Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
The author of Ventura and Zelzah follows up that critically acclaimed debut novel with the further adventures of Douglas and his friends as they come of age in Southern California's San Fernando Valley in the late 1970s. Now seniors in high school, the gang spends their final year before college practicing stunt-driving in Marco's red Celica, getting high, obsessively listening to the great rock and roll of the era, and partying at the prom in powder blue tuxedos.
Straddling youth and adulthood, Douglas is feeling the pressure to get serious about his future. He gets his first taste of office culture working for his dad, and enjoys writing for the school newspaper, but so much about his immediate future is still uncertain. Will he go to San Diego State University with his best friend, Hank, like they've always planned? Will his father finally stop pushing him to follow in his footsteps in sales and marketing, and support his budding interest in journalism? And what's going on with his new girlfriend Annie? She says she loves him, but her actions say otherwise, causing Douglas a great deal of teenage heartache.
Like Ventura and Zelzah, with Ventura and Winnetka, J.G. Bryan has written a funny, poignant, and nostalgic coming-of-age tale about the relationships of teenagers on the verge of adulthood. The re-creation of the Valley culture of the late 1970s is palpable and magical.
Synopsis
The author of Ventura and Zelzah follows up that critically acclaimed debut novel with Ventura and Winnetka, a stand-alone novel that furthers the adventures of Douglas and his friends as they come of age in Southern California's San Fernando Valley in the late 1970s.
As seniors in high school, the gang spends their final year before college practicing crazy car stunts, getting high, obsessing about girls, passionately listening to the great rock and roll of the '60s and '70s, arguing about the Dodgers and the Lakers, and partying at the prom in powder blue tuxedos.
From a West Hollywood porn theater to a punk rock club in Chinatown to the site of the Manson murders, the Valley boys also begin to spread their wings as they explore the city of Los Angeles, located "just over the hill" from where they live.
Like Ventura and Zelzah, the stand-alone Ventura and Winnetka is a funny, poignant, and nostalgic coming-of-age tale about the relationships of teenagers on the verge of adulthood. The re-creation of the Valley culture of the late 1970s is palpable and magical.
Synopsis
Introduces YA readers to the extremely permissive milieu of 1970's suburban Los Angeles.Addresses issues specific to teenage boys, including peer pressure, negotiating the minefield of a first romance, and coping with the treacherous territory between the naivete of adolescence and the temptations of young adulthood.Adult crossover appeal as a nostalgic look back at teenagers in the 1970s that will resonate with baby boomers.National PR campaign targeted at media outlets with a focus on Southern California, 1970's nostalgia, and teenage coming-of-age issues