"Die Young With Me" SSR Blog Post

In the autobiography "Die Young With Me" by Rob Rufus, the story of a pair of twins and their journey through the world of punk rock is told in a very eye catching and exciting manner. Set in the 1980s, the twins, Rob (the narrator) and Nat, begin their love for punk and the community that comes with it. In order to become more deeply involved in this passion of theirs, they decide to start a band in their basement that actually becomes a quick sensation in their small Virginia town. After making a name for themselves, they finally get offered a chance to perform at a huge national event; however, things quickly take a turn for the worst after Rob is diagnosed with a rare and advanced form of lung cancer that completely hinders his ability to continue. Now, with his dreams crushed and a very difficult battle ahead of him, Rob must face the harsh reality of his disease, a reality that makes him question if he'll make it out alive, and if he does, who will still be by his side?

Coming from someone who has never in their life been interested in punk rock or anything remotely similar, this book actually gave me a huge amount of enjoyment, despite the foreign environment. I really just grabbed any book off of the shelf and quickly thought I should choose another when I first started reading, but soon it was hard to take my eyes off the pages. The story is told in such a way that engulfs the mind of the reader and has you dive headfirst into the world that is punk rock. I believe it was a great read because of the fact that the author and his life was so different from mine that it allowed me to imagine what it would be like in someone completely different's shoes. I loved the emotion in this book, in which there was plenty, and how relatable yet unrelatable many of their situations were. Even if you're like me and have no interest or any idea about punk rock, I would very much suggest this as your next read because you may enjoy it just as much as I did.