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A review by liftyourheavyeyelids
Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer
3.0
Jenna Boller loves working at Gladstone's Shoes. She can't wait to spend her summer selling shoes and spending time with her best friend Opal, until her alcoholic father comes back to town. Coincidently, Jenna is offered to drive Mrs. Gladstone, owner of all the Gladstone's Shoes stores in the U.S., to Texas. Jenna wants to take up Mrs. Gladstone's offer, but can she escape her problems by leaving town?
Things I liked: This was therapeutic in the sense that you can run away with Jenna from her problems even if you can't run away from your own in real life. This book is authentic in the way it deals with both alcoholism and dementia, to the point of hitting a little too close to home a few times (this is why it took me so long to finish). I appreciate the references to Al-Anon and the explanation of AA. This could be especially useful for a teen who is in a similar situation as Jenna and is looking for support. I also liked the short, bite size chapters, and the fact that Mrs. Gladstone listens to Jenna even though she is a teen. Perhaps this is because Mrs. Gladstone is not taken seriously because of her age as well.
Things I didn't care for: I'm not sure this book would be relevant for modern teens....teens are not as interested in car culture as much these days. Also, I think it would be difficult to sell this read to a teen....because on the surface level it seems like a boring story about shoes and an old lady.
Furthermore, while the first 100 pages or so seemed pretty good, the second half of the book seemed rushed and not as genuine. I was a bit disappointed about this to be honest. That being said, the very last chapter was excellent and really showed the way Jenna's character had developed during the story.
Things I liked: This was therapeutic in the sense that you can run away with Jenna from her problems even if you can't run away from your own in real life. This book is authentic in the way it deals with both alcoholism and dementia, to the point of hitting a little too close to home a few times (this is why it took me so long to finish). I appreciate the references to Al-Anon and the explanation of AA. This could be especially useful for a teen who is in a similar situation as Jenna and is looking for support. I also liked the short, bite size chapters, and the fact that Mrs. Gladstone listens to Jenna even though she is a teen. Perhaps this is because Mrs. Gladstone is not taken seriously because of her age as well.
Things I didn't care for: I'm not sure this book would be relevant for modern teens....teens are not as interested in car culture as much these days. Also, I think it would be difficult to sell this read to a teen....because on the surface level it seems like a boring story about shoes and an old lady.
Furthermore, while the first 100 pages or so seemed pretty good, the second half of the book seemed rushed and not as genuine. I was a bit disappointed about this to be honest. That being said, the very last chapter was excellent and really showed the way Jenna's character had developed during the story.