No Alternative is William Dickerson’s explosive debut novel that confronts mental illness while blasting open the world of grunge-era teenagers in the early 90’s. It is currently being adapted into a film and is crowdfunding through From The Heart Productions. Please check out the campaign here: https://bitly.com/noalternativefilm.
Thomas Harrison is determined to start his own alternative band, an obsession that blinds him to what’s either the mental collapse, or the eruption of musical genius, of his little sister, Bridget. Bridget boldly rejects her brother’s music, and the music of an entire generation of slackers, by taking on the persona of an X-rated gangsta’ rapper named Bri Da B.
No Alternative probes the lives of rebellious kids who transition into adulthood via the distortion pedals of their lives in an era when the Sex, Drugs & Rock’n’Roll ethos was amended to include Suicide in its phrase.
Praise For The Novel:
“A sympathetic coming-of-age story deeply embedded in ’90s music. Reflective, unafraid of big-picture pronouncements–‘nothing is more do-it-yourself than suicide.’ The cool, casual tone results in knockout diagnoses of the ’90s teenage condition: ‘You feel older as a teenager than you will ever feel in your entire life.'” –Kirkus Reviews
“Both protagonists are vividly drawn, as are the book’s peripheral characters, such as the teens’ parents, who are damaged and struggling as well. The novel–with its clear-eyed glimpse into the lives of a troubled family–satisfies.” –Publishers Weekly
“The bildungsroman for the Nirvana generation is here. Dickerson’s story hits all the right beats and pulls the reader into the grungy feedback of alt-consciousness. Everything in this novel feels honest and true. The book reveals what it was like to live in a time when music appeared able to change one’s life and bestow identity. Simultaneously brutal and funny, caustic and caring, ‘No Alternative’ is a sacrament to be shared by all the survivors who grew up at the tail end of the fragmenting century.” –Jack O’Connell, author of “The Resurrectionist”
“A five star read, especially for any member of Generation X.” –Versatile Book Reviews
“‘No Alternative’ is a beautifully written character study, using both the early/mid-90s music landscape and cultural climate as mirrors to thoroughly human experiences.” –Independent Publisher
“Written for music fans as well as lovers of truly excellent literary fiction, ‘No Alternative’ is one book not to be missed.” –Chris Mendius, author of “Spoonful”
“‘No Alternative’ is one of those sparkling little independent gems that makes you want to stand up and celebrate your literacy…with cake and punch.” –Insatiable Booksluts
“Pungent insights and quotable dialogue abound in this novel, which, in the end, movingly dramatizes the ability of art to transcend death and other human tragedies.” –Indie Reader
“I really like the cinematic feel this book possesses. The author does a fantastic job of creating a unique voice and maintaining it throughout the piece.” –Writer’s Digest
“A stunning ‘must-read,’ Dickerson’s ‘No Alternative’ captures–brilliantly–what it meant to be a teenager at the end of the American Century. Dickerson uses the music and culture of the early 90’s to explore some of the most delicate aspects of the human experience–innocence, love, death, family, and rebellion.” -Anderson O’Donnell, author of “Kingdom”
No Alternative is available in Paperback and Kindle through Amazon.com:
www.amazon.com/No-Alternative-William-Dickerson/dp/0985188618
