First published 2000
Rob Sheffield turns thirteen in 1980, a pasty, geeky "hermit boy" who knows nothing about women, love, or how to talk to either. The MTV era unfolds around him, bringing John Hughes movies, Members Only jackets, and girls who swoon over Duran Duran's bassist. Sheffield fumbles through inept flirtations and dumb crushes, making deplorable fashion choices while searching for true love and a cooler haircut. His eighties adolescence becomes a soundtrack of transformation, each song marking moments that reshape him from awkward teenager into a young man with his first girlfriend and apartment. The big dreams match the bigger shoulder pads of the decade. Sheffield discovers that growing up means learning to navigate not just his own desires but the mysterious world of teenage romance, where every conversation feels like high stakes and every song carries the weight of possibility.
Genres: romance, american-fiction, coming-of-age, adolescence, memoir, music
Vibes: emotional, intimate, nostalgic, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, fish-out-of-water, self-discovery
Period: 1980s
274 pages · Hardcover · penguin