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A review by cameesreads
American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott
4.0
I was pleasantly surprised by American Road Trip. I was intrigued by all the topics the book's description mentioned but I was curious as to how Flores-Scott was going to pull it all off in one YA book. He did a great job though tackling topics like PTSD, the housing crisis, and 2008's economic recession.
I went in thinking this one was an Own Voices novel, but on Flores-Scott's website he explains that he is white Latinx and not of Mexican heritage. Our main character, Teodoro, is Mexican-American and even though this isn't #ownvoices I believe Flores-Scott did a great job of writing an authentic novel.
Teodoro was a wonderful character, not only as a great representation of a Mexican-American teenager but as a young boy navigating stresses at home and stresses in school. I loved that Flores-Scott showed Teodoro struggling in school , but then deciding to do something about it and slowly making his way from C's to A's. It was done very realistically, T didn't just snap his fingers and get good grades, the novel showed the hard work and struggle he had to go to to earn those grades. Also, there were moments where the author let Teodoro cry and show emotions, instead of being a stereotypical character of a robotic and unfeeling teenage boy. T was tough in certain moments, but he was also very human and authentic.
From the family dynamics to the very real struggles many Americans faced, this was a deep novel that also somehow managed to feel welcoming and warm.
I went in thinking this one was an Own Voices novel, but on Flores-Scott's website he explains that he is white Latinx and not of Mexican heritage. Our main character, Teodoro, is Mexican-American and even though this isn't #ownvoices I believe Flores-Scott did a great job of writing an authentic novel.
Teodoro was a wonderful character, not only as a great representation of a Mexican-American teenager but as a young boy navigating stresses at home and stresses in school. I loved that Flores-Scott showed Teodoro struggling in school , but then deciding to do something about it and slowly making his way from C's to A's. It was done very realistically, T didn't just snap his fingers and get good grades, the novel showed the hard work and struggle he had to go to to earn those grades. Also, there were moments where the author let Teodoro cry and show emotions, instead of being a stereotypical character of a robotic and unfeeling teenage boy. T was tough in certain moments, but he was also very human and authentic.
From the family dynamics to the very real struggles many Americans faced, this was a deep novel that also somehow managed to feel welcoming and warm.