The Great Teen Fruit War
About
"The Great Teen Fruit War, A 1960 Novel" (450 pages) story takes place in Hammonton, New Jersey, an agricultural community midway between Philadelphia and Atlantic City. The Blues wear blue denim button-down waist-length jackets and are the sons of wealthy blueberry growers. The Reds wear James Dean' red zip-up jackets and are the sons of peach farmers. Bellevue Avenue in the center of town is the dividing line that separates blueberry country to the east and peach territory to the west.
"The Great Teen Fruit War" is a story for anyone who loves '50s and '60s teen culture. Romance, racial discrimination and conflict between the Reds and the Blues mix into a "coming of age" story that blends humor with drama, suspense and surprise into an action-packed adventure. Throw the town' greasers "The Ramrodders" into the conflict and events heat up in a hurry as the three highly volatile gangs interact.
When Goose Restuccio, the son of a Mafia kingpin joins the Reds he challenges Gabe Gillette, the leader of the rich-kid Blues. Goose's father's hit men get involved in some clever pranks played on the Blues, and the blueberry kids retaliate with deceptive tricks of their own. Soon strife escalates into violence. Goose is captured by Blues and then forced to rape a black girl, and after Crystal Davis becomes pregnant, her black friends ally with the Reds against a coalition of Blues and Ramrodders. The "Great Teen Fruit War" is the exciting sequel to "Black Leather and Blue Denim, A '50s Novel." A third book, Frat Brats, A 60s Novel completes the coming-of-age trilogy.
Praise for this book
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!!
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2005
Format: Hardcover
This book is excellent.It's about teen gangs in 1960 - the Blues (kids from blueberry farmers) and the Reds (kids from peach farmers)and what they experience in their youth.
The Blues's symbol is a blue denim jacket, the Reds's symbol a red James-Dean jacket. Every gang has 24 members and those teens are involved in "The Great Teen Fruit War".
It starts with pranks and tricks they play on each other - but every time one gang wants to get even with the other gang and so the pranks not only get more creative but also more dangerous - until it just has to end in a big fight (that's not the ending of the story) ;)
But this story is not only about two gangs who fight each other - it is also about moral, romance, racism, the influence people have over each other and so much more.
I love that great songs of this wonderful time are mentioned every now and then, and News (one member of the Reds) informs you about what goes on in the world in 1960.
The puns are so amazing and the story is funny and easy to read.
You'll feel like you know every one of them and you are curious about what the next adventure might be...
I also highly recommend the novel "Black Leather and Blue Denim" to read before this book - if you love one of them you'll definitely love both novels.
Both stories and told by J.W. who experienced great adventures with the "Diablos" in "Black Leather and Blue Denim" and later when he moved to Hammonton with the "Reds" in "The Great Teen Fruit War".
Again I think this novel should be made into a movie - it would be in a row with films like "The Outsiders", "The Wanderers", "Deuces Wild" and so on.
(I think it is very interesting what you can do with the English-language - the puns really are awesome. )