Black Leather and Blue Denim, A ‘50s Novel Summary:

eBook Summary:
436 Pages -- Black Leather and Blue Denim is a '50s novel about greaser gang conflict in Levittown, Pennsylvania. J.W. narrates the story.

J.W. (age twelve) and his family move into the Dogwood Hollow section of Levittown in the spring of '54. He soon makes friends with Carnie, the neurotic son of a carnival barker, and Tinker, a mechanically inclined, vindictive kid with destructive tendencies. The three boys are picked on and harassed by older greasers from Kenwood, another section of Levittown ...

Black Leather and Blue Denim, A '50s Novel is adult literature for anyone who loves 1950s' teen culture, and it might just be the ultimate '50s book that captures the innocence of teen' life and also the danger, the adventure and the tragedy of '50s greaser' gang conflict. The story involves a turf/power struggle between two Pennsylvania greaser' gangs, the Diablos and the Kamikazes. The K's are a band of ruthless thugs that terrorize eggheads ('50s brainiacs), jocks and other greasers. J.W. organizes the Diablos to protect his friends and himself from the barbaric Kamikazes.

The music, hot cars, the drag races, the slang, the drive-in movies, the hang outs, the malt shops, the sock hops, the popular pinball machines and intense rivalry and competition between greaser gangs is all realistically represented. BL&BD is a nostalgic look back toward an age of innocence where the so-called "Happy Days" might have been just as dangerous as teen life is today.

Reader Review:
Rating: 5 Stars
Dedicated "for all those who like or love the 1950's, but especially for all those who had actually lived them," is a spectacular book written by talented and multi-published author Jay Dubya.

This lengthy novel (in a good way) of 147,000 words and with fifty-seven chapters, is adult literature that details the purity of teenage life in the 1950's. It is filled with danger, adventure, violence between gang members, and even romance. BLACK LEATHER and BLUE DENIM takes place in the suburbs of Pennsylvania and depicts territorial and dominance struggle between two specific greaser gangs, the Diablos and the Kamikazes. The Kamikazes are a group of thugs that love to pick on eggheads, other wise known as nerds, jocks, and especially other greasers.

J.W., who organized the Diablos to protect him and his friends from the Kamikazes, likes a girl named Angie Palermo. She is the daughter of a Mafia drug and pornography distributor who has business relations with the Kamikazes. Because J. W. and Angie are on two different ends of the spectrum, so to speak, their affair is filled with lies, unfaithfulness, and hostility.

Throughout the book, teenage gangster frivolities occur and it soon rises to critical circumstances. Even more trouble arises when Quinn, the leader of the Diablos, makes friends with a young black man named Marcus who works on Quinn's car. After some time, Marcus is asked by Quinn to join the Diablos. Now remember this is during the time-period where basically everyone, including adults, stuck with their own. Naturally, J.W. isn't happy about Quinn's decision, and his anger escalates when Marcus and his family move into his neighborhood--an all white community. Not backing down on his decision, Quinn and the Diablos help Marcus fight against the acts of racism.

As I read the book, I was often taken to my teenage years when the movie "The Outsiders" was an often talked about event. I loved it. Mr. Dubya has successfully put together a book addressing touchy subjects such as: racism, sex, violence, and where males in the 1950's thought they ruled. He's added tons of exciting action, the characters are realistic, and the dialogue is perfect to the character's personalities and descriptions.

For more information, visit Jay Dubya's Featured Author page!