Reviews

Clean Getaway by Nic Stone

roseleaf24's review

4.0

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun road trip, a historical journey of the South during the difficult times of the Civil Rights movement, a clear insight into the additional struggles of a biracial couple in this time, and the continuing racial issues alive in this country. I loved the story and whizzed through it. 5 starts based on quality of writing and worthiness of book. I would not be surprised or disappointed to see this pop up on awards lists in the coming year. 4 stars, though, because I had a hard time with the characters of the grandmother. Not quite enough reconciliation to cover it all. As a child reader, the general unease I felt might have been more wholly enjoyable.

therealbel's review

5.0

An excellent middle grade book. Family, relationships, race, truth.. it’s all here. Superb.

breakfastgrey's review

3.0

A sweet book with some great discussion points for students. I felt it got a bit slow in the middle, though, before rushing the end.

bickie's review against another edition

4.0

11-yr-old protagonist William "Scoob" is unfairly singled out and punished at school (almost certainly b/c he is Black), causing his dad to cancel their spring break vacation. G'ma shows up in an RV while Dad's at work and offers to take him on an adventure. Sounds good to him! The adventure turns out to be a longer road trip than Scoob originally expected, and together he and G'ma unpack a lot of what's going on with Scoob's dad, absent mom, and life at school as well as G'ma and G'Pop's past as an interracial couple in the late 1960s US south. There are some references to Medgar Evers, the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and the green book. The adventure reads like a mystery, with lots of hints about what's really going on with G'ma. Scoob notices a lot of things that feel "off," starting with seeing his G'ma in camo gear apparently switching their license plates with another camper one very early morning. There are funny parts mixed in with the sobering parts, making Scoob a sympathetic character. G'ma is definitely flawed but family, someone who has been in Scoob's corner his whole life.

Dion Graham's nuanced narration is fantastic with spot-on pauses, tones, and emotion; G'ma's voice is a little perplexing, but it grew on me quickly.

lanica's review

4.0

A young Black boy is in trouble, again...and his dad is mad at him, again. So when his grandmother asks him to join her on a road trip, he jumps at the chance to get away. Little does he know that his grandmother has a few troubles of her own.

He gets the feeling something is off but ignores it. He knows she's not telling him something, but trusts her. As they travel, he learns that she is human, just like him. He also learns that she has a past that she might not be very proud of...and that's why she's on this trip. Maybe she can make things right...or maybe she'll just make things worst.

This story is set against another plotline where the white grandmother is telling her Black grandchild what her life was life as a mixed-race couple in the 1950s. As they travel through the south, she gives him her copy of an authentic Green Book and talks to him about some of their troubles trying to travel together.

This was a simple story, with lots of jumping-off points for discussion. Maybe too many. I think the story touches on many important issues but doesn't dive deep on very many. As a teacher I would treat this is a book to introduce the topic of race in the US. It is an overview of racism and history...and if pieces interest kids there are many books that will allow them to explore any of the events or places more fully.

A necessary purchase for any school library!

lashesss's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

libwinnie's review

3.0

What I appreciated: the honest look at challenges faced by multi-racial families, the nuances of the grandmother's behavior (road trip or kidnapping?), the discussion of Jim Crowe South. Concerns: too many plot points that never get fully developed, a flippancy to the grandmother character that doesn't sit well with me, and a tone that swings between heavy-handed and wry.

craftylibrarian10's review

adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I went into this book thinking it would be a sweet story of a grandma and grandson. It was not. 

gold_star_reader's review against another edition

adventurous emotional lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

sparklelys's review

5.0

Scoob and his grandma have always been close. So when G’Ma suggests they hit the road, he leaves his cell phone behind (sorry, dad!), hops aboard her new RV, and joins her Green Book based, Civil Rights historical spots journey that she had first embarked on, but never finished, on her honeymoon trip with G’Pa. A compelling middle grade contemporary novel about multiracial marriages and families, intergenerational relationships and family dynamics, with a lens into the past as well.