ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? by Jordan Sonnenblick

The story: Rich Barber has never been able to figure out what's up with his dad--why he's so cold, aloof, and rigid. When dad busts him for playing guitar at a protest, Rich retaliates by breaking into a locked guitar case and discovering the guitar Jimi Hendrix played at Woodstock--and when he plays the funky chord for which Jimi was famous, Rich finds himself transported back to 1969 and Woodstock. What he sees and does there will not only change his life forever, but it might change his futures--and the futures of everyone else in his family, too...dead or alive.

June Cleaver’s ratings: Language R; Nudity PG; Sexual Content R; Violence ; Substance Abuse R; Magic & the Occult PG; GLBT Content G; Adult Themes PG-13 (drug use and abuse, including death by overdose); overall rating R.

Liz's comments: Jordan Sonnenblick moves firmly into the realm of YA with this novel, with its Woodstock-based themes of "make love, not war", along with plenty of questionable language, people running off into the woods to have off-page sex, and an older brother's death by overdose. For those expecting a follow-up to "After Ever After" and the other books in that sort-of series, you're in for some unexpected moments. You could really tell that Jordan Sonnenblick was a fan of Woodstock and all the musicians there. The book even makes you want to go look up Jimi Hendrix's "Star-Spangled Banner" solo on Youtube...but the problem is that readers who are expecting a certain kind of book from this author will find themselves feeling somewhat betrayed. I found the book depressing in spite of the ray-of-hope bit at the end, and thought it was really better suited for a high-school audience, notwithstanding the 7-up rating from SLJ.