It's been a few months since I read Recipe for Hate, but a lot of the story is still with me. The book claims to be based on real events, but I'm not sure how true that is, regardless, it grabbed my attention, and kept it, and I read it in two days.

I was born in the 80s, and didn't really realize that the "punk" scene started in the 70s. I know it's sad, but I thought that the birth of Punk in America began with Nirvana, and all those great stereotypes my 90s punk teenage sister tried to be.

Recipe for Hate is an intense story, about teenagers, that are really invested in the punk scene, but their town, like most adults, are against it, and want to keep it out of their Mayberry-like community. When punks start getting murdered, the book takes a turn and becomes a mystery that while it seemed would be easy to solve, was a bit more difficult than expected.

The books is considered YA, but has a lot of adult themes. It's going to make the reader question things that they learned when they were younger, and look at the Punk movement a bit differently. I liked the book enough to give it four stars, and while the details are a bit rusty (its been six months), its a book that you'll remember for the vibrant characters and the struggles of America's youth during the beginning of the Punk movement.