A review by jheart
Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer

3.0

A book that seems oddly determined to be derivative of better books for younger readers, going through all the motions of an “award-winning young adult novel” without any of the novelty. It’s not terrible, and I’d feel heartless if I gave it two stars, but I could list dozen books that would be better choices, all of which this one seems to borrow liberally from. That also makes it quite busy, as it tries to cover alcoholism, grief, insecurity, divorce, business ethics, a road-trip plotline, and finding yourself in your work. Bauer seems to express affection for people who make their job the focal point of their lives that probably hasn’t aged well, decades into the 21st century. There are also a lot of moments where side characters act very strangely for the sake of a joke, a plot point, or just so that the book can come off as quirky which, to be fair, younger readers probably won’t notice.

All this being said, there are some nice messages about growing up and surviving your problematic family that are delivered in a somewhat cheesy but appropriately direct way for kids. It’s fine, I guess.