A Visit from the Goon Squad

by Jennifer Egan. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, c. 2010, 274 pages. ISBN 978-0-307-59283-5

The chapters of the Goon Squad are made up of intertwining stories and characters that snake through the lives of Bennie Salazar, former punk rocker and aging music producer, and his assistant Sasha, a mucked up young woman with kleptomania impulses. Stories are told at different times in the characters lives and the book spans decades even to a dystopian future as Egan delves into a touch of science fiction.

This is a captivating book and Egan's voice is both prophetic and subversive. If you ever wonder what happened to the life you imagined for yourself in your youth, only to realize that you grew up, A Visit from the Goon Squad is a book to read.

Weetzie Bat

Title: Weetzie Bat

Author: Francesca Lia Block

Publication date: 1989

Number of pages: 109

Genre: fiction, Young Adult fiction
Geographical Setting: L.A., Hollywood
Time Period: 1980s

Series: yes, first in the Weetzie Bat series

Plot Summary: Weetzie is an offbeat individual living in Hollywood. A child of divorce, nobody understands Weetzie. She has a bleached-blond flattop and wears vintage clothes. She meets her best friend Dirk in high school who takes her slam-dancing at clubs in L.A. Dirk reveals to her that he is gay and this is just fine with her. They go “duck-hunting” together and dream about their true loves. Dirk’s grandmother gives Weetzie a gift that grants her three wishes. Both Weetzie and Dirk meet their true loves and live in a fairytale-like cottage together. They make underground films that are successful and have a baby they raise together. Their lives are not completely a fairy tale but their love for each other is allows them close to happily ever after.

Subject Headings: love, individuality, blended families, homosexuality, filmmaking, punk-style, death, suicide, nontraditional families, children out of wedlock, L.A., Hollywood, alcoholism, three wishes, “duck-hunting”

Appeal: fairy tale-like, love story, 1950s style and film references, punk fashion, beginning of AIDS epidemic, minimalist-style of writing, poetic-style of writing, Charlotte Zolotow Book, lonely teenage girls could identify with Weetzie, characters’ own vernacular, rape incident, 1980s Hollywood club scene, loss of parent by suicide, alcoholic parent

If you liked the Weetzie Bat series, you might enjoy: Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, Clara Vidal's Like a Thorn, Nadine Monem’s Riot Grrrl: Revolution girl Style Now!