American Road Trip: A YA Audio Book Review and Giveaway

Congratulations to Danielle Hammelef who won BREAD FOR WORDS from last week's blog. A word to all of those who also want to win books. Sometimes I run "specials." If you share my post on social media, you'll earn extra chances. That's why Danielle's library is growing. Look for these specials so yours can too!

*****

I'm trying to figure out a good lead-in sentence for American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott. But all I can think to say is, "This is a very good book that young adults should read." Totally unoriginal and unimaginative, but there's my opinion in a nutshell. I listened to this audio book, courtesy of Recorded Books. The narrator, Luis Moreno, portrayed the character's voices authentically. Don't believe me? Listen to this audio clip. 

REVIEW

Teodora ("T") Avila's family is falling apart. Ever since his oldest brother, Manuel, left for the Iraq War, (with his father's blessing, but not his mother's) nothing has been right. His parents lose their jobs and only his mother finds another one. Teodora's older sister Xochitl (pronounced Soe-cheel and nicknamed Xoch) is a fantastic singer who wants to hold their family together. Each family member thinks that when Manny comes back, everything will be better.

But, Manny comes home and it is clear that his presence is not the family medicine everyone hoped for. In fact, he has PTSD, refuses treatment, and turns to drugs and alcohol. T's life is miserable and he's close to flunking out his junior year. When he sees an old friend, Wendy, at the University of Washington ("U-Dub"), he tries to impress her by saying he plans to attend there. 

Their budding romance (mostly through texts) inspires T to hit the books. He is accepted into the AVID program, and gets a job to pay for tutoring. But when Manny punches through a wall into T's bedroom, T escapes to his friend's house. "I'm done hoping for us, but not for me." 

Xoch comes up with a plan. Under the pretense of helping Manny reconnect to good memories, she drives her brothers to see their maternal grandmother. Except T doesn't realize this is the beginning of a long road trip. Manny has his ups and downs, Xoch's old car breaks down several time, and T is furious that his summer plans to prepare for his senior year are ruined. The theme of lying to protect oneself or to get help for someone you love permeates the book.

Along the way, T learns family history that sheds light on his parents, sees Wendy and sparks fly, goes to a funeral for a distant cousin, hears of Manny's suicide attempt, and realizes how messed-up his brother is--and how he truly needs to help him. 

Their road trip ends at Tio Ed's green chile farm in New Mexico. Tio Ed, a Vietnam veteran, understands what Manny is going through and gets him help from the VA and support from other local veterans. 

Wendy ends up at the farm as T's tutor. Although there is clear sexual attraction, they discuss the slippery slope of sex and agree to be intentional; T follows through on his promise to "be a gentleman." They burn off sexual tension building a chile stand together and T discovers a passion for architecture. 

Readers may object to T's occasional offensive language and the references to sex. I was impressed by their mutual decision to exercise restraint and wish other young adult books would follow this example.  

The whole time he and Wendy are together, T fights his fear of failing and showing his "stupid self" to Wendy. When she does find out he lied to her back at U-Dub, he has a price to pay. 

It turns out that everyone has a price to pay. Manny paid a enormous price in Iraq. Xoch decides to make a huge sacrifice for their family which inspires T to make a difficult decision. Although T’s transformation is most obvious, each member of the Avula family has a journey of their own. Who is the hero or heroine? Read the story and decide for yourself. 

Teachers: Click here for an educator's guide.

GIVEAWAY

Leave me a comment by February 8 if you're interested in entering this giveaway. Remember! Leave me your email address if you are new to my blog. 

Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc - An Audiobook Review and Giveaway

Congratulations to Jo Lynn Worden who won Sandra Warren's book, Obsessed By A Promise.

If you want to read a masterful portrayal of deep POV from multiple perspectives (as well as from the perspective of objects) then I recommend that you get hold of a copy of Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc. Not only will you have a great mentor text for deep POV, but you'll also experience multiple types of poetic forms from the medieval period. Plus, you'll discover what life was like for Joan of Arc. 

Kudos to author, David Elliott. I can't imagine the research needed to write this short book in beautiful, classical poetry. 

REVIEW

Joan's story is told through herself, her mother, father, different witnesses at her Trial of Condemnation and testimony from the posthumous Trial of Nullification. But that is far from all. Charles VII also has a voice--one that is filled with his embarrassment over a young maid who said he needed her to rescue France from the English. 

Joan was a diligent, virtuous daughter, who could spin and mend better than any other woman in her village. But she was bored by these common, household tasks that bound her. In her fierce loyalty to her king, Charles VII, she believed that she could help him win the Hundred Year War. Around the age of thirteen she reported that she started receiving visions from saints and angels. They were her guides as she left home on her passionate journey to save her country. The archangel Michael has a voice of his own in the narrative. 

The author personifies both objects which Joan encountered as well as concepts. For example, here are parts of the poem from the voice of Joan's needle which she used as a young woman:

In the circle of women, is where I am found. Stitching and hemming and mending. I've been handled by many both maiden and crone...No one could touch her, the girl they called Joan. Ferocious, focus, strong-willed. She was a warrior,  the linen her foe. I was her weapon, her sword in her hand.

Other objects had voices. A pitchfork used by a farmer turned soldier, ("Why did he take me away from the farm?");  a 700-year-old sword she requested be brought to her ("How did she find me? Why did she take me from my rest?"); the alms she gave to the poor ("I felt precious in her hand"); the cattle she cared for ("Why did she see angels?"); her hair ("Cut off to her ears because it was too alluring to men"); the arrow that missed its target; the crossbow that found her thigh; her red dress she always wore and the tunic that replaced it; her virginity, and lust. Dramatically repeated was the somber voice of Fire: burning, soaring, and ready to devour. 

Because of the graphic and intimate portrayal of Joan's life and death, I recommend this for mature teens and adults. It would be a remarkable gift for someone who fits that category of readers.

Outside of Nikki Grimes' books, I rarely listen to a book and recommend that the audio version is the best way to "read" the novel. But in this case, I can't say enough about the dramatization that the three narrators, Saskia Maarleveld, Celeste Ciulla, and Luis Moreno provide. Their voices give a rich depth to the characters and objects that populated Joan of Arc's last years. Here is an audio snippet. 

GIVEAWAY

To enter, please leave a comment by December 12 with your email address if you are new to my blog. This is another giveaway courtesy of Recorded Books. Continental Unites States only.