REVIEW: 100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith

Finn Easton sees the world through miles instead of minutes. It’s how he makes sense of the world, and how he tries to convince himself that he’s a real boy and not just a character in his father’s bestselling cult-classic book. Finn has two things going for him: his best friend, the possibly-insane-but-definitely-excellent Cade Hernandez, and Julia Bishop, the first girl he’s ever loved.

Then Julia moves away, and Finn is heartbroken. Feeling restless and trapped in the book, Finn embarks on a road trip with Cade to visit their college of choice in Oklahoma. When an unexpected accident happens and the boys become unlikely heroes, they take an eye-opening detour away from everything they thought they had planned—and learn how to write their own destiny.

REVIEW:

100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith tells the story of Finn Easton and his best friend Cade Hernandez, as they embark on a coming-of-age road trip across the country to visit their college of choice in Oklahoma. As a native Oklahoman, I was immediately drawn in by this synopsis. Unforeseen obstacles, first love, and unwavering friendship pepper this story throughout and add continued depth.

This is an original tale, told only as Andrew Smith can, and weaves together the bizarre with reality into a dazzling literary masterpiece that is impossible to put down. The plot is unique and the characters are painstakingly real. Despite your differences with them, you can still find relatability.

Andrew Smith writes another smart, snarky book that will grab your attention and not let go. I was a little hesitant to start an Andrew Smith book as they aren’t my normal genre of choice; however, I was won over with the absurdity that was Grasshopper Jungle and will now eagerly read anything he writes!!