Product Description
"Ever since I first heard that Lionel Richie and Diana Ross song, `Endless Love,' all I've wanted is to find The One. Someone to love. Who will love me back." September, 1982. John Cougar's "Jack and Diane" is on endless radio rotation, and Dallas and Dynasty rule the ratings. Jack Paterno is a straight-A student living in the Detroit suburb of Hazel Park, with his own Atari 5200, a Beta VCR, and everything a seventh-grader could ask for. The only thing he has in common with foul-mouthed Brad Dayton, who lives on the gritty south side near 8 Mile, is that both are in Varsity Band. Or maybe that's not the only thing. Because Jack is discovering that while hanging around with girls in elementary school was perfectly acceptable, having lots of girl friends (as opposed to girlfriends) now is getting him and Brad labeled as Band Fags. And Jack is no fag. Is he? As Jack and Brad make their way through junior high and then through Hazel Park High School, their friendship grows deeper and more complicated. From stealing furtive glances at Playgirl to discussing which celebrities might be like that, from navigating school cliques to dealing with crushes on girls and guys alike, Jack is trying to figure out who and what he is. He wants to find real, endless love, but he also wants to be popular and "normal." But, as Brad points out, this is real life--not a John Hughes movie. And sooner or later, Jack will have to choose. Filled with biting wit and pitch-perfect observations, Band Fags is an exhilarating novel about lust and love, about the friendships that define and sometimes confine us, and about coming of age and coming to terms with the end of innocence and the beginning of something terrifying, thrilling, and completely unpredictable.
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 Coming of Age Novel ( tim410 )
At first the book seems like a way for the author to relive his high school days and make every conceivable 80's reference, but the main character Jack actually kind of grows on you. It gets a little tiresome when he constantly claims he's not "like that" (when he obviously is "like that"), and the book itself is way too long (430 pages!). But Polito has a gift for dialog, and he manages to make the conversations and Jack's narration interesting without being too cute or annoying. The best chapter, titled "Venus" (every chapter is named after an 80's song), has Jack going to a comedy club with his Uncle and the Homecoming King Tom Fulton, where they actually get to meet Judy Tenuta. The two boys end up sleeping together in a twin bed that night--after Tom passes out drunk. If only the entire book could be so funny, unpredictable, and heartbreaking.
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Fun 80s coming of age story ( hendecam )
Frank Polito's novel, Band Fags!, is a great coming of age story set in the 1980s. The story is told from Jack Paterno's perspective, and we get to watch him tackle all sorts of things as he progresses through each year of school starting with 7th grade and ending with his senior year in high school.
Jack and his best friend Brad are a part of the "band fags" in school. As the two get older, it becomes less and less cool to be hanging out with girls all the time. Even as Jack tries dating girls, is it strange that he and Brad are always asking each other if they'd think other guys are cute if they were a girl? Is it odd that Jack is as obsessed with soap operas as all the girls at school? Are Jack and Brad really "that way?" And if they are, what does that mean about their close friendship?
As Jack tries to deny those feelings, Brad becomes more comfortable with who he is. The two grow drift apart at times but are able to reconnect. They go on all sorts of adventures together - trying out a nearby gay bar, hunting down their favorite soap star, and playing that game we all played as youngsters - truth or dare.
If you grew up in the 1980s, you'll love this story and fondly remember all the numerous references to pop culture at the time. Even if you're not an 80s kid like me, there's much here to enjoy. And while this is a great read, I did feel like the author was trying to cram in way too much at times. Many of the side characters kind of blended together, especially when they'd make brief appearances after not being talked about for large sections.
Overall, "Band Fags!" is a great read and takes you back to those "innocent" high school days when your best friend meant the world to you.
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 Dude, Band Fags! is great, like great-great!
I really thought that this book was outstanding. Not only does it fully emerse you in the 80's and suburban Detroit, but what is most incredible about this book is how real the characters are. At times, you want to reach into the book and strangle Jack, the main character. In fact, with about a fifth of the book left I started yelling at the book, for real, shaking and yelling. Anyway, the relationships and characters jump out of the book, and the feelings that motivate them are completely authentic. The only problem is that because of the fact that some of the characters are gay, people who would absolutely love this book won't ever read it. It's really a great read and completely true to the emotions of anyone who ever felt like a "band fag" "drama queer" or just a plain old outsider.
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Great Book ( lkngforadeal12 )
I bought this book after reading a review on a random blog. I am so happy that I read the review and purchased this book. Even though a child of the 80's will get a flashback, those born after will still get a great story. I was not a band geek, but after reading this, I kinda wish I were.
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More than High School Band and the 80s, a real, touching story ( icarusrex )
From most of the reviews of "Band Fags!" I've read it seems like the two things that readers comment on are High School Band and the 80s. While both are a part of the book, the novel is so much more. This novel is about finding yourself and the friendships you gain and lose along the way. It examines the complexities of relationships in the turbulent high school years.
This is the coming-of-age and coming-out story of a high school "band fag" who grew up with his best friend in the suburbs of Detroit in the 80s. The plot tracks a typical high school experience from year-to-year. The novel examines characters that might be gay, don't want to be gay, think that they may be gay, are gay-for-a-day, and every other way a kid can questions his sexuality. High school for many is an isolating and confusing time for many teens as brilliantly illustrated by the novel. "Band fags" Jack and Brad try to avoid the negative aspects of those years and while trying to navigate through their own issues and problems. A cast of interesting characters unite and divide equally the two friends as they try to figure out which are "like that" and which are not. The story ranges from sweet and touching to heartbreaking and hilarious. The novel is easy to read as it is told from the perspective of a high school boy who is writing exactly what he's thinking at the time.
This book will appeal to many different readers and will disappoint few. Anyone who was raised in the 80s will enjoy all the 80s references. Anyone in high school band will remember being called a "band fag" whether gay or not. Anyone from the Detroit area will know exactly all the places the author describes. Anyone who has been through high school will understand exactly what Jack goes through in this novel.
I recommend this book for anyone who wants to read a good, interesting book that drags you in and keeps you there.
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