Geniuses of Crack

Wow, this book takes me back. I moved to LA just as this book was coming out. and Gomez really captured the mood of what it was like to live there in the mid-90s. Every once in a while I re-read this to see how the city has changed, and every time I do I'm reminded about how good Geniuses was and still is. A sequel to his first novel, which most people prefer over this one, but I like this one best,.

I have read the negative reviews and to I agree to a certain extent. This is not an action packed book. However, it is not supposed to be one. Gomez writes about the daily life and random thoughts of, for lack of a better term, "average Americans".

Well, Gomez tells you what it's like to be in a band, and from the story laid out in this book, it's not very fun. Geniuses of Crack tells the story of Bottlecap, a group who travel from a small town in Virginia to Los Angeles to record their major label debut, only to run into nothing but roadblocks along the way. I thought this book was funny and insightful, giving me a peek into a world I'd always wondered about. It's a little long but I didn't mind that because, even though the characters are kind of infuriating, I always got a kick out of the way Gomez handled the scenes and the material. He knows what he's talking about. Great stuff.

As i read through the negative reviews that have been posted here, I can't help but wonder A) how old they are, and B) what sort of kind of music they listen to. I wonder about these things because (hallelujah!) both GENIUSES OF CRACK and OUR NOISE focus on one specific subculture/age group. And thank God! For once I can really see myself in the characters of a book. I listen to the same music, I do the same things and I hang out with similar people. I have yet to read anything else that so accurately portrays, well...me and my peers! And what a nice change of pace! What other book can you read about a character who gets a tattoo of a Palace Brothers album title?! The characters may seem trite and foolish to those who are outside of this subculture (I can sorta see why people might not like this book, not everyone can relate), but I assure you...the characters are very real! Not all of the characters are very bright and they are not always cool, but then again not everyone can be so suave all the time! I'm hoping there is another sequel...I read OUR NOISE and GENIUSES.. back to back and now I miss the characters! I want to see what happens next...you see how they flounder...now i want to see how they get it together!

This is Gomez's second novel, a sort of sequel to his first, Our Noise, which had the same concerns as his current book: The cataloging and critique of the current generation of twentysomethings. Geniuses has to do with a band, Bottlecap, from his first novel, and tells the story of their disasterous foray into a recording contract with a major label and the recording of their debut record.Gomez has all the details right about what it's like to be young and live in the Los Angeles, as well as puncturing the pretensions of the indie versus major label arguement. This was a totally fun book and great read that anyone in their twenties (or beyond) would enjoy.He's the only writer under thirty who matters.