Sunday, July 10, 2011

Roadside Assistance by Amy Clipston ~ review


Product Details:

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (April 12, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 031071981X
ISBN-13: 978-0310719816
To purchase a copy of this book click here.

Product Description from Amazon.com:


A very bumpy ride. Emily Curtis is used to dealing with her problems while under the hood of an old Chevy, but when her mom dies, Emily's world seems shaken beyond repair. Driven from home by hospital bills they can't pay, Emily and her dad move in with his wealthy sister, who intends to make her niece more feminine---in other words, just like Whitney, Emily's perfect cousin. But when Emily hears the engine of a 1970 Dodge Challenger, and sees the cute gearhead, Zander, next door, things seem to be looking up. But even working alongside Zander can't completely fix the hole in Emily's life. Ever since her mom died, Emily hasn't been able to pray, and no one---not even Zander---seems to understand. But sometimes the help you need can come from the person you least expect.

My take on this book:
Emily Curtis is a teen whose world was totally turned upside down. A tomboy who is most comfortable under the hood of a car, the last year has been one of the hardest of her young life. Her mother died of cancer, and then her fathers repair business goes belly up, so because of the staggering medical bills and the loss the business they lose their house. Her dad, Brad, looks at it as a way to make a fresh start so they move in with his sister and her family who lives in an affluent neighborhood, but somewhere along the way Emily has lost the ability to pray.  Even though people around Emily try to help her, she finds it difficult to open up, until she meets Zander, the boy next door, who shares a love for working on cars, and has no problems sharing his strong Christan faith. Can the boy next door help her find her way back to God?

Amy Clipston sure knows how to weave a story. I have read plenty of her Amish fiction and wondered how she might do with something that wasn't centered around the Amish and all I can say is she has hit a home run  with this one! She easily draws you into the life of Emily a young girl that is so easy to relate to. Emily is sort of a loner who has always sort of kept to herself, her life has many upheavals so its easy to understand why she might have lost her way spiritually. Zander was such a good match for her, he not only gave her a place to tinker on cars but he also listened to her. The secondary characters were just as interesting. Whitney was someone I totally misread, I expected her to be one way and she was the opposite.I also thought it was perfect how the author had Emily writing letters to her mother as a way to cope with her feelings.While this book is geared toward young adults I would easily recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading a good story
that has a nice christian message woven in that will make you laugh but will also touch your heart.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

2 comments:

  1. Carrie its a great story, I am totally hooked on young adult stories right now :).

    ReplyDelete

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