Heavy Metal And You [Paperback]

Chris Krovatin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2006

If Nick Hornby had a metalhead little brother, he'd write a book as clever, music-drenched, and observationally direct as this, Christopher Krovatin's rock-solid PUSH debut, now in paperback.

Boy listens to lots of loud music and hangs with his friends. Boy meets girl. Boy falls dippy-happy-scared-as-hell in love with girl. Friends meet girl -- and aren't impressed. Girl meets friends -- and isn't impressed. Boy meets big dilemma. Boy plays music even louder. Big dilemma meets big, complicated resolution.

With humor and heartfelt observations, debut author Christopher Krovatin strikes some very loud chords about life, love, sex, and friendship.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 11 Up–Sam wears spiked bracelets, gets wasted with his friends, and has almost encyclopedic knowledge about heavy-metal music. But he's also incredibly intelligent and as knowledgeable about classic literature as he is about the music he loves. Sam attends an expensive all-boys prep school in New York City, and he and his buddies often cut classes to smoke or get an early start on the weekend. But all good things must end, and they do with a sudden crash when Sam begins to date Melissa, a straightedge who doesn't drink or do drugs and doesn't like the fact that he does. Sam tries to modify his behavior for the girl who is more important to him than he ever thought possible, but pleasing Melissa means completely changing who he is. This romance is chock-full of music references, slang, and general metalhead band knowledge such as album release dates, etc. The language is raw and full of sexual talk and innuendo, especially among Sam and his friends. The main characters are well developed and mostly believable, if a bit more emotional than expected on Sam's part. The plot moves quickly and jumps from past to present, with Sam interspersing his current situation with relevant scenes from his past. This rapid progression, as well as the realistic situations and language, keep teens' attention, making the book a good choice for reluctant readers.–Heather E. Miller, Homewood Public Library, AL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 10-12. It was Slayer that first turned Sam Markus into a Metal Head. "Slayer was like Rob Zombie, only without the camp value and with better musicianship. They scared the hell out of me at first, and I loved it. Pure fucking evil." Sam and his buddies hang out drinking, smoking, and exchanging vulgar insults when not attending their NYC prep school. But after Sam starts to date Melissa, things change. He makes her a disc of tunes to draw her into his world (the songs are listed so readers can re-create the mix), and goes "straightedge" for her, giving up his favorite vices. Ultimately, though, he realizes that he's becoming one of the phonies that his idol Holden Caulfield detests. Infusing the story with music, humor, and anger, Krovatin records a perfect take on relationships and how they change. From the terrific cover and portrait of selfish love to the clever CD player icons indicating narrative switches (PLAY, PAUSE, SKIP AHEAD, BACK, and on the final page, STOP), this is an authentic portrayal of an obsession with music. Teens don't have to like heavy metal to appreciate this novel, which is guaranteed to attract readers looking for a book to reach their death-metal souls. Cindy Dobrez
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 15 and up
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Push (June 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439743990
• ISBN-13: 978-0439743990
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #443,120 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an author i want to read again, December 19, 2005

By 

Meggy Berry (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heavy Metal And You (Hardcover)

i loved this book! i didnt put it down. i like how it had a mix of my fave subjects, music and love. i loved all the bands and music that the author mentioned and the characters and scenes seemed real, like they could actually happen, unlike other books where the author doesnt know what they are really talking about. there is drugs, alcohol and sex in the book, so i'd recommend it for older teens. awesome job

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars "Heavy Metal"? Well, maybe a LITTLE..., December 9, 2009

By 

Rob Lee (MO USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Heavy Metal And You (Paperback)

I wanted to like this book, I really did. The writing was decent, and the story wasn't BAD, but the "metal" part of the book seemed forced to me. It was the story of a young man who likes to party, who has friends who like to party, and then falls in love with a girl. The metal parts of the book couldn't almost been added after it was written. "I made her a mix tape, and here are the bands on it," he basically says (not word-for-word). Wow, impressive. I wanted the metal to be woven into the story, but I just didn't feel it.

This writer has the gift, though, and definitely has potential. I look forward to more from him in the future.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Playlists and Even Better Story, August 7, 2007

By 

Kathryn Gaglione "The Bibliophile" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heavy Metal And You (Paperback)

The front flap of the book says "if Nick Hornby had a metalhead little brother, he'd write a book as clever, music-drenched, and observationally direct as this." And a more true statement could not be made about this book.

Enter the world of grunge, death metal and hard-core alternative music. Sam Markus comes from a good family, goes to the right school and has all the privileges of his favorite literary hero Holden Caulfield, but he also has a harsh past that turned his life upside-down. Luckily, he found an outlet for his anger through heavy metal.

After Melissa, the straightedge girl of his dreams, walks into his life, Sammy knows he is in love. But Melissa, his friends and his music seem to clash, and Sammy doesn't know who he is or even who he wants to be anymore. Heavy metal helped him overcome his past, yet he isn't sure if the music is enough to help him figure out his present.

With an intelligence that is astounding for such a young author (Krovatin was only 20 years-old when the book was published), this book hits home with themes of acceptance, sex, drugs and self-perception. I loved reading this book. Even with its dark and sometimes violent overtones, I found myself wanting to understand Sammy and his music as well as make some mixes of my own.