Jimi & Me
by Jaime Adoff
2005
From School Library Journal
Grade 6-9–Rendered penniless by the murder of his wealthy, record-producing father, 13-year-old biracial Keith and his mom are forced out of their fancy Brooklyn apartment to live with his father's sister in small-town Hollow Falls, OH. Once there, Keith enrolls in school where by day he fights off bullies and befriends Veronica, a popular and gorgeous blond who soon works her way into his affections. By night, he funnels his grief and frustrations into the Jimi Hendrix songs he plays on his guitar. But Keith's grief morphs into rage when his mom discovers that his father had another woman on the side and a son named Jimi, and he vows to track them down and make them pay. Written in line breaks with Hendrix's lyrics interspersed throughout, Adoff's novel features unique characterizations–especially Keith–whose mixed heritage and bright paisley '60s attire sets him apart from the other teens in his school and from many other characters in YA literature. However, the plot, although easy to follow, tends to drag, and the overly moralized conclusion seems too preemptive to be realistic. Teen readers will respect Keith for his individuality and drive to save himself and his mother from poverty, but will be rolling their eyes by the novel's forced finale.–Hillias J. Martin, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Grade 6-9–Rendered penniless by the murder of his wealthy, record-producing father, 13-year-old biracial Keith and his mom are forced out of their fancy Brooklyn apartment to live with his father's sister in small-town Hollow Falls, OH. Once there, Keith enrolls in school where by day he fights off bullies and befriends Veronica, a popular and gorgeous blond who soon works her way into his affections. By night, he funnels his grief and frustrations into the Jimi Hendrix songs he plays on his guitar. But Keith's grief morphs into rage when his mom discovers that his father had another woman on the side and a son named Jimi, and he vows to track them down and make them pay. Written in line breaks with Hendrix's lyrics interspersed throughout, Adoff's novel features unique characterizations–especially Keith–whose mixed heritage and bright paisley '60s attire sets him apart from the other teens in his school and from many other characters in YA literature. However, the plot, although easy to follow, tends to drag, and the overly moralized conclusion seems too preemptive to be realistic. Teen readers will respect Keith for his individuality and drive to save himself and his mother from poverty, but will be rolling their eyes by the novel's forced finale.–Hillias J. Martin, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Themes/Categories
-Music
-Family
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