypochondriac. He had a lot of quirks and he wears glasses. A bit stereotypical but totally adorable. They're both music junkies and have a lot to talk about even though they don't hit it off straight away. For Allie, it's a bit of a coming...more

like · see review

Feb 25, 2010 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

Obsessive record collector and self proclaimed “Vinyl Princess,” Allie is seventeen and already living her dream-working at an ultra-cool record store in Berkeley, CA. Working full time, Allie’s summer is peppered with often hilarious and sometimes dangerous adventures in retail. She also begins a blog and zine called The Vinyl Princess, finding her voice in her most favorite of topics-music! Her personal life also competes for drama in the story with a great best friend with a dud boyfriend, a...more

1 like · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 97 98 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (8)

More editions...

Genres

Young Adult

68 users

Music

51 users

Contemporary

15 users

Young Adult > Teen

14 users

Realistic Fiction

13 users

Romance

9 users

Womens Fiction > Chick Lit

5 users

Young Adult > Coming Of Age

4 users

Young Adult > Young Adult Contemporary

3 users

Love

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Yvonne Prinz

I was born on the prairies of Alberta, Canada to a musician and a music lover. In 1989 I moved to California where I met my husband, Dave, also a music lover and we founded Amoeba Music in 1990 (amoeba.com).
My first YA novel “STILL THERE, CLARE” was published in 2004 by Raincoast books in Vancouver. It was nominated for an IPPY and a RED CEDAR AWARD and it was a 2005 BOOKSENSE PICK.
The Second and...more

More about Yvonne Prinz...

Books by Yvonne Prinz

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Vinyl Princess

1 trivia question

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from The Vinyl Princess

“The cool thing about being best friends is that you can make big plans even if there's only a slim chance in hell that they'll ever happen.” — 16 people liked it

“Mom, camping is not a date; it's an endurance test. If you can survive camping with someone, you should marry them on the way home.” — 15 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: The Vinyl Princess
avg rating	preview: The Vinyl Princess Goodreads rating: 3.69 (881 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6543764-the-vinyl-princess?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348413533l/6543764.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6543764-the-vinyl-princess?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Vinyl Princess by Yvonne Prinz[/url]

The Vinyl Princess

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website