Travis is a star with girls. He’s not so crash hot at schooling, but he’s good enough at hauling brush. He needs to support his mother, who seems to be getting sicker all the time. Then he meets Kat and Zoe, and one of them will change his life.
I loved this novel. I’ve read my two new Pfeffer books in less than a week. Something about her writing is just snappy and compulsive to read. This book tackles difficult things, like depression, homelessness and being a drop-out.
Goodness knows I don’t have much experience with guys like Travis. But I can see how his charm could hit girls. I really can’t understand the girls who want just a night of sex, but maybe I just don’t understand their brains. Just as not all men are after sex, I guess not all women can be after relationships.
The cover on this is great. Just the way I’d imagine Travis to look. Lean, tanned, rakish. The thing that redeems Travis in the beginning and makes you want to keep reading, is his relationship with his mother. His other relationships seem fleeting, and it’s because he refuses to admit there is anything wrong that he can’t cope with.
This is like an older teenage version of Gracie’s Girl. This novel is obviously aimed at a much older audience, and so it has more grunt to it. Still, the ending was sweet. Somehow everything came out right. Still, I’m not sure it’s heart touching. It’s not a sappy romance. It’s raw, abrasive and not easy to read. The details Pfeffer fits into the novel makes me think she’s been in that world, it’s that good. A well recommended read for teenagers.
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Review Update: 1 December 2021 – I originally only gave this 4 stars, but I’m upgrading it to a 5 stars since I obviously reread it. It was a comfort read, and I loved Travis’ character just as much the second (or maybe third) time around. Something about the combination of purposeful overloading and yet carefully balanced life of Travis gets me every time.
