Info: Lacewing Books, copyright 2014, 184 pages
The Rundown
It wasn't Duke Walczak's fault that I took off for Florida, like Kathy thought. The truth is, we started getting sideways with each other on our class trip to New York and Washington D.C. nearly a year earlier—which, looking back, is ironic since she was the one dead set on going.
In 1964, Paul Carpetti discovers Jack Kerouac's On the Road while on a school trip to New York and begins to question the life he faces after high school. Then he meets a volatile, charismatic Kerouac devotee determined to hit the road himself. When the boys learn that Kerouac is living in St. Petersburg, Florida, they go looking for answers. - Goodreads description
What Rocked
This is a very quick read! I was able to knock it out in a few hours. I read Jack Kerouac's On the Road in high school, then again in college, and probably a dozen other times. It's one of my favorite books of all time! So when I see a book about a young man being so moved by Kerouac's work that he sets off on a road trip to meet him my thoughts are "Yes please give me this book like yesterday!" It's a great ride with Paul and Duke from Northern Indiana to Florida with all of the interesting characters and experiences you find on a coming of age journey. I loved that it becomes far more about the journey itself and not the end result for Paul, which is such a great reminder to embrace how you get to where you're going. Probably the biggest thing a reader will take away from this book is the question, "If you had a chance to meet your hero, would you?"
What Wasn't So Rockin'
Paul isn't very likable at first. Honestly, he's kind of jerk. He's awful to his girlfriend and is a huge downer. As with most coming of age tales, stick with it and watch Paul grow up over the course of the story. Some understanding of the historical context in which the story takes place may enrich the reader's experience with this book (the year after Kennedy's death, the Civil Rights Movements, and the Baby Boomer generation, for example) but isn't a must.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
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