Friday, February 21, 2014

Sonnenblick, Jordan. Are You Experienced?

Sonnenblick, Jordan.  Are You Experienced?  Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends  2013  294p  $17.99  ISBN 978-1-250-02564-7  jr/sr  Fantasy  VG-BN   

After sneaking into his dad's office, Jimi Hendrix-obsessed guitarist Rich is transported back in time to Woodstock, where he has the opportunity to meet his father as a teenager, as well as his uncle who died before Rich was born.  During his three-day stay, in addition to the opportunity to hear his musical idols perform live, Rich is able to save his uncle's life, and thereby change his father's life for the better in the present.  Historians and music lovers of either gender will find this a joy to read, even if they are not specifically fans of the music played at Woodstock, because author Sonnenblick's thorough research brings delightful realism to the portrayal of Woodstock without lingering on or flinching away from the less pleasant aspects, like people in bare feet walking over glass or the general squalor of an outdoor festival after several days of habitation by thousands of people.  Rich's experiences with both mind-altering substances and the free-love movement are tastefully handled, and the ending is hopeful despite Rich's apparent failure in his self-assigned mission.  It is a satisfying read overall.  

Summary: After sneaking into his dad's office, Jimi Hendrix-obsessed guitarist Rich is transported back in time to Woodstock, where he has the opportunity to change the future and save a life.

America 1960s-Fiction, Rock music-Fiction, Family-Fiction, Time travel-Fiction     
--Bethany Geleskie

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