Customer Reviews

Hippies

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is a story of innocence and faith, true only for teens and young adults before they learn that there is no "fair" and little true justice. It recalls our hearts' feelings and brings back our horror and sorrow of the moment of the shootings, done for the first time with guns instead of words. I savor this book.

Though told from the point of view of one college student, "Hippies" is not necessarily a promotion of one point of view, but the many conflicting emotions of the people of that time. To do this is a challenge, but to do so with as much humor as Jedick has put in to this book, and still remain credible, is a tribute to his talent. The device of peripherally introducing the four slain students - Sandy Scheuer, Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, and Bill Schroeder - into the story humanizes them in a way that our modern history books have allowed us to forget. An outstanding first novel, and a historically important text.

Hippies brought back to me memories of when I was growing up in a small town not far from Kent. I may have been younger than the characters in the book, but we all had the same feelings. What the author brings out in Hippies is the story of how while struggling to grow up we became polictically aware, in spite of the fact that all we wanted to do was have fun. The story line moves fast, great reading for all ages.

If you remember the sixties, read this book. If you don't, read this book. They say if you can remember the sixties you weren't there; with this book I not only remember but I'm back there. Peace.

I just finished Hippies and thought it was one of the best books I have read. Jedick's writing style, similar to that of J.D. Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye, really pulled me in. When I finished the book I was sad because I wanted to keep reading about these charcters forever.

This book about 1969-1970 college students from Kent State University is truly inspiring. As the characters gain knowledge and growth, so will you. Jeddick captures every aspect of the sixties in an easy, "can't put down" text. The characters will trap you, their experiences will excite you and the history will haunt you.

I am a fourteen year old from Kent who just finished reading "Hippies". As a lifelong citizen of Kent, I was saddened to know that such violent things took place here. My parents were going to KSU during 1970 and they have told me a lot about what happened on May 4th, but I felt like reading this book patched up all the hole s that were missing from their story. I really enjoyed reading the story set against the background of the KSU tragedies, as well as learning more about my hometown's history. This is a great book!

I truly enjoyed "Hippies"! I saw myself in this book as the character, Dave Early - the neat,tidy, everything in its place sort of guy. Each reader should be able to find themselves as one of the characters going through college life in this interesting book. Hopefully, history will never repeat itself in the demonstrations that took place and the shooting of anti-Vietnam War protestors on the Kent State campus in 1970.

From the innocent opening talk of Rocky Colavito to the confusion felt by the characters on May 4, 1970, Hippies portrays average students pursuing average lives in extraordinary times. Hippies covers the students lives as the antiwar movement swells and invades Kent, leading to its inevitable tragic conclusion. Interestingly, another novel, Silent Bell, by Gary Drake, tackles the Kent State shootings from the other angle. It looks at the long-lasting effects of the incident, from the point of view of two lovers who broke up the day of the shootings and don't see each other again until the 25th Anniversay at the University. I recommend both. They should be read together!

Jedick's book 'Hippies" is a very well written text which would appeal to students across the globe. His vivid description of student life in the 60's, and the tragedy of May 4th, helps modern day students empathise with the relaxed atmosphere of the 60's, and the hurendous events at Kent State University,1970. Kent State, and the events of May 4th, are increasingly becomming under scrutiny by the younger generations of today. As a University student from England I found this text to be a wonderful help in placing the tragedy into perspective of the 60's and the student life at Kent. In my opinion this is a great help for anyone who wishes to understand May 4th but is not a native of the country, or even the University.