Purple Daze by Sherry Shahan

Purple Daze is a young adult novel set in suburban Los Angeles in 1965. Six high school students share their experiences and feelings in interconnected free verse and traditional poems about war, feminism, riots, love, racism, rock 'n' roll, high school, and friendship.

Although there have been verse novels published recently, none explore the changing and volatile 1960's in America-- a time when young people drove a cultural and political revolution. With themes like the costs and casualties of war, the consequences of sex, and the complex relationships between teens, their peers, and their parents, this story is still as relevant today as it was 45 years ago.

Purple Daze was an interesting read. It didn’t completely suck me in, but it kept my attention enough to where I was able to finish reading it. I liked how Sherry Shahan wrote the novel in verse, and found it fairly surprising that she was able to pull it off well.

I really enjoyed reading about the 60s because it is modern enough to where it doesn’t remind me of something historical. Though Purple Daze is a little slow, and a bit confusing, it was still a decent read. I would check it out from the library before buying it, but if it seems like your cup of tea I’m certainly not going to discourage you from buying a copy.

FTC- Received from another blogger.