Colin Preston Rocked and Rolled

In 1985, Colin Preston is a sophomore at Elerby University.  He is finding his place in the world, breaking free of his parents and, most importantly, falling in love.   His girlfriend is the most beautiful girl on campus and his best friend is on the football team.  So where does Colin fit in - and can Lennon and McCartney help him do it?

Ostensibly a coming of age story (or bildungsroman for those literary folks) , Colin Preston Rocked and Rolled is a meandering mishmash of two-dimensional stereotypical characters wandering about the campus of a fictional liberal arts college.

Although set in 1985, readers of a certain age will immediately note the discrepancies in music, clothing, attitudes and, most jarringly, body piercing.  Colin constantly quotes Beatles lyrics and listens to them incessantly.  Jasmine is a hippie, into Zen and all things hemp.  These characters are more from the early 70s than mid 80s.  The most authentic character for the time period is Karl - a football star who drinks a lot of beer and has a lot of sex.  His attitude towards women is the most accurate thing in the book.  After meeting the Holden Caulfield-type living in the dorm laundry room and a middle-aged female Spanish professor who becomes Colin's close friend the story broke the bounds of credulity for this reviewer.
The heart of  a character-driven tale must be compelling characters.  Unfortunately, there aren't many here, and what remains is lost to choppy writing and grating anachronisms.

Tammy Grant