From the critically acclaimed author of The Gospel of Winter and the coauthor of All American Boys comes a cool, contemplative spin on hot summer nights and the classic teen love story as two teens embark on a cross-country journey of the heart and soul.
The point of living is learning how to love.
That’s what Gpa says. To Hendrix and Corrina, both seventeen but otherwise alike only in their loneliness, that sounds like another line from a pop song that tries to promise kids that life doesn’t actually suck. Okay, so: love. Sure.
The thing about Corrina—her adoptive parents are suffocating, trying to mold her into someone acceptable, predictable, like them. She’s a musician, itching for any chance to escape, become the person she really wants to be. Whoever that is.
And Hendrix, he’s cool. Kind of a poet. But also kind of lost. His dad is dead and his mom is married to her job. Gpa is his only real family, but he’s fading fast from Alzheimer’s. Looking for any way to help the man who raised him, Hendrix has made Gpa an impossible promise—that he’ll get him back east to the hill where he first kissed his wife, before his illness wipes away all memory of her.
One hot July night, Hendrix and Corrina decide to risk everything. They steal a car, spring Gpa from his assisted living facility, stuff Old Humper the dog into the back seat, and take off on a cross-country odyssey from LA to NY. With their parents, Gpa’s doctors, and the police all hot on their heels, Hendrix and Corrina set off to discover for themselves if what Gpa says is true—that the only stories that last are love stories.
Audience: 13+
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Review-
I LOVED THIS BOOK. I can't even put into competent words all the feeling this book gives me! First off, I'm pretty sure this book was written specifically for me. (and I totally told the author Brendan Kiely that when I met him at the Texas Teen Book Festival!) I had not heard of this book before the festival, but I had the chance to see Brendan on a panel, and everything he said about the book got me hooked. Get this...A dual love story: boy(Hendrix) meets girl (Corrina), boy and girl steal a car and kidnap his Grandpa(Gpa) (who has Alzheimer's) to take him on a cross country road trip (so he won't forget his wife), boy and girl fall in love on road trip, boy remembers why Grandpa and family are so important, everyone learns a lesson...yay! It gets EVEN better. Corrina uses music to keep Gpa present and help him to stay focused during the trip. So not only do we have the traditional youth love story, but also the love story between and grandfather and his grandson, PLUS the power of music, yup this book was made for me! Within the first 11 pages I had laughed out loud twice and cried once, and by the end of the book I had to get tissues so I could attempt to read the pages through my bawling! This book just makes you feel good.
There is lots of great music referenced in this book, so I decided not only to keep a running tally of all the songs, I also played many of them at the point in the book when they're mentioned so I got the same soundtrack the characters did. It was an epic way to read the book, and I've included the playlist from the first two states (to the best of my ability) here. If you don't use the whole thing, I highly recommend at least playing the very first song when it's mentioned!
There is lots of great music referenced in this book, so I decided not only to keep a running tally of all the songs, I also played many of them at the point in the book when they're mentioned so I got the same soundtrack the characters did. It was an epic way to read the book, and I've included the playlist from the first two states (to the best of my ability) here. If you don't use the whole thing, I highly recommend at least playing the very first song when it's mentioned!
Corrina's Road Trip Playlist
CALIFORNIA
NEVADA
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