Cincinnati Supernova: a '70s teen odyssey

by Stan Bricke

An unflinching taboo-busting look into '70s midwest teen life, Cincinnati Supernova is at once gut-wrenching, hilarious, absurd, haunted and ultimately poignant. This sprawling novel unfolds in the shadow of sobering historical events. Brutality meets rock-n-roll redemption when the lives of two buddies on the social fringes of a corrupt 1970’s Cincinnati high school collide with violent teachers, predatorial jocks…and comically anxious encounters with the opposite sex. Obsessed with The Who, David Bachmann and Todd Brill form a band and deliver an incendiary guitar-windmilling performance at the Burr Oak High last-day-of-school talent show, vaulting their social status. But tragedy awaits as the best friends are destined to confront both the horrific Beverly Hills Supper Club fire, and two short years later the deadly Who concert stampede. All leading to a brush with madness, and a shocking but ultimately revivifying look beyond the veil. Their sanity is tested but never their loyalty in this harrowing twist on the love-lost/coming-of-age story, in a world of ghosts where music is their only salvation. Come on an amazing journey and purchase Cincinnati Supernova!

Genres: Historical Fiction

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2022

Reviews

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a Cincinnati native about 4 years younger than the protagonist, I could relate to much of the content, but it seemed a little heavy handed in all the local references which mean little to non-residents. The writing could have been improved. Most paragraphs are only 2 sentences. I feel like this is an early draft. Authors frequently display their SAT vocabulary, but also use variations on the word "spastic" repeatedly in ways that are now considered offensive. If the book was written in the 1970s, I would have no issue with that.

I hoped reading this would give me some closure regarding the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire and The Who concert tragedy, but instead I feel agitated and triggered. The protagonist encountered a lot of deaths in a few years. I got value from the experience, though, since I learned about requiring boys to swim naked into the 1970s. This opens up doors to whole new levels of trauma that my siblings may have endured. Even though I had swim classes in my school before moving to Cincinnati, I had no idea this was a common experience for half my peers.

The authors have a lot to offer which may be better developed working with a publisher and editor.