Jenny's review
Hairstyles of the Damned by Joe Meno
This author must have been mingled in and out of our circle of friends and acquaintances in high school. I would have never thought that I would read a book that referenced Haunted Trails, Chicago Ridge Mall, or Palos Heights. I love this book because he is dead on with the culture of attending Catholic high school on the southside/near southwest suburbs of Chicago circa 1990. My only gripe is that I wish he had expanded the music discussed in the book. While I appreciate GNR and the Misfits, there's a whole lotta good stuff that is overlooked. This book is also written from the POV of a teenage boy named Brian (purely coincidence) and to me, there's nothing scarier than the mind of a teenage boy. I highly recommend this to my southside friends...and I do recommend it to others, but keep your expectations lower than five stars. I had to give it the most just because my high school is named in the book.
I read his first two books, but was turned off by them, so I haven't picked up this one. Also I am afraid pf anything that gets too popular, and this book made Meno's name pretty big. Because I didn't read it, I had no idea it mentioned those places. Now I would definitely like to read it. I am from southwest chicago, and have been going to Haunted Trails for birthdays and haunted houses and bumper cars my whole life. Chicago Ridge is now Westfield Mall, but it's still Ridge in my heart. Thanks for the review!
