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A review by heykellyjensen
American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott
When Teo's brother Manny comes home from a tour of duty, he's not who he was before. Not a bit. But it's their sister Xochitl who decides it's time to deal with both Manny's challenges -- and T's own struggles -- by taking them from their rental by SeaTac down to Hatch, New Mexico, where they'll spend the summer helping Manny find treatment for his PTSD with their uncle who himself struggles post-service.
T as a character is totally fascinating. He's grown up in both sides of the economy: his family had steady middle class comfort until the economic collapse, wherein they let their home go underwater and moved into a rental unit. His parents took jobs well below their educational and experience levels just to make ends meet. As a result, T himself has sort of allowed himself to coast by on Cs and Ds. That is, until the day he meets Wendy, a girl from his past who talks about wanting to attend UW. Suddenly, T is motivated to change his ways and try to get into the school, too. He tries, getting into a special track at his school for those with potential who need the boost, and despite trying, he struggles. But he works with a tutor and finds that when he puts his mind to it, he IS as smart as he thinks he can be.
It's the road trip that changes everything, though. Suddenly, T and his siblings are in New Mexico, and they're joined by Wendy. . . who is there to help T study and rebuild the farm stand at his uncle's place. (It is, of course, also so they can reconnect and bond).
There's a LOT going on in this book, but it all works. This family loves one another, despite how much they're struggling with Manny's PTSD and the ways it impacts their own mental health. It's about how people sometimes put their dreams on hold to help others achieve theirs.
It's extremely rare to see a YA road trip book featuring a cast of characters of color. This is one of them, and this does a damn good job of looking at SO many aspects of a person's experience. Race, ethnicity, class, and education all play in smoothly. It also digs into healthcare and the ways that, during the book's timeframe (2008-2009), the VA wasn't a place that made mental health care for returning vets a priority or even accessible at all.
So many teens will see themselves in this story.
T as a character is totally fascinating. He's grown up in both sides of the economy: his family had steady middle class comfort until the economic collapse, wherein they let their home go underwater and moved into a rental unit. His parents took jobs well below their educational and experience levels just to make ends meet. As a result, T himself has sort of allowed himself to coast by on Cs and Ds. That is, until the day he meets Wendy, a girl from his past who talks about wanting to attend UW. Suddenly, T is motivated to change his ways and try to get into the school, too. He tries, getting into a special track at his school for those with potential who need the boost, and despite trying, he struggles. But he works with a tutor and finds that when he puts his mind to it, he IS as smart as he thinks he can be.
It's the road trip that changes everything, though. Suddenly, T and his siblings are in New Mexico, and they're joined by Wendy. . . who is there to help T study and rebuild the farm stand at his uncle's place. (It is, of course, also so they can reconnect and bond).
There's a LOT going on in this book, but it all works. This family loves one another, despite how much they're struggling with Manny's PTSD and the ways it impacts their own mental health. It's about how people sometimes put their dreams on hold to help others achieve theirs.
It's extremely rare to see a YA road trip book featuring a cast of characters of color. This is one of them, and this does a damn good job of looking at SO many aspects of a person's experience. Race, ethnicity, class, and education all play in smoothly. It also digs into healthcare and the ways that, during the book's timeframe (2008-2009), the VA wasn't a place that made mental health care for returning vets a priority or even accessible at all.
So many teens will see themselves in this story.