The stunning novel, Hairstyles of the Damned, is about Brian Oswald, a nerdy junior in high school, who just can't seem to fit in. Brian finds himself falling in love with his best friend, Gretchen, a slightly overweight punk-rock girl with dyed pink hair. With the help of his friend Rod, (the only person, it seems, with normal parents) he tries to make the perfect mix tape, his cupid's arrow in winning Gretchen's love.
Brian also faces problems at home. His father stopped communicating with his mother, and now stays in the basement only coming up for food. In fact, all the families are dysfunctional in the book. Gretchen's mother died of lung cancer recently, and his friend Mike, lives with his insane mother who makes the children pay for everything in the house.
The book takes place in Chicago, Illinois, the early nineties. It's about coming of age, the deterioration of the modern family, and wanting to belong, but not willing to conform. Joe Meno raises these points with unflinching honesty. This is simply the realistic tale of a teenager, with real teenage problems.
I am in love with this book. It is life changing. The skillful writing and daring story made me never want to put it down. But at the same time, I wanted the story to last forever. Everyone I have recommended the book to has liked it, but it is not for everyone.
If you need a strong plot in order to enjoy a book, then you won't be able to enjoy Hairstyles of the Damned.
Brian is a typical teenager who almost anyone can relate to. He isn't particularly interested in anything, he is an outcast, but doesn't want to conform. He refuses to surrender his personality, but at the same time, all he wants is friends.
The book has real characters, people who could really exist. That is the best aspect of the book in my opinion. These fictional characters seem realer that the people on reality TV.
This book is an amazing work of art with attitude and feeling all its own. It seems the book is punk rock, not just the characters.
This is, without a doubt, the best book I have ever read.

Impact: I guess you could say that this book will change the way ou look at the world forever. I don't know what more to say on that.

Content: This book is a fun, if sometimes crude, read with abundant references that will leave mediaphiles like myself chomping on the bit to order new music. The characters are well-developed and imperfect, very lovable and heartbreaking. The book is almost "historical fiction" in that it says so much about a time and place in America's history and vividly describes the attitude of youth during the era. The end has a "twist" of sorts in that Brian, the main character, discovers the hypocricy of the world to which he belongs.

Warning: This book is not for everyone. If you like plot-based books, you will not enjoy this. If crude language makes you squirm, find another novel. And if you believe that the social barriers of high school are rigid and not meant to be crossed, you will find Hairstyles of the Damned obnoxious and disrespectful.

Final Word: Read with an open mind, highlight references as you go, and experience punk at its dirtiest (and its best!)

Very well intentioned book. almost a love letter to chicago's over looked southwest side. places mentioned with vivid detail, to those who care Haunted Trails does exist, as does Chicago Ridge Mall (but just recently they've changed it to a Westfield Shopping center, ew).

I love this book. I love everything about it. I thought it was excellently written and totally interesting. A lot of my friends found it boring and stupid but I didn't think so. Yeah, it is kind of lacking a plot, but I didn't really care because I just totally loved it.

I have a pretty short attention span, but this book hooked me. Hairstyles of the Damned is the story of Brian, a high school junior who is passive and uncertain by nature. He is constantly picked on by bullies and his closest friends alike, is dealing with his budding sexual desires, watching his home life fall apart like those of the kids around him, and is reaching for an identity to hold on to, that will let him "make it" in the world. Sounds like your typical teen drama, but it's written in such an appealing way that you can't help but flashback to your own awkward phase.
Being a bit of a loner, Brian spends a lot of time observing the people around him, each one trying to stand out while fitting in to their perspective social group. He is big-hearted but pretends not to care, for fear of being a wussy. The story is written with such simplicity and unbridled emotion it reads like an actual teen's journal or like a story you'd hear over a cafeteria table. You read his nonsensical classroom daydreams and the powerful emotion he draws from his favorite songs and you really feel a connection with Brian. It captures the emotional conflicts of the teenage years perfectly. Definitely pick this up.