Neon Teens and Funky Beats · CFR · bibli

From the author

This story is told through the lens of a Gen X woman from NJ going down memory lane of the nostalgic life of the 80s. The story begins with the background of her and her sister and traveling to the south with their father during spring break. It involves their other teen friends and the adventures they would go on without the company of their parents. It was the era of jelly bracelets, lip gloss, candy necklaces, and splendid music. Sani and her sister Tammy and friends were a tight-knit crew of fearless teen girls who saw MTV for the first time. They had the days of Michael Jackson’s Thriller and a treasure trove of roller-skating, whispering secrets, slumber parties, and sneaking out at night. On one fateful night of tip toeing out of the house with the thrill of rebelling, this supposedly harmless dare quickly turns into a narrow escape from danger. This moment shattered their innocence and taught Sani how fragile life can be and how precious their young freedom truly was. Neon Teens and Funky Beats is a genuine coming-of-age tale about diversity, friendship, adventures, imagination, and sisterhood growing up in an era where kids roamed free, parents trusted things to be safe, and 80s music was the heartbeat of teens. This is a love letter to every Gen X girl that listened to freestyle tunes from Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam to Debbie Deb, wanting to grow up too fast, and learning that the world can be both magical and dangerous at the same time. This book is meant to be a series. This is Volume I and has 17 short stories.

Scene 1

The Awakening

Pulling up in my driveway, I sat there for a moment thinking about work today. Detective work is not for the squeamish. There are a lot of s…

5 min22 reads

Scene 2

The Chosen Family

Lying on the couch, I reevaluated my youth and just my entire identity. Growing up in the 80s, I was unique, and one thing that truly set me…

3 min4 reads

Scene 3

My Father

My father fought in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1969. Stationed in Vung Tau and Phuoc Vighn, he completed one tour of duty. Every war is in…

2 min3 reads