Sex, drugs and rock'n'roll are the memes and themes of the new novel The Dumb Class: Boomer Junior High featuring high school freshmen in the early sixties. Focusing on a small gang of Ne'er-do-wells, the novel grabs the reader for a dark-humored yet poignant romp through the desires, fears and joys of baby boomer teenagers finding their way. Their missteps are many and mayhem ensues as they battle out their conflicts with neighbors, nerds, elites, educators, criminals and cops. Bill Jones, the protagonist, narrates his observations for the reader as he participates in some of the foibles and fun as well.
Going steady, young love, sexual experimentation, joy riding, school rowdiness, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, trying marijuana and even attempted suicide were all part of growing up in that era. The exploits of preppy pranksters and hardened hoodlums are excitingly chronicled. Action ensues in the form of vandalizing the elite students' party, brawls between neighbors and beat downs and extortion by the most criminal of the youth. In the suspenseful climax of the novel, our protagonist must risk his life. An entertaining and fun read that will be much enjoyed by the boomer set and all other kids, too.
