Let’s start out this review by saying I really, REALLY, liked this book…The Vinyl Princess by debut novelist Yvonne Prinz. Let’s set the record straight. There are no negatives about this book beginning with the cover art and moving through the story.

Allie (Alberta—her name is a long story) works at Bob and Bob’s Record Store in Berkeley. She’s been there for two years and is a music and LP record buff…none of this CD or download stuff for her. She’s got a record collection numbering in the hundreds. She’s sixteen and boyfriend-less. She’s more concerned with music than with wearing the right clothes and looking fashionable. Her best friend, Kit, is the boy magnet. She works in a vintage clothing store. While Allie gets to pick the cream of the crop of records that are for sale, Kit gets to pick the newest vintage clothes and she looks great in what she picks. These friends are inseparable.

Kit’s having boyfriend problems. Neil, she thinks, is cheating on her. Allie has boyfriend problems too, in that she doesn’t have one. However, there’s this cute guy who’s been coming into the store lately and Allie’s fantasizing that maybe he likes her.

Meanwhile, there has been a rash of robberies in the stores on Telegraph Avenue. Allie thinks it’s these two well dressed guys who’ve been hanging around across the street next to a fancy car with dark windows…not the clientele seen on Telegraph.

Finally, Allie’s parents are divorced and her dad, who’s moved in with young Kee-Kee, has announced that Allie’s going to be a big sister. Just what a 17-year-old wants to hear.

So, what’s so great about The Vinyl Princess? First of all, the characters. Allie and Kit are real live teenagers, having anxiety over all the things teens stress over. Allie skateboards everywhere. Allie’s parents and co-workers are unique. Then there’s Shorty and Jam, two cross-dressing drunks who add humor and color to an already colorful neighborhood. The boyfriends and potential boyfriends are typical guys. What more need I say?

Second, is the story. It’s just a fun, enjoyable story. I’d say it’s a great beach read, but it’s March and cold out. Maybe save it for the beach.

Lastly, it’s the music. Since most of it relates to the old vinyl LPs that I used to listen to in the dark ages, I loved all the musical references. But for the more up to date of you out there, Allie blogs about her musical tastes and starts a music zine that she puts in Bob and Bob’s. Yvonne Prinz is co-owner/co-founder of Amoeba Music, the world’s largest independent music store, according to the jacket bio. She’s got a website at www.thevinylprincess.com and a blog at http://www.thevinylprincess.com/my-blog.

OK, so if I had to pick one thing to grouse about, it’s that there’s not a complete list of all the music mentioned in the book. So, make sure when you start reading you’ve got a pad and pen close at hand so you can jot down some interesting artists and LPs.

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