Some friendships are worth a roadtrip across the country
So, What the Heck is This Book About?
James is a twelve-year-old boy who struggles with anxiety, especially after his father passed away. His nerves cause him to stutter and tremble in class which usually leads to a lot of bullying. At least until Darren, a small boy with a weak heart, arrives at his middle school.
Darren may be tiny but he isn't afraid to stick up to bullies or be James' friend. However, as the two bond over their shared love of comics, Darren's heart condition grows worse. Meanwhile, James' mum doesn't appreciate her son's newfound friendship or the trouble Darren is getting him into.
As life threatens to pull the two apart, James must fight for his friendship. Even if it takes some rebellion against his mum and a whacky roadtrip across Britain to do it.
This Was Awesome!
The characters in this book were incredible. The author had a great sense of voice and creating distinct personalities through it since each character was unique and lovable in their own way. Plus, it truly felt like the main character, James, grew over the course of the story.
I also found the overall story to really pull on my heartstrings. As someone who prefers fantasy adventure to realistic fiction because I enjoy action, this story's heartwarming message and lovely characters still managed to keep me emotionally engaged. On multiple occasions I found myself making an excuse to read another chapter or awing at a conversation.
Lastly, the second half of this book and its ending were incredible. Every aspect of the book from its plot to characters, was a joy to read.
And This Kinda Sucked
So my main issue with this book was the plot. Particularly, in the beginning of the story it felt too slow and I wasn't sure if the story was going anywhere.
However, the author quickly fixed this issue as right when I began to doubt where the story was going, it picked up with an exciting roadtrip across Britain that held my interest until the very end of the story.
The Conclusion Is...
I loved this book! The characters were super cute and the story genuinely warmed my heart. I'd definitely recommend this to any parents looking for a heart warming middle grade read for their children.
Rating: 9.5/10
Goodreads Rating: 5/5