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bstaats's review against another edition
3.0
On the Road to Find Out involves a main character who has received some devastating news and it depicts the story of how she comes to terms with life when it doesn't go the way she planned it. It's an important lesson, but this book lacked the emotional depth I anticipated.
Reasons to Read:
1. Alice is startlingly real:
We all know someone like Alice. Many of us (me included) likely share traits and experiences in common with her. She's fairly self-absorbed at times (aren't we all?), spoiled, and introverted. On the Road to Find Out chronicles a crisis period in Alice's life, a period of time where we get to see her grow up. She learns that life won't always go the way she plans, which is so true and a key life lesson for everyone.
2. A heartwarming running community:
Alice doesn't intentionally join the running community, instead she halfheartedly stumbles into it. She finds a supportive, strong group of people among the local runners including friendly, warm Joan (who has her own remarkable story to share) and a competitive, cute athlete named Miles.
I know there are going to be some readers who are bothered by Alice and won't enjoy the book for that reason. But it is beneficial for us to read about flawed characters, for many reasons. An important reason is because we are flawed ourselves, even if we don't care to admit it. Additionally it is important because there are certain stories that are best told with a flawed character. Alice's growth in this book wouldn't be half as remarkable if she was easy to like and mature from the get-go.
In some ways, this book was not as fully developed as I would have liked. Alice's voice and sense of humour seemed distant at times, and by that I mean that it seemed she wasn't taking her own situation seriously. Her attitude towards this set-back was exaggerated and lacked the sincerity I would have expected from someone in her situation. Alice also has a very sarcastic, cynical attitude which really comes out in her sense of humour. I can see how only certain readers might be able to appreciate that aspect of her character and enjoy reading about it.
On the Road to Find Out is an enjoyable little story, with a very important lesson behind it which I believe is particularly relevant to teenagers and young adults.
ARC received from Raincoast Books for review; no other compensation was received.
Reasons to Read:
1. Alice is startlingly real:
We all know someone like Alice. Many of us (me included) likely share traits and experiences in common with her. She's fairly self-absorbed at times (aren't we all?), spoiled, and introverted. On the Road to Find Out chronicles a crisis period in Alice's life, a period of time where we get to see her grow up. She learns that life won't always go the way she plans, which is so true and a key life lesson for everyone.
2. A heartwarming running community:
Alice doesn't intentionally join the running community, instead she halfheartedly stumbles into it. She finds a supportive, strong group of people among the local runners including friendly, warm Joan (who has her own remarkable story to share) and a competitive, cute athlete named Miles.
I know there are going to be some readers who are bothered by Alice and won't enjoy the book for that reason. But it is beneficial for us to read about flawed characters, for many reasons. An important reason is because we are flawed ourselves, even if we don't care to admit it. Additionally it is important because there are certain stories that are best told with a flawed character. Alice's growth in this book wouldn't be half as remarkable if she was easy to like and mature from the get-go.
In some ways, this book was not as fully developed as I would have liked. Alice's voice and sense of humour seemed distant at times, and by that I mean that it seemed she wasn't taking her own situation seriously. Her attitude towards this set-back was exaggerated and lacked the sincerity I would have expected from someone in her situation. Alice also has a very sarcastic, cynical attitude which really comes out in her sense of humour. I can see how only certain readers might be able to appreciate that aspect of her character and enjoy reading about it.
On the Road to Find Out is an enjoyable little story, with a very important lesson behind it which I believe is particularly relevant to teenagers and young adults.
ARC received from Raincoast Books for review; no other compensation was received.
megansbookedup's review against another edition
2.0
This review will be short and sweet: good writing, unlikable main character.
kate_elizabeth's review against another edition
4.0
I cried consistently through the last 100 pages of this. Walter the rat killed me dead, Harold and Maude reminded me how much I love Harold and Maude, I wish it were morning so I could go running, I love this book the end.
sandiereads's review against another edition
3.0
This was a solid YA debut from an author who has written a running memoir and is clearly a lover of the sport. I've read several books about accomplished/veteran runners, but this is the first YA novel I've read that explores the whole couch-to-runner phenomenon. The running passages were the best part of the book.
Alice is a wealthy valedictorian candidate who isn't used to failure -- until she's rejected ("not even deferred!") Early Action from her college of choice -- Yale. So on New Year's Eve her best friend Jenni convinces her to make a New Year's resolution, and she decides to try running. Alice isn't the most likable character. She's self-absorbed with only two friends: Jenni and her pet rat Walter. Yes, you read that correctly, her pet RAT. The thing is, while I'm never going to get a pet rat myself, Walter humanized judgmental Alice, so I totally bought the kinship between them (even though I secretly wanted to go "eewww!").
I enjoyed how Alice transformed as she grew into a runner. It took her a while to see others for who they really were instead of whatever misconceptions she had about them (including her mother). The romance is what I call light and sweet. Alice has zero experience with boys and predictably starts falling for Miles, a quirky (he's homeschooled by hippie off-the-grid parents), runner who's more than willing to slow his pace to help her run longer distances. The romance (and the book itself) is fine for younger YA readers, but those used to steamy and intense romance may not be as into it.
The book definitely makes me want to download the Couch-to-5K app and start running. Maybe I'll never be a marathon runner, but I'd love to try and find that sense of accomplishment and "guts" that Alice, Miles, and Joan refer to!
Alice is a wealthy valedictorian candidate who isn't used to failure -- until she's rejected ("not even deferred!") Early Action from her college of choice -- Yale. So on New Year's Eve her best friend Jenni convinces her to make a New Year's resolution, and she decides to try running. Alice isn't the most likable character. She's self-absorbed with only two friends: Jenni and her pet rat Walter. Yes, you read that correctly, her pet RAT. The thing is, while I'm never going to get a pet rat myself, Walter humanized judgmental Alice, so I totally bought the kinship between them (even though I secretly wanted to go "eewww!").
I enjoyed how Alice transformed as she grew into a runner. It took her a while to see others for who they really were instead of whatever misconceptions she had about them (including her mother). The romance is what I call light and sweet. Alice has zero experience with boys and predictably starts falling for Miles, a quirky (he's homeschooled by hippie off-the-grid parents), runner who's more than willing to slow his pace to help her run longer distances. The romance (and the book itself) is fine for younger YA readers, but those used to steamy and intense romance may not be as into it.
The book definitely makes me want to download the Couch-to-5K app and start running. Maybe I'll never be a marathon runner, but I'd love to try and find that sense of accomplishment and "guts" that Alice, Miles, and Joan refer to!
yetanothersusan's review against another edition
4.0
The story is about a high school student focused on attending Yale and how her life is turned upside down by her rejected application. The book is about finding yourself and finding what makes you happy. Helped me relate to the main character that she was happy spending time with her pet, reading books, and running. I read this book too fast. It is an easy read and before I knew it I had read 245 pages. While it is written as a YA book, that is only because of the age of the main character. The themes of loss and self-discovery can be applied no matter what your age.
runningreader's review against another edition
3.0
I wouldn't call the book amazing, but I did really enjoy reading it. I heard about it in a Running Times magazine. As a runner who got rejected from her top pick of colleges and then kind of fell apart when I didn't get a Fulbright I could identify with Alice, the main character. I liked the running sections of the book too, but I felt like in those sections the author was trying a little too hard to show she is a runner and knows about running. Things were almost just a little too detailed, if that makes sense. Still, an enjoyable read, and if I had read this as a senior in high school who just got turned down from William and Mary (for a lot of the same reasons that this main character got turned down from Yale) I'm sure I would have loved it.
aprilpoole's review against another edition
1.0
This book frustrated me to no end. The main character was insufferable and had no redeeming qualities. She was a bad friend and daughter, and while she improved a little bit at the end, it didn't feel like the natural character development she so badly needed. She felt like a caricature of a bland, overachieving student who finds out that there are a million others like her. She's over dramatic, a know it all and she looks down on the people in her life. The SAT word definitions throughout the book irked me, as did the general narrative voice. I knew from the start that this book would have to do a lot to redeem itself, but aside from a good supporting cast, this falls into the category of books I love to hate.
mrskatiefitz's review against another edition
5.0
Wealthy high school senior Alice Davis’s life has entered a time of painful transition. She has just been rejected from her first-choice college (Yale), and now feels as though the only good things left in her life are her best friend, Jenni and her pet rat, Walter. When she makes a New Year’s resolution to start running, however, she begins to meet people whose opinions of failure and whose methods for dealing with adversity are quite different from her own. As she becomes better at running, she also slowly becomes better at facing her failures and moving on.
Several facets of this book cause it to stand out among this year’s YA titles. First is the main character’s voice. Much of the story is told in exposition rather than in scenes or episodes, but this is not a problem because Alice’s voice is so distinct. The author clearly knows this character inside and out, and her every quirk and trait comes across to the reader very well. Alice causes the reader to both pity and admire her mother, to worry and care for Jenni, and to fall head over heels in love with her rat. Second is the subject matter. Running marathons has become a popular hobby in American culture in recent years, and this book is right in step with it. The reader is introduced to the vocabulary, footwear, clothing and personal goals of runners, and to the running culture as a whole. Scenes where Alice describes her fellow runners are among the best-written in the entire novel.
This book explores a much-neglected topic in YA fiction: What happens if a smart girl doesn’t get into any of the fancy colleges to which she applies? Any student facing this challenge will feel great empathy for Alice and might also ultimately learn from her how to manage the grief. While the ending of this book feels rushed, and the ultimate resolution of the plot might be a bit easy after all of Alice’s anguish, it is still so satisfying to see how Alice ultimately triumphs, and how she also meets a nice guy in the process.
Read-alikes for On the Road to Find Out include 45 Pounds (More or Less), Along for the Ride, Stupid Fast, and This Song Will Save Your Life.
Several facets of this book cause it to stand out among this year’s YA titles. First is the main character’s voice. Much of the story is told in exposition rather than in scenes or episodes, but this is not a problem because Alice’s voice is so distinct. The author clearly knows this character inside and out, and her every quirk and trait comes across to the reader very well. Alice causes the reader to both pity and admire her mother, to worry and care for Jenni, and to fall head over heels in love with her rat. Second is the subject matter. Running marathons has become a popular hobby in American culture in recent years, and this book is right in step with it. The reader is introduced to the vocabulary, footwear, clothing and personal goals of runners, and to the running culture as a whole. Scenes where Alice describes her fellow runners are among the best-written in the entire novel.
This book explores a much-neglected topic in YA fiction: What happens if a smart girl doesn’t get into any of the fancy colleges to which she applies? Any student facing this challenge will feel great empathy for Alice and might also ultimately learn from her how to manage the grief. While the ending of this book feels rushed, and the ultimate resolution of the plot might be a bit easy after all of Alice’s anguish, it is still so satisfying to see how Alice ultimately triumphs, and how she also meets a nice guy in the process.
Read-alikes for On the Road to Find Out include 45 Pounds (More or Less), Along for the Ride, Stupid Fast, and This Song Will Save Your Life.
amandathebookishlibrarian's review
2.0
This was one of those books I didn't want to stop reading because I kept thinking it would get better and while it did, it also did not. While the message in this book, or at least the one I believe to be there is a good one, I don't know whose attention the book will hold for that message to be learned.
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