I Was a Teenage Know Nothing

By: Ryon Ownbey

Narrated by: Ryon David Ownbey

Dating, motorcycles, car races, and The Movie Theater Club await you. Life can seem rough for a young man growing up. There are lessons to be learned, experiences to be had, and emotions to be tested. Not all of which will have a positive outcome. Through the lens of youth, all may seem over-dramatic at times. He must rely on his soul, and then what he assumes is instinct, to guide him along the way. Take a journey back to a time before Amazon, smartphones, and streaming media dared exist. A time known as the early 1990s. It may seem simple today, but to someone who has lived it, the world surrounding a teenage-know-nothing could be turbulent and confusing. Patience and optimism must be found somewhere, and somehow, along the way.

©2021 Ryon David Ownbey (P)2021 Ryon David Ownbey

Aren't We All?

"I Was A Teenage Know-Nothing", by Ryon Ownbey, is fun. There it is. That's the review.

Ah, need more? Ok...


This is a fantastic listening experience. Though Ryon may not have the classic "radio voice", as it were, he comes across as something better: an old friend. As he regales you with stories of years past, you feel almost transported to those times...for haven't we all visited a movie house, a video store? Haven't we all found and lost friends and lovers?

Ryon's story of youth is our story of youth. Though we all experience these years differently, there's a familiarity here that is impossible to miss. Thomas Wolfe wrote "You Can't Go Home Again", and that may be; but sometimes home has a way of finding you, and Ryon's story forced me to reflect upon my own home, my own memories, my own triumphs and failures. Each step brought a smile to my face, and I remembered that I would not be who I am without the people, places, and situations of my youth. So give "I Was A Teenage Know Nothing" a shot, and perhaps take a journey of your own. You won't be disappointed!

Entertaining humor from a movie lover’s perspective.

I just binge listened through Ryon’s first published book “I Was a Teenage Know Nothing. Turns out, he didn’t give himself enough credit. He had a lot going on in that observational brain! To see the irony and humor in everyday situations, then creatively articulate then on paper in a comedic way (in a Rod Serling-type narrative takes talent. My only suggestion is that he writes another book that consists of just those short vignettes (my favorite part of his writings) and his books will be on the shelves next to David Sedaris. BTW: Don’t be mis-led. Even though the book stories take place during his adolescence, it is definitely an adult book.

A journey into the trials and tribulations of being a teenager

While only knowing Ryon later in life, I find myself knowing him so much better. His story made me reminisce about my own life as a teenager. With all its ups and downs, loves and losses, cars, first apartment and friends. I very much enjoyed the story and will read it again!

A fun ride back to the 90s in small town America

Ownbey’s journey back to his teenage years is full of authenticity and charm. He explores his post high school years meeting and working with friends who would become life long friends. At times one can feel themselves in a movie theater, skinny dipping at night, or riding a motorcycle into a horrifying encounter with a sports car. I suspect most young men can relate to many of these stories.