Vinylprinsessan

by Yvonne Prinz

Allie är sexton år och bor i Berkeley i Kalifornien med sin frånskilda mamma. Nu har hon fått sommarjobb i den coolaste skivbutiken i stan, Bob & Bobs skivor. Hon guidar skivnördar rätt i musikens värld samtidigt som hon bloggar om musik. Efter en tid har hon en stor och engagerad beundrarskara.

Genres: Young Adult, Music, Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Teen

284 pages, Hardcover

First published December 14, 2009

About the author

"If You're Lucky" (Algonquin Books For Young Readers) will be arriving Fall 2015.

Reviews

[Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really don't mean to offend anyone, but this book was so annoyingly hipster, I can almost feel the black, thick-framed glasses forming on my face and the venti pumpkin spice latte with white mocha from Starbucks materializing in my hand.

I mean, I love music. I really do. But I don't own a vinyl or a turntable or even a cassette tape and I DO download my music ON my iPod, and this book just came of as snobbish and elitist for me. Just because Allie owns 8434534 vinyls and all that shit, it doesn't mean that she's better than anyone else, and that's EXACTLY how she came out to me. Allie was a freaking self-righteous pompous ass, with her "lol-you-download-music-you-are-the-scum-of-the-world" complex going on. I liked nothing about her. It's surprising that I actually finished reading the book. (probably just the music history)

I kind of feel like I was reading a sermon about my music-purchasing choices, and hell, my music taste in general. Especially during the part where when Allie's dad joined that band with Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance and AFI as their inspiration, and Allie said that they were "punk-ass kids", and just - EXCUSE ME? I, ugh.

I don't really know how to phrase out my thoughts anymore, I'm terrible at writing anything more than three sentences. But I'm leaving with this - I absolutely hated the snobbery in this book, and everything was just way too forced, and hell, what was the main plot, anyway? Her blog thing? Her love life? (ugh)Her work in general?

Oh, and I just realized: The entire book could have just gone off as smoothly (as it can be, ugh) without the robbery crap part. I mean, what was the point of THAT?

(I will probably edit this and say things more clearly when I get the time. But for now, I'm off to go plug in my earphones and listen to my downloaded music on my *GASP* iPod)

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books where a whole lot of nothing happens.... Don't get me wrong the characters experience a few things... maybe it's just not that interesting. Not bookworthy perhaps?!?!?

The book is basically about a girl who works in a record store. She's really into music. She starts a blog about said music, witnessess a robbery and meets a fella with the music bone as well. Throw in freshly divorced, dating parents and a somewhat quirky best girl friend experiencing a cheating boyfriend and that's pretty much the gist.
Meh. This book is trying to hard to be cool and hip that it really comes across preachy.

3 stars

Sidenote: There is some very awesome music mentioned throughout, it makes me wish i had more time to devote to my music, not my 3 year olds! ;)

[Isamlq · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

It’s a good thing I don’t judge books by their first lines. Or their second lines for that matter because lines like, “I sensed him in my midst. The air seems to thin when he’s near me.” Does not even scratch the surface of how delightful I found Allie to be. With those two lines, one might imagine girls of the frilly dress and maybe even ghostly would be lovers. Not the case. Thank god.

Vinyl Princess is a girl with a passion for the little record shop she works in; a passion running a close second for her true passion: LP’s. It’s her passion that shone through. Because it’s a passion I like to think I possess for the second hand book shops (Book Sale) and Fully Booked Shops here at home. But more than her passion, there’s also the fact that she could read wise (with her ‘think it through’ bits of wisdom for Kit,) and then sound so young (with her considering a certain someone’s eye color: ahem, sea glass green;) and then be absolutely hilarious (with her blurting out thoughts on speedos and whether seeing someone in one was next to seeing them in their underwear.)

So old soul, music lover, and part time world changer all in a tidy package that’s self described as boyish, (i.e. flat in the general area between neck and tummy.) The world changer bit is something I laughed at a little. She’s rather ambitious, but honestly, I thought got a bit self-aggrandizing with the fanzine. But I like her spunk, of how one moment she’s thinking of something; then the next she’s doing something about it. Because throughout the book, she does what she wants. Whether what she wants be to mock her father or her father’s new wife or even herself; or to write up a blog to get people to pay attention to music and yes, maybe even conquer the blogosphere.

Past the first two lines, this book was an absolute blast. When you get to the point where she talks normally of her day to day, you really do get a sense of how normal she is. Her relationship with her mother, for instance, it’s not dysfunctional. They care about what the other says and are present for each other. Sure, she’s unsure about changes happening, both of them are… but the changes don’t cancel out the fact that there’s a real relationship there. Or her with father, that they connect on one level but somehow missed out on all the others felt sad but real. And then of course the bit that brought out the ridiculously young sounding side of her: Kit. Allie’s smarter with her, but less serious too. I like them together, but there could have been more. I wanted more. And Pierre, the cat. I love, love, love how accurately the cat is painted in this one because ours are just as prissy-royal as Pierre sounds.

Another thing I enjoyed was how unapologetically snobbish she could be. Allie is just of the musical variety ( she listens to Dave Mathew, she sort of sneers.) This should give you a sense of how odd AND normal most everyone is in this book. She seeks to rejuvenate the world with a love for LP’s and seems pumped up enough to blog about it, then write, publish, produce a fanzine for the same. Plus have I mentioned how the girl could poke fun at just about anything: her non existent boobage for one, or her non-loyal feline companion caught cheating on her Japanese would be ghost of a renter? I liked it all, her descriptions, her wordiness, her humor.

And though she may not have been living a difficult life, her story has got me pumped once again over the twinning of music and YA. That something special I was looking for in Amplified is something I have found here. The love angle was in turns interesting then cute then predicable and obvious, but just get a load of what she has to say for the mixes: “The mating call of the romantically challenged.” Damn me, if I don’t love how she put things.

3.5/5

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay. A LOT of YA books have a protagonist with an immense passion/talent/hobby/etc., and sometimes it feels real, and sometimes it doesn't. This one didn't ring true for me. The passion for music/vinyl felt hollow and forced. I did like the details surrounding vinyl collectors and Berkeley though............

Ugh. It's been extremely difficult for me to construct my review of this book. I hate being scared to give a harsh review on Goodreads, but I am. I really wish we could set our reviews so ONLY our friends can read them and not the authors and their cronies, friends and supporters - (i.e. the only people who read all the random reviews from people they don't know). I've been burned before and now I'm gun shy (Yes, I've been virtually yelled at and insulted by some anonymous person who read one of my negative reviews and felt compelled to disagree.. nay hurt my feelings.). I'm not interested in having online strangers try to hurt my feelings, SO IF I DON'T KNOW YOU, PLEASE DON'T COMMENT ON MY REVIEWS. GOODREADS ARE YOU LISTENING?!?!?!

Thanks,
Amy

[Raina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, first off, I have to say that the cover on this is totally wrong. It's attractive enough, but Allie describes her look as "the love child of Sid Vicious and Chrissie Hynde," and repeatedly describes her own rooster hair and brunette hair color. Long golden locks? I don't think so. But that doesn't make the book bad.

I found it quite compelling, thought-provoking and entertaining, actually.
We follow Allie, a 16-year-old who's been (unlawfully) working at a record store for two years. She's obsessed with vinyl, has a crush on a stranger, starts a blog, watches a era go away, and helps along her best friend and mother's respective love lives.

Prinz is definitely a vinylhead first, an author second, and the writing is occasionally a bit clunky and predictable. But the characters are likeable, the world (Telegraph Ave in Berkeley) is vivid, and I enjoyed the twists in the love story (even if I could predict them). It made me think about my own feelings about music consumption, how technology changes the world, and gave me (ok, recent) flashbacks to the death of my neighborhood grocery store.

I'd booktalk this to middle-schoolers content-wise, but I think thematically, Allie's self-knowledge and solidity in her niche is a little too mature to speak to middle schoolers. Not to mention that they're not going to know most of the music referenced. So, solid safe handsell/high school.

[Saviourofmusic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favourite book, hands down, always will be, and I have read a LOT of books.
This story is about a teen music junky named Allie who works at a vinyl music store called "Bob & Bob's" and her summer there.
The plot is very subtle and there are many other subplots to it. That's kinda what I like about it. It's a really laid back story but at the same time it can keep you on edge.
The characters are fantastic. Allie is so indie and unique you have to love her. She's anti-mainstream and loves vintage music. She sounds like someone I'd hang out with. Lots of the music she mentioned I knew, so I felt connected to the book. Her mother was really cool and chilled, I liked her. Her best friend Kit was awesome, coming up with crazy schemes for the two to go on, dressing up in all sorts of cool vintage clothes. Ravi was a nice guy, I don't know how people couldn't like him. Allie's dad was okay, other than the fact he was married to that Kee Kee chick...shudder. Bob was an interesting guy, but I liked him.
The plot? Fantastic. I won't give anything away though.
One thing I should mention before I go-- if you don't love vinyl music, don't read this. Please. You'll be confused and angry. And if you want to, then do, but make sure to google all the music so you don't feel like an outcast.
Music junkies? You'll love it.
Thanks. Read this!

[snowplum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm being strict to my standards and giving this only 3 stars even though I want to give all the stars to a book with a young female protagonist who loves music and Gets It about vinyl -- that's my favorite idea for a MC in any book I've read in the last year. But. What Allie actually writes about vinyl is pretty brief and almost as pretentious as it is enlightening, and most of the rest of what she goes through in the course of the book is pretty mundane. This is a reasonably enjoyable slice of life YA novel with a main character I liked but couldn't love despite being predisposed to adore.

[Mahlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vinyl Princess is a must read for anyone who spent any time in Berkeley in the 90's. When I was in college Amoeba Music (disguised as Bob and Bob's records in the book) was my refuge from the chaos and craziness that was (and is) Berkeley. Reading this book brought back many memories for me. While not as good as other novels in the genre such as High Fidelity or Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, it comes very close. Anyone who enjoyed those two books will enjoy this one.

[Alex Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Vinyl Princess
By Yvonne Prinz
Harper Collins
ISBN# 978-0-06-171583-9

"I've always loved independent music stores because the staff is usually there because of a genuine love and appreciation for music…some of my greatest music discoveries have come from picking up an album at an indie store and the cat behind the register saying "You like this man? Have you heard of so-and-so?" I prefer to shop where people understand me and the music--the music I like."

--Brother Ali

“Folks who work here are professors…”
--Tom Waits

Armed with wry and delicious cynicism, a deep and bottomless emotional sensitivity and more musical smarts than a multi-degreed musicologist, Allie--Yvonne Prinz’s record store-working main character of her new book The Vinyl Princess--is the coolest narrator of any book in recent memory. Gainfully employed at Bob & Bob Records in Berkeley, the street smart sixteen-year-old lives to hover a needle over the rotating black body of a well-chosen piece of vinyl and lower it into the groove. She’s an L.P. purist, a throwback, a vinyl-only girl walking lonely through a digital age. In a time where music is flashed back and forth from email to iPod to hard drive, Allie reminds us of the days when the listener was involved with the physicality of music; the days of making a mix in real time or tilting a piece of vinyl up to the light, holding your breath and hoping not to find a scratch.

Although Allie’s records are in fine, well-kept shape, the real scratches in her life come from other areas. She lives with her divorced mother, who studies Russian poetry and dabbles in disastrous computer dating; her realtor dad is remarried to a snooty new wife with a seemingly limitless trust fund and her best friend Kit is beset by boyfriend-in-a-band problems. To make matters worse, Allie’s mom rents a room to a mysterious exchange student who seems to be in secret league with their cat; the object of her affection may or may not be as shady as he seems and her love of music aside, Allie knows retail is retail and work is work and the two may very well be cramping her style. “Don’t get me wrong,” she says, “I’m well aware that most girls my age wouldn’t be relishing the idea of spending the summer in a musty record store. Certainly this isn’t the most happening environment for a girl in the prime of her adolescence.”

Whether it’s the colorful cast of record store employees, the resident Telegraph Avenue oddballs who parade around in old wedding dresses, or the quivering clientele who approach the record store intelligentsia trembling and witless, Prinz knows how to populate a book. Even the folks who don’t say much speak volumes. For example, the macabre backroom-processing Aidan, Allie tells us: “…takes misanthropy to a whole new level…He’s tall and whisper thin with a sort of bloodless look to him. He disappears into his environment like a chameleon. It seems that his only desire in life is not to be noticed.”

Assuming the identity of The Vinyl Princess, Allie begins to blog about vintage vinyl and as the book progresses, so does her fanbase. As she blogs away about everyone from David Bowie to Randy Newman, the vinyl junkies of the world begin to marshal together and suddenly Allie has a viable audience. She also has an audience of potential boyfriends. One follows her around with homemade mixes and arcane minutia about bands, while the other looks like he’s in a band although he never really talks about music very much at all.

When a string of robberies on the avenue start to make their way closer and closer to where Allie works, eats and hangs out with Kit, Telegraph begins to take on a more sinister look. Prinz deftly darkens the streets with the finesse of a skilled painter and each new burgled business marks a wrinkle of fresh understanding for Allie. It is, in effect, the slow loss of innocence and it’s done with elegant and expert precision. Never has a coming of age novel used its surroundings so effectively to illustrate the unexpected ways we end up getting older.

Far more sinister than the robberies is what is becoming of the independent record store and the beleaguered Bob, whose business hangs on the precipice of breaking even and oblivion. “In the old days,” Allie tells us, “when dinosaurs roamed the earth, students actually shopped at Bob & Bob’s for their music, but that was before downloading became de rigueur, effectively killing independent record stores.” Prinz’s book is the first to address the ever-shrinking roster of record stores and while Bob & Bob’s potential demise hangs in the background of the novel, by the end it moves front and center and never has this issue seemed more pressing.

“God only knows what I would be doing now had it not been for the records that l have discovered and loved as a result of buying records and being turned on to new music from independent record stores,” says former Ride singer Mark Gardener. He continues: “If we lose the independents then we lose a total culture of people who are aware that all the interesting bands and music start at this place and are fed by music lovers directly on a personal level rather than a sea of corporate mediocrity.”

And if we lose indie record stores we’d never get a chance to meet people like Allie. And that would be a shame.

--Alex Green

[Peace Love and Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Name one sixteen year old in real life that doesn't own an ipod, zune, or any device that can download music? Allie is just crazy, unique and awesome that she live in this modern digital age. Record store business calls her a throwback, audiophile or a record geek. She is a girl who collects LP is practically a walking music encyclopedia and just the unique type of character that I am looking for. Did I say that I think she is awesome? She lives in Berkley with her mom, a housemate named Suki who she refer to as the ghost, since they rarely see her and a cat named Pierre that acts that he's too cool for them. Allie is Happily employed in a independent music store in Telegraph Avenue named Bob & Bob's (Amoeba music in real life?) who mainly sells collectible vinyls. Talk about feeding the addiction right? She's perfect for that place. It was written that she own 900 LPs and can recite all the Beatles songs by album, in grade school she does not know the national anthem nor the Pledge of Allegiance but can chronologically name the Rolling Stones album, she can talk about everything and anything about music for 14 hours straight, and she shares her passion by writing about it on her blog, thus the title of our book, The Vinyl Princess.

Other than that, Allie is like every other teenager. She struggles to keep up with th real world. Her parents are divorce. Her mom is on the dating pool and her dad lives with a person named Kee Kee who listens to Dave Matthews Band and she is soon to have a half-sibling. There was no hate in all this. She and her parents are cool with the situation that they are in. Which is part of the book that I like a lot. This particular summer seems to be the most memorable one for Allie. There were two boys, a series of robberies in the area of her work, her best friend Kit got boy issues and her self esteem is flactuating to a level that she's talking about nip tucking, her mother is on a current haunt for companionship, and later she was faced to make tough decisions and was forced to step out of her comfort zone.

I was scared to read this, afraid that I wouldn't like it. Since it is a YA I was holding my breath because maybe, just maybe the word Vinyl on the cover was just a front and that maybe when I actually get down on reading it I'd read referemces of Fall Out Boy, Good Charlotte, Lady Gaga, Lil Wayne, etc... and I would completely flip out. Not that there's anything wrong with them but their music is just not my type. So no offense to those who love them. I was also blown away by the cover and because Yvonne Prinz wrote it, she is possibly the coolest chick in the world because of the whole Amoeba music, I love that place, I can live there, my second choice after the bookstore. Lol. So I was relieved when I saw mentions of Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, Billy Bragg, John Doe, Avette Brothers, Johnny Cash, Crowded House, The Kinks, Iggy Pop, etc... I love the book, the word indie and hip is written all over it. I actually forced myself to read it slowly. It's hip, armed with wonderful prose, funny, and highly recommended for music junkie.

[Adele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book is a little like struggling to work out who you are as a person. Your identity is seemingly in flux and there are many details and facts floating around but you're not exactly sure how they all fit together to make you. The Vinyl Princess is a book that knows what it wants to be but isn't wholly successful. If it were a tiled floor I would say the grout was missing, it has all the right pieces but just doesn't mesh together entirely.

The characters voices were indistinct, the protagonist never really distinguishes herself outside of her interests and the book's agenda is pushed a tad too hard. And yet I enjoyed it to some degree. Prinz educated me with her vast knowledge of music which was cunningly added through Allie's blog entries and discussions with other music junkies. Though the occasional long tract of music tracks and musician's biographies seemed a little indulgent of the author's own superior knowledge. There's a fine line between too much and too little information and the author seemed to enjoy treading into the former.

I suspect some of my discontent with this book stems from the depiction of a blog. It is a fantastic device to use as part of the narrative but some of the facts of it were a little off base. Most readers probably wouldn't be aware but I certainly did. Allie gains popularity for her blog almost immediately scoring hits and comments that climb in frequency at rates that just aren't authentic. At one point she mentions having had 42 comments early on and I nearly fell over...that's not realistic at all. There are elements were a web designer offers free service and a business offers to buy the site within two months of the blog being launched and it just didn't sit right with me.

Mostly it was the superficiality that began to grate. A scene were something quite traumatic happens is quickly brushed aside as an embarrassing situation rather than a terrifying one, supporting characters float around to engender laughs but don't really propel story or growth and very little happens. Every character is outwardly quirky in an unrealistic sense and flutter around like somewhat pretty butterflies that bore themselves. I believe Prinz had great intentions in pushing the value of vinyl and the independent record stores but the shallowness of the endeavour paled what she did achieve. In attempting too much, she achieved very little.

A well intentioned examination of a music geek's summer adventures in a very unique neighbourhood.

[Alea · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Vinyl Princess is perfect. Main character Allie lives her life loving music, her job selling vinyl and her friends and family, basically she's awesome and I want to be her friend. The book was realistic but in the way that everyone in the book was cooler than me and I only wish I was that awesome. From Allie's extensive knowledge of music to her best friend Kit's fashion know-how I bow down to these people and am extremely jealous of them.

While the characters were great the overall atmosphere of the book was rocking as well, it gave off a bit of an Empire Records vibe for me, independent record store with a bunch of musicheads and freaks running around humor etc. There was also a bit of a mystery (that I solved just before Allie) involving a string of robberies in town and a bit of romance. Basically The Vinyl Princess is a very well rounded story with music holding the whole thing together.

Another awesome thing about the book I really appreciated was that the Vinyl Princess zine is real, I actually have a copy and I believe the blog is real as well! I love when an author takes the time to make the book come to life and doesn't just use something for the book but takes the time to make it real for the readers. That gets a major thumbs up from me.

Overall a great young adult book for teens and music lovers alike!

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was on my to-read shelf for 10 years. Yes, 10 years. It was past time to read this.

In the end, I thought it was ok. This is going to probably sound a little weird, but its writing it kind of dated. The structure of the story, the things Allie does, there were a few times I just kind of had to look at the book and ask it what it was doing. It's not that the writing is bad, but its plotting was just odd.

There just wasn't anything about this that makes it memorable afterward. Everything was pretty average. I hate saying that, but even while I was reading it, I was thinking about what book I was going to read next. I didn't know the music Allie was referencing, so it wasn't even like that could keep my interest.

I thought it was a cool subject for the story and the plot wasn't bad (it definitely took a couple of surprising turns), but execution lacked the emotional connection. I didn't connect with the characters and that hurt it.

I wanted to like it more.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm more of a paranormal type of gal so when it comes to contemporary YA, I like it to have a little flair. I usually find my flair in the form of the novel using a different media to tell a story coupled with regular first person/3 person POV-- Gamer Girl had online gaming, Hold Still had Ingrid's journal, How To Say Goodbye In Robot had the radio show to name a few recently. (Oddly enough, I didn't connect this piece of information until I was thinking about this review, but it's really true) So I picked up The Vinyl Princess at the bookstore and was instantly fascinated about a blog being in a book. I really wanted to love this novel but, unfortunately, I didn't.

I felt the blog element wasn't really utilized to have maximum effect. I did get to see some insight in the blogs Allie posted but I would have liked them to tell me what she was thinking about more. It felt to me that they basically felt like filler. Kind of an "oh yeah, I have to do that too" rather than something that worked well around her life. In the end, the blog was the only thing Allie had left and it was doing well, but it just wasn't enough for me to feel satisfied.

I really liked Allie's character. She's my kind of girl-- smart, edgy, and down for anything. She holds her own and her sort of punk attitude and boyish, grunge style isn't seen a lot in this genre. For the most part, she's really perceptive. In the middle of the novel, she did start to make me mad *SPOILER ALERT* when the store she supposedly loves and is her home is robbed and she refuses to tell the cop that she knows the guy that did it is the boy she's been dreaming about and worked her over on a fake date for information about the store *END OF SPOILER ALERT*. But, she wises up and I went right back to enjoying tagging along with her. She also knows her stuff. Music is this girl's life. It's funny but this is one of the reasons I picked up this book-- because music is my life too-- but it ended up being one of the things I disliked.

I knew going in that Allie's tastes were going to be old school and refined which I didn't mind but it was the way she looked at other people that kind of bothered me. I knew going in that I was going to be in her "music club" because I'm reading her but I became increasingly uncomfortable there as she passed judgement on others for their music tastes and felt like as soon as I closed the book I'd be kicked out of her "club". Also, ALL of the music references got a little cumbersome, especially since I'm guessing the audience Prinz is writing for probably doesn't know all this stuff that extensively. For instance, she goes through some musician's entire career with what band he was in and when, and what albums he guest stars on. I would have believed Allie easily knew without ALL that proof. That could just be me though.

I also felt like the story dragged a little bit. In the first chapter, we get set up with what the store looks like and who goes in there and other characters that sometimes show. I would have rather had these details spaced out and thrown in other scenes with the store and gotten to the action. I guess I was looking for a little more suspense and got some that could have been dragged out a bit to finish the story around it and then it be done.

As always, I was a fan of the character's in the cast. Allie and her mother had an awesome relationship that I was completely absorbed in. They were close, talking through music and she actually didn't mind hanging out with her mom in public. It was refreshing to see a relationship where mother and daughter were mostly honest with each other even if the news wasn't so good or somethings were withheld. Zach was a great character and I would have liked to see Allie and his relationship move more towards something real before ending the book. They didn't have to fall into each other's arms or anything but I did generally really like Allie and wanted to see her happy with Zach. Also, Kit, Allie's best friend, was ace! She was funny and a great big ball of energy which was great since Allie was sometimes lacking in that department. They relied on each other and gave each other GOOD advice.

I also really liked the atmosphere. Allie lived in Berkeley and the author went to great lengths to explain how Telegraph Avenue, the street Allie's record store was on, was slightly run down. She described the people that hung around-- the homeless, the drunk, the poseurs-- and the many cool little vintage clothing stores and tiny ethnic restaurants. I liked pretending I lived there, going out to tiny cafes for breakfast bagels and picking up noodles for lunch with Kit.

Over all, this book was a fun read and something I enjoyed. I think I was hoping for a little bit more in the plot area, especially since Prinz established a good one that ended about halfway through. If you're a music lover, I'd so go on ahead and read this one. You'll probably getting something out of it. Be warned though, you'll want to check your your blog every five minutes!

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book review:
I was reading the Vynnyl princess. It was a really good book. At first There is a girl and she creates a website called the vynnyl princess. She also is on summer break and she gets to be in her favorite place. The record store, where she has a job there. Then she meets someone named Joel. She thinks that she might be falling in love with someone she doesn't even know about. So one day she is helping him out at the record store and he asks her out. And of course she says yes and she freaks out. Then on the date she is really falling for him because he is telling her all these amazing stories about his life. Once the date is over she finds out that she is really liking this guy.
Later when The vynnyl princess was watching t.v she found out there has been a bunch of robbers who are robbing stores around the town. Then her mom gets all overwhelmed and wants her to quit before anything ever happens to her at the record store. But she can't quit cause she loves the place. I think that the vynnyl princess should have told her mom no instead of lying to her. But at the record store she finds a guy who is obbsessed about music too. He is kind of geeky and annoying. One day they really start to bond(his name is Zack) and when they bond she invites her over because when they heard all the things about the robery they did not know it would happen to them. But it did. Two guys came in and took all their money and had a gun. But someone in the store called the police and they came so they left. But when they left one of them said. “Have a nice day!” and the vynnyl princess recongnized the voice. It was Joel.
So when Zack comes over it is because Bob(the owner of the store) wants to close the store and the vynnyl princess is so upset and crushed. She is also a little shock that Joel was the robbers from all those stores and she won't tell the police. That is when I got mad cause she doesn't want to tell the police that she knows who the criminal is because she thinks that he can change and fall in love with her. But she didn't know that Zack kind of has a crush on her and when he came to comfort her, he had kissed her. She wasn't having the most normal day. But a couple of days later her best friend made her go to the police station and confess that she knows who it is. She has to look at a bunch of pictures. And she didn't get to finish so they have to go everyday until they find it. But the next day when they where on their way to the police station they heard a BANG! And they ran to it. They saw a bunch of police cars and an ambulance. They looked in the store and saw Joel shot and bleeding and his friend was in the bag they put you in when they are dead. She sees someone holding a gun and realized that he shot Joel. I was really surprised at that and apparently so was the vynnyl princess. A couple of days later The vynnyl princess starts to date Zack and the record store closed so that was the downer in the book(for her) but the ending was noce cause she got a boyfriend that understands her and likes all the things she likes so the book was really good.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I did not understand what this book was about and I have to admit, I'm still not so sure exactly what this book is about. I feel like I failed the author for not understanding...:(

However, I did understand in some aspects that The Vinyl Princess is kind of like a coming-of-age novel where Allie finally matures and grows up and she's not as naive as she was in the beginning of the book.

Allie was an interesting protagonist. There were definitely times when I felt like she was rambling off in her own world and it was hard to catch up and understand especially since I'm not a music junkie and she obviously is. It was obvious how much she loved her vinyl collection that it was almost impressive. I mean, she had this huge collection of it that it can practically be a shrine for other vinyl lovers.

Her blogging and her ability to spread the word about it is impressive. She had all these posts thought out and she knew exactly what she was going to write about that specific artist and she knew practically everything. It was amazing, to say the least. However, the only thing I realized that was really unrealistic was how Allie's blog became so popular practically over a few weeks or so. Honestly, blogging does not work that way. There is no way, that I can see, that a blog can get so many hits and comments when it's just starting off. Allie already had a business request from someone and it just seemed way to unrealistic. And the only way I can say this is because I have a blog (duh) and I definitely didn't get that many comments until maybe half a year passed or so. That was the only negative thing that I can really say.

The ending was kind of predicted and obvious. Well, I thought it was pretty obvious...but I won't say anything. :)

Other than that, The Vinyl Princess is a very unique novel that allows the reader to understand more about vinyl records - something that is becoming more and more rare in this hi-internet world.

[Yan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Vinyl Princess—I just can’t help but roll that title in my mouth. The Vinyl Princess stars Allie, a sixteen year old vinyl, LP, obsessed freak. She has a typical routine going, but this summer spells not one, but two guys and a close-up with a gun, her mother’s boss roaming her house in underwear, and freshly printed copies of her own zines.

The Vinyl Princess I expected more from. I think this is partly my fault; I am not a music fan. I like music and will listen to it whenever I can turn the radio on, but I never go out of my way. This novel is all about music—shopping lists full of them. I ended up skipping an entire page because it was just one long list of bands and titles—ones that I particularly never heard of. It’s great if the reader is willing to explore all those bands, but I can honestly care less.

The romance I thought would be so much stronger. It’s not. It’s touch and go and even then it wasn’t a touch, more so a poke. But I blame Allie at times. I seem to love all the characters, but Allie is the only one whom I can’t place a finger on. The side characters, the background people, heck even the bad guys I felt more intuned with than Allie. She has a lackluster narration that is only spiced up by the people she knows. And spiced up they did.

But The Vinyl Princess’s best quality is the discussion of the ever declining importance of indie shops. Nowadays everything has gone mainstream; why carry hundreds of LPs or CDs when it can all be compacted into an mp3 player? Why buy and carry hundreds of books when all you need is an e-book reader?

Overall The Vinyl Princess is slightly predictable and bland. The deeming factors include the (not so) hidden mantra and Allie’s mother and her new boyfriend. If you adore music then this is an automatic book for you. If you’re like me who prefers convenience when it comes to music you might be on the fence for this book.

[Steph | bookedinsaigon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have trouble finding the words to describe my experience of reading THE VINYL PRINCESS. It is an understated novel that makes its impact not with an incredible premise or fast-paced action, but with the quirky nuances that often pass by unnoticed in our everyday lives, and I love it so much for doing that.

Allie is—and at the same time isn’t—your average teenage girl. She holds herself above the usual petty melodramas of her peers, which makes her refreshing to read about, as well as gives her a potential crossover appeal. She has a sort of wry narration and a deep confidence in her music knowledge and taste, which at times made me a bit uncomfortable. I couldn’t help but imagine that the bookish equivalent of Allie would probably disdain me for reading *sniff* a young adult novel. Ah well. Too bad I still can’t help but be interested in people like her, who seem to be so sure of themselves and their passions.

The jacket synopsis doesn’t give credit to what goes on in this book. In fact, Allie’s blog is only a small thing of interest that happens to her in the course of the summer. THE VINYL PRINCESS deals elegantly with family tensions, best friend troubles, economic woes, and the adorable uncertainty of unexpected, budding romance. Even in moments when the plot seems to stumble in terms of believability, nothing really feels disbelievingly dramatic, and Allie and the supporting characters never lost my sympathies.

THE VINYL PRINCESS is a strong contemporary YA novel that will appeal to readers who like voice-driven fiction, featuring a main protagonist who seems older than her years. In fact, I’m kind of surprised that this wasn’t published as an adult novel, for in many ways its contemplation of society and humanity will be more appreciated by an older audience. It has definitely put Yvonne Prinz on my list of YA authors to watch out for, and I look forward to what she does with other characters in different situations in the future.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that I had tried to read The Vinyl Princess several times before giving up because of the lackluster beginning, but recently I pushed myself through it, and as it turns out it just gets better and better from that point. A great discovery, no?

The Vinyl Princess tells the story of Allie, a girl who considers herself to be the official Vinyl Princess. It's summertime and Allie's looking forward to a relaxing summer filled with music, hanging out with her best friend, thinking of her crush, and working at her Bob and Bob Records, her favorite music store. Though, as it turns out not everything is working out in her way. Bob and Bob Records is doing badly this year, there has been a string of robberies around the area which has left her worried, her mom has started dating again, her best friend is going through a bad breakup, and Allie just meet a really annoying guy at the record store. Leaving her to wonder will things get better?

Allie's just your ordinary teen girl. She has her problems, her interests, and her quirks, which made her even more relatable in my opinion. I especially loved the fact that she was a fellow blogger, though for music instead of books. Her friends, as well as her regular consumers at the Bob and Bob records, were funny as well as quirky and unique.

While the plot of this tended to always be a bit predictable, it still was musical goodness that I truly enjoyed. I loved seeing how Allie found out who she really was in this novel and how a record store runs. Plus, Yvonne's writing proved to move smoothly and quickly, though I do admit there were some slow parts to it.

In all, The Vinyl Princess is a coming of age tale I really enjoyed, one that I highly suggest to all you music lovers out there. In addition, Yvonne Prinz is defiantly an author I will continue to read more by.

Grade: B+

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obsessive record collector and self proclaimed “Vinyl Princess,” Allie is seventeen and already living her dream-working at an ultra-cool record store in Berkeley, CA. Working full time, Allie’s summer is peppered with often hilarious and sometimes dangerous adventures in retail. She also begins a blog and zine called The Vinyl Princess, finding her voice in her most favorite of topics-music! Her personal life also competes for drama in the story with a great best friend with a dud boyfriend, a recently divorced mother testing the waters of online dating, and her own obsession with M, the handsome mystery shopper who appears from time to time. A great, detailed to the bone Berkeley setting, a charismatic set of characters and enough drama to keep the pages turning combine to make The Vinyl Princess a fun read that is sure to appeal to a wide audience of teens and twenty-somethings alike. Written by one of the co founders of Amoeba Records, The Vinyl Princess has a connection for music fanatics as well.

I liked this book. There were a few quibbles I had, mostly with some localisms that could easily be chalked up to my own San Francisco elitism. Also, a more valid complaint, I did feel like the book dragged on for a bit. The main characters were also a bit too tongue in cheek perfect in their fabulous quirky ways. It was appealing at first, but their flawlessness was a little too hard to swallow in parts. More sophisticated readers will probably pick up on these issues of pacing and the character.

Overall though, I’ve got to recommend it! With an appealing cover, a local setting, and a really cool set of characters to spend some page time with, I predict this to fly off the shelves. Recommended for girls, girls who like music, and twenty-somethings who like music (or Berkeley..or both).

[charlie. · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Music, to me, is one giant puzzle, and collecting music is about finding all the pieces and trying to fit them together.”

Allie’s passion about music and vinyl records is so jaw-dropping. I seriously need a friend who loves music the way she does. As I was reading, I felt jealous that she gets to spend her day around awesome music. Unfortunately, there were times that it all felt forced. Or maybe it was too much to be real. There were times that I felt that I was hearing the author’s voice not the character’s itself.

It was light to read and has some feelings. I even like the fact that it didn’t focused on one thing. But some parts were underdeveloped that sometimes I ask myself why it was included. There were also parts that were just mentioned but not totally discussed.

Minus the excessive knowledge from Allie, I love the part where she pursued her music blog and sort of created a community. I know the feeling of being among people who knows what you like and understands them. Although I find it really weird and superficial how her stats went up that fast.

Zach was also a good addition to the mix. He wasn’t the all-knowing kind which was sort of refreshing. He was just someone who knows his shit and loves it.

This book is a combination of love, family, friendship, passion and finding where you really belong. With Allie, well, she belonged in the world of vinyl.



*This and other reviews can also be found on my blog*

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

~This is not the full review~

I was very excited to read The Vinyl Princess because it has three of my favorite things: music, blogging, mystery (and a little romance).

Told in the first person, present tense, Allie has a strong and opinionated voice. Her passion for vinyl is evident and as you read, you can see why she calls herself The Vinyl Princess. Her character is easy to relate to. Unlike some YA books, Allie's mom is present throughout the entire novel and her grandmother makes appearances several times. It is refreshing to see how parents are portrayed in this novel. Allie's mom and dad are divorced and her dad remarried. But her mother is still dating.

Character development was generally satisfactory, except for one guy. I don't want to give the plot away so I won't further elaborate on that. I liked Suki, the tenant, staying at Allie's house. To Allie, Suki is a ghost as she never leaves her room. Reading Allie's witty hilarious remarks left me laughing the whole way.

The novel is set in a unique and interesting premise. Allie works in Bob and Bob Records, named after Bob Dylan and Bob Marley. The whole novel was just a mix of everything, sometimes, unexpected things happen but you will keep reading because this novel is delightfully funny and definitely recommended to every music lover.

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't going to write a review for this book because it wasn't the best book I have read and I thought if I wrote a review it would be a negative one. But after thinking about the book some more I have decided to still write my review and give it my honest opinion.

I liked The Vinyl Princess. I think the one thing that made me keep reading it was the boy that is mentioned in the beginning of the book. I wanted to know who he was so I kept flipping pages. And as soon this boy was out of the picture along came Zach. I really liked Allie and Zach's relationship in the book. I think it was the best part of the book actually.

I also liked that Allie had a blog. I, of course, have my own blog so I really like reading books that have to do with blogging. I did get a little lost with the music. Don't get me wrong, I love music and I love to sing, but I had no clue who half the people or songs were in the book and found myself skipping over quit a few paragraphs while reading the book to get back into either Allie working or her and Zach's relationship.

But it wasn't the worst book I have read. I guess I didn't expect it to be mostly ALL about music and just a little of everything else. I was thinking more along the lines of Sarah Dessen's book Just Listen. But if you love music this would be a perfect book for you!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yvonne Prinz is one of the co-founders of Amoeba Music, an independent music store with locations in Hollywood and Berkeley, California. So she has first hand knowledge and experience befitting this novel about a young girl working at a record store on Telegraph in Berkeley.

Allie is sixteen years old and it is summer. Now working full-time at Bob & Bob Records, she has also decided to start up a blog devoted to vinyl records, called “The Vinyl Princess,” and is working on a printed zine to promote it as well. Meanwhile, her father and his second wife are having a baby, her mother has decided to start dating again, and her best friend’s boyfriend is hooking up with a band groupie. Add one mysteriously intriguing boy, an obnoxious boy with lots of questions about records, and a rash of robberies along Telegraph Avenue, and you have this book.

Allie is delightfully passionate about music, which wends its way throughout the chapters; those who have ever blogged about music or thought about starting a zine will applaud and enjoy her efforts. The streets of Berkeley are portrayed genuinely and with gritty detail, and Allie describes her co-workers, family members, and strangers on the street with honest and blunt words. A delightful light read.

[Ofilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allie is a sixteen year old vinyl obsessed music geek stuck in the digital age. She is passionate about music and not just one genre, but she is an expert in just about everything. She works at a grungy old record store with a varied cast of crazy characters which suits her just fine. Her entire identity is wrapped around her work and love of music. Prinz includes tons of info about the music and musicians that make you wish the book came with a soundtrack accompaniment. Luckily thanks to music subscription services such as Rhapsody (which Allie would actually loathe) this is totally possible to do on your own. But I digress...I loved this book because Allie was someone you liked instantly. The teen issues she deals with might be a bit extraordinary, but the way she handles them feels very genuine. Her smart ass attitude and biting wit make her infinitely entertaining like her view on helping customers (don't coddle) to plastic surgery (no one should be willing to go to such lengths just to impress a guy). This is definitely a girly read complete with all those teen girl issues and a good dose of romance, but it is done so well and with a unique angle. Simply, a joy to read.

[cEe beE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superlative read! I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The narrator is 16 yr old Allie. Smart, wry and obsessed with music and vinyl records, she works at Bob's and Bob's Records in Berkeley. Summer is out, and unlike other girls her age, she prefers to hang out full time at the musty old store, waiting on customers, watching for shoplifters and the resident crossdressing homeless duo who loiter around.

Meanwhile, she started her own blog, aptly called The Vinyl Princess that's slowly gaining some followers online. She's also crushing on a mystery boy she's been seeing walking by several times on the ave. Oh, and her divorced mom is trying online dating, her drummer dad married a rich heiress and are expecting a new child.

I love Allie's voice. She's cynical but not snarky mean, and her observations about her mom, best friend Kit and their love lives, her oddball co-workers, neighbors, and everyone around her are sharp and laugh out loud funny. This is one of the best teen books I've ever read and recommend to everyone who loves music and likes their heroines to be obsessed about other things rather than pine full-time over angsty, beautiful boys who need therapy.

[DeEtte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goodreads needs a half star choice...I would give this book a solid 3.5 stars. It was super predictable and super corny, but also super cute and cool. Let me preface my review by saying that I worship at the altar of rock! I love music, I spent a huge portion of my teenage years in independent record stores. I totally related to the theory that you can completely bond with someone over a mutual love of music. I would guess that in my late teenage/early adult years most of my relationships were formed on that premise. So I really enjoyed that aspect of the book..her devotion to music. At times, it got a bit "Berkley-damn the man" for my liking and there was some crazy generalizations about people living in that area. Definetely short on the character development. But that didn't stop me from enjoying the story as a whole. It was a really fast, easy and nostalgic read for me.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allie is a vinyl expert. At 16 she has already put in 2 years of service working at her local record store; her home away from home. But the numbers of record aficionados are shrinking and so are the store's clientele. In order to reach more LP fans, Allie starts a blog and a zine, talking about all her favorites slowly garnering a larger and larger fan base, including "Fan in Berkley" whom she fantasizes is the illusive mystery man she sees occasionally in the store.

Like a simplified High Fidelity, this book will satisfy budding music lovers and LP fans. There's a bit of crime and morality that has an interesting twist.

I read this one on my iPod touch using bluefire--a library download. The text was big enough that I wasn't straining, even on the small screen. A very fast and satisfying read.

[Rachel Seigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

17-year-old music junkie Allie can't imagine anything better than her job at Bob and Bob Records, spending her time around her beloved LPs, and trying to drum up readership for her fanzine and blog "The Vinyl Princess". For Allie, it's a summer of falling in love, having her heart broken, and realizing, that try as we might to hang on to the past, sometimes, the future pushes its way in, and re-defines us.

Readers will enjoy this journey through music history, as seen through the eyes of a unique and entertaining character.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was kinda interested in this at first because of the author's Amoeba Records affiliation. It is a very quick read and extremely predictable. Many of the plotlines are basically, "looks aren't everything" but in the end the characters still make snarky comments/base relationships on appearance. Would've liked some character development or .. something. She does capture what it's like to obsess about record collecting, which is probably the basis of most of the rave reviews I've read about this book.