Arcadia

by Mandana Towhidy

Populated by rockers, Deadheads, misfits, skinheads, Goths, surfers, preppies, cheerleaders, and jocks, ARCADIA by Mandana Towhidy is a Fast Times at Ridgemont High for the Metal years. It's an honest story of Ronnie and her friends (Ezze, Tess, Ash, and Syd), teen girls in the heart of the Hollywood Metal scene during the late 80s/early 90s, ruling it in their own way, with or without the boys, and having the time of their lives: scrounging dimes for burritos, ducking the hallway narcs, getting stoned in the parking lot, and hitching rides to the next party to get wasted, all before noon on a school day. And in the world of Hollywood where more is all you need, Ronnie discovers happiness in Metal and friends and learning to see through the games and the "perfect-ness" of it all. Long Hair Rocks...Again! This book has a "soundtrack" that you follow while reading the story.

214 pages, Paperback

First published July 8, 2012

About the author

Mandana Towhidy is a writer and editor whose work was featured in Dazed&Confused, Tokion, Oyster (she was the US Editor for 5 years) as well as numerous other online and print publications. She has also been a trend forecast editor and creative director for brands including Levi's and Nike. Mandana grew up in Los Angeles and loves to go hiking with her little dog Lotte.
ARCADIA PRESS AND UPDATES:
http://laterdaysbetterlays.tumblr.com
ARCADIA ON IG:
@moreisallyouneed
REVIEW/AUTHOR INTERVIEW ON VICE:
http://www.vice.com/read/mandana-towh...
MISS ROSEN EDITIONS INTERVIEWS MANDANA:
http://www.missrosen.com/mandana-towh...
PAPER MAGAZINE'S AMY DAVIS ILLUSTRATES CHARACTER "TESS" FROM ARCADIA:
http://www.amydavis.com/wp/?p=85

Reviews

[Tabitha Vohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever wonder about those girls in 80’s metal music videos? They stood behind chain linked fences in throngs of fierce denim cut-offs with frost-tipped hair and neon eyeshadow. Every now and then, David Lee Roth or Brett Michaels or some other rock god would ram his tongue down one of their throats and toss them on the back of a motorcycle and ride off into the gin-soaked sunset. Or, at least, that was their dream. I always wondered about those girls. What were their lives like after the tour buses pulled away? Mandana Towhidy’s Arcadia is a candid, intelligent, unapologetic look into the lives of the girls that populated the 80’s metal scene.

There is not much about this book that I didn’t love. The foremost thing that should be recognized here is the quality of Towhidy’s writing. It’s the real deal. It’s well-crafted, comical in all of the right places, serious when it needs to be. The very aloofness of Ronnie’s narrative is calculated and executed with precision. In short, Towhidy is one hell of a writer and it shows, and it makes Arcadia a pleasure to read.

I also loved the matter-of-fact tone of the novel. Ronnie simply tells her story as she sees it, and it’s a story about trying to make sense of deep unhappiness by losing oneself in the vices that entice us: drugs, sex, alcohol, rock and roll. Ronnie and her friends live by a mantra of partying: thinking of parties, talking about parties, preparing for parties, recovering from parties, then lather-rinse-repeat. She offers us little snapshots into the other facets of her life-parents, school, romance- and while she doesn't volley excuses of explanations for the lifestyle she chooses (or that chooses her), she nevertheless hints at what makes a party girl a party girl, and it’s not that big of a mystery, so we get it.

Man, the only thing that I would change about Arcadia was that I wish there were more of it. I’d love to know how Ronnie and her friends made out. Some were heartbreakingly fragile beneath all of those f-bombs and aqua net.

Arcadia is a brilliant novel and I anxiously await Towhidy’s next effort.
P.S. The soundtrack: What a cool idea! Pretty soon everyone will be doing it.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this e book quite a while ago, in fact I received it last year (I’m sorry, I needed to make the joke) and I would first like to apologise to Mandana Towhidy for taking so long to read this. Now, I really do not know much about the 80s and what I do know is purely stereotypical things. You know big hair and occasional good music. So I guess reading ARCADIA has been a slightly educational experience.

Towhidy provides the readers with a unique experience, well one that I have not come across before, and that is she has provided a playlist of songs that relate to what is going on in the story. If you read it as an eBook then you get lightning bolts to click on every now and then which are linked to a YouTube playlist. It is truly fantastic and helps to drag you into Ronnie’s world.

My main issue with ARCADIA is that, to me, there seemed to be a lack of direction with the story. There were the foundations of sub plots but lack of indication of something that could be the main point of the novel. We had the sub plot of Ronnie’s friends and then we had the romantic sub plot with The Fang, but I really wasn’t sure with the main plot. For instance, I would have been fascinated to learn more about Ronnie’s home relationships and the relationships formed at school. That being said, the way Towhidy has structured the chapters of this novel with each chapter dedicated to one of Ronnie’s friends, was a fantastic way to build the world and create character development.

If you’re looking for a quick read, with interesting characters and brilliant writing then I highly recommend ARCADIA. You will experience America in the 80s on a more realistic level and you will love it. I give this novel 3.5 stars out of 5 purely because there was a lack of main story arc, but everything else is worthy of 5 stars.

[Jennifer Ricketts (Donnie Darko Girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for my stop on the blog tour at Donnie Darko Girl.

Arcadia took a minute for me to get into with the slang, but once I was in, I was in and there was no going back. This was a fresh and entertaining read that kept me up late because I didn't want the party to end. I grew up in the early to mid-90's grunge era, and at times, I almost wished I had grown up in the metal scene.

I couldn't help but wonder if any school could be the way Ronnie describes hers where students ditch class daily and come back drunk or high. Whether it's realistic or not, it didn't bother me one way or the other. I was a little jealous of the way Ronnie lived without caring what others think. She's young and free with seemingly little to no consequences dealt to her.

There is so much description that it'd be impossible to not picture Ronnie and her friends, but it was also sometimes a problem for me. There is a LOT of description, which at times made Ronnie go off on long tangents. Once I realized she had brought me back to the present, it took me a moment to remember where I was in the story. On the other hand, some of the most fun parts of Arcadia were the lengthy character descriptions.

If you like the 70's of Dazed and Confused and the 90's of My So-Called Life, then you need the 80's of Arcadia!

[Reem Atallah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came into this story thinking I wasn't going to like it, mainly because I wasn't a huge metal fan but I decided to give it a try.

SO TOTALLY WORTH IT.

This book was beyond my expectations I loved the story, I loved the characters, I freaking ADORED the soundtrack and now I'm a huge metal/rock fan! GAH!

Ronnie was so genuine and fun and sweet it will be so hard not to like her and all her friends are super spunky and fun and DIFFERENT.

This book was so different from any book I've ever read. I felt like I was in the 80's. I don't mean to sound all cliche with the whole "I feel like I'm in a different world...and I've escaped reality blah blah blah" but that's kinda how I felt. It took me into Ronnie's world and I loved that.

Mandana' writing is insanely good. She's very detailed and everything she wrote made me want to know more. She made all the characters have this sort of mystery to them and you wanted to know more about them.

The soundtrack totally added to the "Arcadia" experience and I'm not ashamed to say I may have head banged a few times...

Overall this book was pretty amazing and if you're thinking that this book isn't you're style and you probably won't like it then you should reaaaaallly check it out, trust me you'll be surprised at how much you like it.

It did take me awhile to read mainly because it did have a soundtrack and I wanted to be sure I listened to every song at the right time.

Lastly, thank you Mandana for introducing me to Ronnie's awesome story.

Psst. We want more Arcadia....sequel?!? ;)

[T.L. Searle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, thank you to Mandana Towhidy for the chance to read and review this book. It's not a genre I'd generally look for when seeking out new titles to read but... wow. I loved this novel.

I loved the interactive playlist which blasted through my speakers as I immersed myself in Ronnie's world. Mandana has really developed these characters, in a way that was subtle in a completely un-subtle world.

I don't want to accidently reveal spoilers but I love the ending. Nothing about this novel is 'usual'. It's a completely riveting and contemporary read... if you can call 80's/90's metal contemporary.

I recommend this read, though it's pretty full on - make sure you have a few spare hours in your day.

You don't need to have experience or understanding of music culture to appreciate this novel; as Mandana gives you everything you need to know in a mix of interesting sub-stories and language.

Read it... love it/hate it. Everyone appreciates different things in a novel; but this one will definitely stay with me.

'THIS is all you need.'

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given a copy for an honest review!

Arcadia is set in the 80s, it's main character is Ronnie, she's the smart and quite one in the lot. Each section or chapter is focusing on each of her friends. And what party or show they are going to or what guy they like at the time. We have big hair, wet N wild lip gloss, and metal!!



I was kind of looking for more when I started this book because hello it's a book about the 80s and metal. As a lover of 80s metal I jumped at the chance to read this book. I loved that the author had video links through out, I loved the soundtrack. That was the great about this book. The not so great is well I found went on a bit, too descriptive, and I like descriptions.

Over all I did enjoy it. With that I leave you with:

Warrant - Cherry Pie

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author sent me this book, free of charge, for an honest review.

This book was definitely different. Right off the bat, you can tell its going to be weird because it says that its a "metal" novel.
The novel pretty much follows Ronnie and her friends as they live life through the 80's. And boy, does it scream 80's. I was born in 1992, so I never had the privilege of living in that time, but by reading this book, I got a pretty good idea of what life was like.
Holy crap, some of the things that these kids did while in school and out of school blew my mind. I would have never ditched school to go to a party... Probably because there were no parties going on during the school day.

This book was very enjoyable and fun to read. It wasn't my favorite but I enjoyed it all the same just because I've never read anything like it before and it was very very different.

Thank you, Towhidy for writing this book! I think everyone who didn't grow up in the 80's should pick this baby up.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to start off giving a big thank you to the author, Mandana Towhidy, for send me this book to review

This book was not like anything I've read before, as well it was not what I expected once I started reading it. I found it interesting to read something from that generation and seeing who different things where then for some people than they are now. I enjoyed getting to see the "wild side" of the younger generation, as well I liked noticing how in somethings from then are still around today (although not exactly as they used to be, they've changed a bit to keep up with modern times).
This story makes me wonder a bit though, if some high schools really partied this much on a regular basis.
I do wish we would have been given more of a background for out main character Ronnie.

Over all I thought this was a very good book, more of an entertainment read than anything else.
I would rate this story more a 3.5 stars than just a 3 stars.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It brought back the flavor of the 1980s/early 1990s. It made me wish that I had been old enough to party with these girls then, but also glad that I was not. The description was so detailed that I felt like I was there with them.
I really enjoyed the fact that there was a playlist of music to go along with the book. It was a fabulously complementary playlist, which I had a great time listening to.
The end did fall a little flat for me, but that might be because I was having such a great time reading and wasn't ready to stop yet. I will definitely read the next one.

[Slawka · Rating 4 out of 5]

/I received a free copy from the author/

I was a bit skeptical before reading: it sounded so promising that I thought it couldn't be true. But I ended up loving it: the soundtrack is great, the descriptions vivid and suggestive. If i had to complain I would say there were a bit too many descriptions of outfits. Some of them were necessary, but some seemed to be too much. I also have to say I loved the ending: I was afraid of it, it would be so easy to make it banal, but it fitted perfectly. It is like so many high school stories but with a metal spirit and actual style in writing!

[Taiyewo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book surprised me!

I didn't expect this type of writing for this genre. Wow! It's like Clueless marries the 80s! I couldn't put it down! Unfortunately for me I have the 1st Gen Kobo reader so I wasn't able to listen to the music while reading. But I'm sure that the music would have added to the feel of the time period and to the moment it was inserted into the chapters. My only criticism is that I felt it ended a bit abruptly. I wanted to know what was going to happen between Farrah/Ronnie and The Fang!

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book. It took me right back to the 1980s and high school. Mandana has the era down perfectly - what we did. what we wore and most importantly 80s hair! The romantic (or lack there of ) as well as the school pecking order are realistic. The characters stay with you afyer the story is long over.

The concept of including a soundtrack via youtube is fantastic. I enjoyed every song and in fact have saved the playlist to listen to over and over.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Alwaysreadingbooks - Reading Drinking and Relaxing · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for my honest review

Great book, the characters were great and the story line was wonderful. I liked the fact that this was about a group of friends who were all different but had one thing in common. The fact that each character had a story and back story was wonderful. There was nothing like being transported back in time to remember the fashion and what all was going on at that time. This book held me from beginning to end.

[Kara]

DNF

[Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

* I received a free e copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review *

Based solely on the storyline, I would have given this book a 2 but add in it's uniqueness and I thought it was worth a 3.

Arcadia centers around a high school girl named Farrah, aka Ronnie, and her friends. The author treats you to a first hand look at the California party scene of the late 1980s that you wouldn't otherwise see unless you lived it.

I thought the book was really unique in that it included it's very own soundtrack. Not at the end of the book as an afterthought like most authors do, but worked right into the story where you could listen to the songs as you read. That in itself took this book from a 2 star review to a 3 star for me. I've never read an e-book that had that feature. I thought it was pretty cool.

As far as the story goes, I just couldn't get into it. It just never seemed to go anywhere. In each chapter Ronnie introduces you to a different character in her life. The characters are all very well thought out and complex but you weren't given the opportunity to connect with any of them. I spent the entire book feeling sorry for them and I'm sure that is not the feeling that the author was trying to give us. Also, I felt like the author was a little (a lot) redundant. In each chapter you're treated to a paragraph or two where she lists every article of clothing that each person is wearing or each band that she's ever heard of or listened to. Towards the end there are several pages dedicated exclusively to the word vomit typed over and over. It just seemed like overkill. At the same time, even though this story wasn't for me, I do admit that I had a hard time putting it down.

While Arcadia wasn't my cup of tea and I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to anyone, if you are now or have ever considered yourself a metal head, don't just take my word for it. Read it for yourself and form your own opinion.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. Thank you Mandana Towhidy!

Growing up in the 80's, the author did a great job with her descriptive writing making the 80's come alive. I truly enjoyed the how the soundtrack was incorporated into the story, it was something different and unique which tied into the story.

With that being said I found it hard to get into the story because it was overtly descriptive at times and I found myself wondering where the story was going because I got bored. There really wasn't too much to the story and by the end I think the author didn't know how to get to the end except to give page after page of "Vomit" literally the word, repeated over and over again, yeah not my favorite word.

Overall, I think this book has potential to be really good with some re-writes.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy in return for a review.

I didn't know what to expect with this one but was pleasantly surprised. The soundtrack was good, I'm not really a metal head at all, but it really added to the story. I've always thought that books should have soundtracks and this one worked really well.
The story was we'll written with some interesting characters. A lot of description which was both a good and bad thing: good, because it made me feel like I was there. Bad because sometimes it was just a bit too much, it felt overly descriptive at times, especially when describing outfits. Some of it was just not needed.
I loved the setting of the story, back in the rock scene, it was a really interesting idea.
It was good, but not enough to make me read it again or go out and buy it.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the music side, all the links were great as I'm something of a metal head myself. I didn't really enjoy the story though, I found it to be slow moving and rather too descriptive (fluffy hair, bangs, hairspray and lipgloss) it was just a bit too much for me.

Ronnie was a sweet thing but I kept losing track of which friend she was with and what party she was at. The Fang was an interesting character too.

I'm really glad I read it, the music was a blast from the past but I wouldn't rush out to buy a copy of the book.

[Brandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received this book free from the author for an honest review*

This book is about a girl name Ronnie and her friends. It takes place in the late 80s early 90s. It explains their high school life. It includes sex, drugs, and parties. The moral of the story is guys come and go but your friends will always be there for you.

I felt there was too much character development in the story which took away from the experience of the book. I think it should have focused more on Ronnie as a whole rather than who her friends were and how they became a part of her life. It is a unique book with a unique concept.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for a honest review.

Arcadia is a book that takes place in the late 1980's and what it was like to be in high school and live in the LA area. Big hair, heavy metal, and wild parties are the norm for the main character Ronnie. This book is very descriptive and does a great job making you feel like you stepped back in time.

Arcadia made me feel like I was reliving my high school years but the story fell short for me and ended very abruptly. However I did enjoy the characters and give the book a 3 star rating.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was definitely not what I expected. It is about life in the 80's, where a group of teens party, drink smoke dope, party, drink, smoke dope. There is also some fighting and boy drama. It was an interesting read personally not my kind of book. It was well written and i really did love the flashbacks of the eighties I was having when describing clothing and hair and other things associated with this generation. I personally felt there was too much partying and lack of a strong story line, but like I said It's the type of book I normally read.

[Faye · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book. Thank you!

On to the review.

It was actually interesting. What I like about the book was the music that was included. It was fun listening to them. It really makes you feel what is happening in the books. The characters were pretty interesting. I think the only problem would be the description. Some was just a bit too much. Although you could get that feeling like you're really in it. The ending fitted perfectly.

[Rebecca A · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have never had a book that I could not finish...until this book. Utterly self-involved and crammed with profanity, I couldn't bring myself past the first fifty pages. Granted, it deals with a scene I'm not familiar with.

I believe every book should be given a chance, but if crass, disrespectful, and arrogant protagonists turn you off? Steer clear.

Otherwise? Go for it.