Showing posts with label road trip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label road trip. Show all posts

Friday, March 30, 2012

"The Disenchantments" by Nina LaCour

“We felt so small with the city lights stretching forever below us, and we yelled at the top of our lungs because we were just these small humans but we felt more longing than could ever fit inside us.”

Colby and Bev have made plans to travel to Europe after graduating from high school. College can wait for a year, exploring the world and doing their own thing is more important. Bev is the lead singer of a band with her girlfriends Alexa and Meg. They call themselves the Disenchantments. They are super loud, somewhat talented and love to rock out and get crazy.

The band decides to embark on an epic road trip for a west coast tour before Colby and Bev leave for their trip. Colby borrows his uncle’s beloved VW van, named Melinda, and they hit the road, ready for adventure. But when Bev confesses she got accepted, and is going to college, Colby is left heartbroken, and without a plan for his future. Colby has been in love with Bev for years, but their relationship has never gone beyond friendship.

Without Bev in his future, Colby must find his own personality and rely on his own strengths to empower himself. In the meantime, he's busy playing stagehand to the band, and the token male in their artistic collaboration. The excitment of the road trip, the thrill of live music and the reality of high school graduation all come together to make the Disenchantments an enjoyable ride.

LaCour's characters are honest, powerful and on the cusp on adulthood, embracing what life experiences have to offer them. Some f-bombs, sexual situations, some alcohol, probably best for 8th and up. Highly recommended.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

"An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green

After finishing high school, Colin and his best friend Hassan decide to embark on a road trip. Colin has had it with Katherines. He's been dumped 19 times by girls with that name, and he's determined to find out why. As a child prodigy, Colin is fascinated by anagrams and equations, but can he use his math skills to figure out why he can't keep a girlfriend?