In 1965, high school junior Jeff Cole, the hero of this ambitious if predictable novel from Shiner (Heroes and Villains), is transferred to a new school in Dallas, where he meets fellow student Alex Montoya, who becomes a lifelong friend. The two share a passion for music, which, unsurprisingly, isn't supported by Cole's emotionally distant father, Steve. Cole's path to becoming a professional guitar player is further hampered when he loses part of one finger in an accident. Of course, he overcomes that obstacle, and friction with an increasingly unsympathetic Steve eventually prompts him to move away from home for good. Alex, who's part of the same band, assists in this move. The ups and downs of Cole's love life and career follow familiar patterns, and the major events in U.S. history between 1965 and Donald Trump's election in 2016 serve as background noise rather than actually affecting Cole, Alex, and the other characters.
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