06 November 2014

100 Sideways Miles


Smith, Andrew. 100 Sideways Miles. Simon & Schuster, 2014.

Finn's mother was killed when a dead horse fell off a bridge (where it was being transported for disposal) and landed on her. This same accident caused Finn to develop a seizure disorder. Finn's father, a famous author, published a book containing a character who has bizarrely similar characteristics to Finn. Finn isn't sure if he himself is a real person or just a product of his father's imagination. A road trip to Oklahoma with his best friend changes Finn's life.

I loved Andrew Smith's Winger but was very unimpressed with Grasshopper Jungle, so I wasn't sure what I would think about this one. And sadly, I was disappointed. The characters in this story are as flat and stock as the ones in Grasshopper Jungle, and the story itself did not compel me to keep reading. Add that to the fact that this story is told from within the head of a horny teenage boy, and this book did not appeal to me. Unfortunately, with a picture of a horse on the cover, this book will likely not move from the YA shelves, either, unless some serious book-talking occurs. The horse may be important to the story, but my first thought when I saw the cover was, "What? A horse story? I thought people got over those after about 4th grade."

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: lots of bathroom humor and sexual comments
Overall Rating: 2/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Grasshopper Jungle, The Universe Versus Alex Woods

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