Quarter Finalist for the 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award
The Pursuit of Cool is a humorous and moving story of a ragingly ambitious, pop culture obsessed, tragically romantic young man who tries to find "cool" while attending college during the 1980s. It is sure to appeal to fans of Nick Hornby's High Fidelity, Catcher in the Rye, John Hughes movies, and the 80s...
Praise for The Pursuit of Cool:
"An experience as moving and thought provoking to its reader as it is to its hero."
--Literary Inklings
"...An excellent job of taking a character and creating his time and place perfectly. A totally enjoyable flashback ride..."
--Dew on the Kudzu
"From The Clash to Joy Division to Bauhaus...provides the perfect setting. A great debut, and I can't wait to read more from Robb Skidmore."
--The Book Fetish
"The characters are so well-developed and precise, I am already envisioning which actors would play them on the big screen."
A novel that uniquely captures the 1980s, The Pursuit of Cool tells the story of Lance Rally and his turbulent college years. He faces pressure to live up to his super-achieving family and is fueled by grandiose ambition. He wants to become a success but is easily distracted and obsessed with pop culture. He also has a deeply romantic nature and though inept he is sincere and falls in love quickly. He discovers emotional complexities as relationships with a beautiful psych major and a feisty goth girl change him. Friendships with a punk rock actor and a subversive scholar challenge his future plans. This journey is a funny and emotional ride through album covers, dance techniques, all-nighter revelations, and corporate internships gone bad. The story comes alive with music and movies which give Lance solace as he questions his beliefs and his heart gets crushed. He tries to capture that elusive quality, that magic of youth, the essence that is "cool."
"Lance...such a lovable character! The lovable male character who is kind of goofy and different, loved easily, intelligent, but who has a depth... I loved it!"
The Pursuit of Cool is a humorous and moving story of a ragingly ambitious, pop culture obsessed, tragically romantic young man who tries to find "cool" while attending college during the 1980s. It is sure to appeal to fans of Nick Hornby's High Fidelity, Catcher in the Rye, John Hughes movies, and the 80s...
Praise for The Pursuit of Cool:
"An experience as moving and thought provoking to its reader as it is to its hero."
--Literary Inklings
"...A novel surrounding college student Lance Rally, as he seeks to rise to the top of the social ladder by finding what cool is, only to be swept into the whirlpool of its many definitions. With plenty of humor and a strong moral on the purpose of youth, The Pursuit of Cool is a strong pick for general fiction collections and those who want an original take on the college dynamic."
--Midwest Book Review
"A skilled writer...A smart account of '80s college kids...the novel believably summons the 80s, complete with floppy discs, 9 1/2 Weeks on VHS, and R.E.M. cassettes."
--Kirkus Indie Review
"Skidmore has skillfully crafted a sympathetic protagonist whom readers root for... the narration has an understated lyrical quality."
"A skilled writer...A smart account of '80s college kids...the novel believably summons the 80s, complete with floppy discs, 9 1/2 Weeks on VHS, and R.E.M. cassettes."
--Kirkus Indie Review
"Skidmore has skillfully crafted a sympathetic protagonist whom readers root for... the narration has an understated lyrical quality."
--Watch Me Bounce
"...An excellent job of taking a character and creating his time and place perfectly. A totally enjoyable flashback ride..."
--Dew on the Kudzu
"From The Clash to Joy Division to Bauhaus...provides the perfect setting. A great debut, and I can't wait to read more from Robb Skidmore."
--The Book Fetish
"The characters are so well-developed and precise, I am already envisioning which actors would play them on the big screen."
--Mamarific
A novel that uniquely captures the 1980s, The Pursuit of Cool tells the story of Lance Rally and his turbulent college years. He faces pressure to live up to his super-achieving family and is fueled by grandiose ambition. He wants to become a success but is easily distracted and obsessed with pop culture. He also has a deeply romantic nature and though inept he is sincere and falls in love quickly. He discovers emotional complexities as relationships with a beautiful psych major and a feisty goth girl change him. Friendships with a punk rock actor and a subversive scholar challenge his future plans. This journey is a funny and emotional ride through album covers, dance techniques, all-nighter revelations, and corporate internships gone bad. The story comes alive with music and movies which give Lance solace as he questions his beliefs and his heart gets crushed. He tries to capture that elusive quality, that magic of youth, the essence that is "cool."
"Lance...such a lovable character! The lovable male character who is kind of goofy and different, loved easily, intelligent, but who has a depth... I loved it!"
--Novel d'Tales
"A splendid job...The lively dialogue is the real music of this novel."
"A splendid job...The lively dialogue is the real music of this novel."
--Writer's Digest
Join Lance on his intense and amazing ride!
Join Lance on his intense and amazing ride!
