Reviews

Clean Getaway by Nic Stone

libwinnie's review against another edition

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 against another edition

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 against another edition

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.

loiskitt's review

emotional informative mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

bailey_story's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 | Loved the grandson/grandma adventure story and the focus on history along the way! Didn’t love the moral conundrum down the stretch though and was confused why that was included.

adrzeck's review against another edition

4.0

Pretty serious for being a young teen/older tween read. Lots of tough topics. Aging, theft, identity, racism. Great book though. Makes me want to read the rest of Nic Stone's work.

cavecibum's review against another edition

adventurous informative reflective fast-paced

4.0

jwinchell's review against another edition

4.0

Grades 4-8. Nic Stone keeps up her YA and MG momentum (Dear Martin, Odd One Out, Jackpot) with a roadtrip romp for William “Scoob” Lamar and his G’ma. The timing couldn’t be better: G’ma is anxious to hit the road, and Scoob wants to avoid the trouble he’s in from school. But there’s something odd about G’ma’s purpose as they cross Georgia to Texas, stopping at spots from the Traveler’s Green Book and camping in parks. Why did she sell her house and buy this Winnebago? Why does she keep changing the license plate? What does she mean that this time she’ll go all the way? Scoob learns more about the hidden histories of his imprisoned deceased G’pop and his missing mom while trying to keep up the pace with kooky, energetic, emotional G’ma. Cryptic pit stops and increasing unease carry the mysterious momentum as Scoob and G’ma come to terms with the past and present. Layered with this tween’s growing awareness of structural racism and the murkiness of morality, and interspersed with black & white illustrations, this intergenerational journey will surely engage fans of Stone, Jason Reynolds, and Jewell Parker Rhodes. -Jamie Winchell, Percy Julian Middle School, Oak Park, IL.

(written in the style of a School Library Journal review--I'm practicing!)

brb_reads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was my first recommendation from StoryGraph and I have to say, this was a great one to start with. Last year I didn’t read much middle grade or YA, so excited to dive back in and really enjoyed this on audio.