RV

Angelo Spyropoulos
Zumaya Publications (2005)
ISBN 1894869982
Reviewed by Joanne Benham for Reader Views (4/06)

Joey lived with his divorced mother in Austin, Texas. His mom's boyfriend Pete, whom they hadn't seen in over a month, shows up at their door one day in a huge RV, ready to give them the vacation of a lifetime as they travel to California for Pete's brother's wedding. Pete has made big plans, a stop at the Grand Canyon with a trip down to the bottom, a short stay in Las Vegas and anything else that catches their fancy. Joey is especially excited because his dad lives in California and he hasn't spoken to him in a while.

The trip falls apart on the second day, when they're waiting in line to enter the Grand Canyon and another motorist hits the rear end of the RV. When Pete takes off without exchanging insurance information with the driver of the other vehicle, Marcie, Joey's mom, gets suspicious and finally gets Pete to confess that the RV is stolen. So there goes Joey's trip to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Next stop Las Vegas, where Joey can only stand around and wait for the adults...not too many casinos allow thirteen-year-old boys to enter.

They finally arrive in California, where Joey meets the girl of his dreams and gets his first real kiss. After a big fight with his mother, Joey calls his dad to come and get him, deciding to live with him instead of his mother. But after moving in with his dad, Joey finds out that he's maybe not the best parental figure either. Now he must choose between the two.

This book is written perfectly for its age group, but not so young- sounding that an adult could not enjoy it. You really feel like you are listening to a thirteen-year-old boy as Joey tells his story, with all the angst of a young boy ready to step over the threshold from childhood into maturity.

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