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No Alternative Paperback – March 29, 2012

by William Dickerson (Author), Harry Hamlin (Foreword)
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 10 ratings
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"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

No Alternative is a coming-of-age drama that drills a hole into the world of suburban American teenagers in the early '90s. 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 a 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.

No Alternative is now a major motion picture starring Michaela Cavazos, Conor Proft, Chloe Levine, Kathryn Erbe and Harry Hamlin. This updated edition of the novel includes a Foreword by Harry Hamlin and an Afterword by William Dickerson, which explores the making of the film.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    March 29, 2012
  4. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.68 x 8.5 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0985188677
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0985188672
  7. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"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

"The novel--with its clear-eyed glimpse into the lives of a troubled family--satisfies." -Publishers Weekly

"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

About the Author

William Dickerson's debut feature film "Detour," which he wrote and directed, was hailed as an "Underground Hit" by The Village Voice, an "emotional and psychological roller-coaster ride" by The Examiner, and nothing short of "authentic" by The New York Times. His first book, "No Alternative," was declared "a sympathetic coming-of-age story deeply embedded in '90s music" by Kirkus Reviews. His book on filmmaking, "DETOUR: Hollywood: How To Direct a Microbudget Film (or any film, for that matter)," was called "candidly practical, thoroughly 'user friendly,' and an essential instruction guide--especially for independent filmmakers working on shoestring budgets" by Midwest Book Review. He recently adapted "No Alternative" into an award-winning film. The Los Angeles Times hailed the movie as "a remarkably assured and deeply felt grunge-era coming-of-age picture," and Film Threat called it "a rare indie gem that delivers solidly on all fronts with no missteps."

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kettle of Letters Press; 2nd ed. edition (March 29, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0985188677
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0985188672
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.3 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.68 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 10 ratings

About the author

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William Dickerson

William Dickerson

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William Dickerson's debut feature film "Detour," which he wrote and directed, was hailed as an "Underground Hit" by The Village Voice, an "emotional and psychological roller-coaster ride" by The Examiner, and nothing short of "authentic" by The New York Times. His award-winning work has been recognized by film festivals across the country.

His first book, "No Alternative," was declared, "a sympathetic coming-of-age story deeply embedded in '90s music" by Kirkus Reviews. His book on filmmaking, "DETOUR: Hollywood: How To Direct a Microbudget Film (or any film, for that matter)," was called "candidly practical, thoroughly 'user friendly,' and an essential instruction guide–especially for independent filmmakers working on shoestring budgets" by Midwest Book Review.

His writing has been published by Indiewire, MovieMaker Magazine, Filmmaker Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter’s The Wrap, Script Magazine, The Talkhouse, and SaveTheCat.com. His novel, "The Dreamachine," is in bookstores now and he recently adapted and directed the film version of "No Alternative," which was released worldwide through Gravitas Ventures. The film stars Michaela Cavazos, Conor Proft, Chloe Levine, Kathryn Erbe and Harry Hamlin. The Los Angeles Times hailed the movie as "a remarkably assured and deeply felt grunge-era coming-of-age picture," and Film Threat called it "a rare indie gem that delivers solidly on all fronts with no missteps."

For more info on William Dickerson, visit: www.williamdickersonfilmmaker.com

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
10 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kate Michael
5.0 out of 5 stars Smartly written and engaging read about an often overlooked generation
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2019
Verified Purchase
No Alternative is a poignant coming of age tale of teenage rebellion, mental awareness, and, ultimately, suicide.

Like so many other generations, 90s youth had their own era of revolt. In fashion, in music, in politics… these kids weren’t just arguing against the status quo or against authority. The American Dream seemed to have been realized by their parents. So what was left for them?

Over prescribed medication, in fear of the Cold War, and trying to live out the expectations of every generation before them, 90s youth were confused, empty of feeling, and had nowhere to look for answers.

Rocker Kurt Cobain certainly wasn’t the first of their revered icons to commit suicide out of his own feelings of depression, but his death was a model for many. And it sets the tone and plot of No Alternative, following Thomas (and his sister Bridget) through their suburban lives until one of them abruptly decides to leave the world behind.

The book insists that the act isn’t selfish, but it’s hard to see that when it happens so swiftly, unexpectedly, and unreasonably. But this is, perhaps, the point.

William Dickerson says he wrote No Alternative for his sister and meant it — and the resulting screenplay — to warn about mental illness and suicides’s consequences, yet one aspect of the book confuses this. When the character comes back to narrate how the family is faring post event, suicide seems a bit glorified. Teens considering suicide must understand that they cannot return to see how they are bring mourned. The act is final. No one gets answers. And there is always an alternative.

Despite the painful plot, No Alternative is an engaging read. It is smartly written and delicately portrays each of its fragile characters, forcing the reader to consider their unique perspectives on growing up, feeling, existing in this new 90s world, and even choosing to end it all.
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Rebecca L.
2.0 out of 5 stars 2.5 Stars.
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2019
Verified Purchase
This story is about dysfunctional family circa the 1980s, most of whom seem to be suffering from mental issues. The main protagonist is the son, Thomas, who is a drummer in a grunge band. His struggles with his family and his band seem to form the heart of the story. After all, his younger sister Bridget has suffered from unknown mental problems from an early age and is on a wide variety of pills that are supposed to help her but apparently do not. His father, William is a judge dealing with a high-profile case but he clearly has rage issues and possibly PTSD of his own to deal with. The mom, Maureen, seems to be the only mildly normal one in the bunch and even she was a bit wild in her younger years as one particular anecdote illustrates.

Although I sympathize with what the author was trying to do (keep his sister from killing herself by telling a version of their childhood story), this type of book really isn’t for me. I was honestly expecting this story to be more along the lines of the films Almost Famous or Across the Universe, both of which covered some dark topics but were generally light-hearted and easily digestible. That wasn’t the case here. I appreciate the clear warnings that the novel talks about suicide, but that wasn’t the main issue that I had with it. Instead, I found this novel far too cerebral, graphic, and heavily focused on sex.

The kids in this story also use a lot of profanity and behave in completely unsanitary ways. For instance: not properly cleaning up squashed bugs, wading through polluted rivers, and leaving boogers on bathroom mirrors. And Bridget’s mental problems do not excuse her language. I’m not sure they fully excuse her cultural appropriation issues either. In fact, I thought that the kids in this story seemed unrealistic when one considers how old they are are supposed to be. They seem to either be acting like badly behaved kindergartners or overly wild college students, with no space in between.

The novel also had a pervasively dark tone that I didn’t enjoy. A good percentage the main cast (particularly the core family) seems to have mental and/or emotional issues. There really isn’t much focus on normal people, aside from Bridget’s friend Stewart and maybe one or two of Thomas’ band mates. Without giving too much away, some excerpts from the ending seems to even glamorize suicide, although the author mentions that wasn’t his point.

The cerebral moments in the text were hard to get through for someone like me who prefers straight-forward novels and doesn’t have any interest in overthinking things like the narrators in this book frequently do. At one point, Thomas is contemplating if the roach in the bathroom knows he’s alive before he squashes it to death. Does anyone really think like that? Or perhaps it’s just me. I had a difficult time trying to follow the acid sequence as well, but that might have been the author’s point.

I additionally spent a good deal of my time being extremely disturbed by the lack of attention these parents seem to be paying to their borderline delinquent children. Why would they allow their kids to behave in such as fashion without there being serious consequences for their actions? Why are these children ultimately not better supervised by their parents? Clearly, these adults shoulder some of the blame for what happens in the end.

In short, I’m sure there’s an audience for this book but it’s definitely not me.
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