whosemuse 's review for:

The Runaway's Diary by James Patterson, Emily Raymond

5.0

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Believe it or not, this is the first James Patterson book I've read! I suppose the clichéd tagline for this book could be, "She ran away to find her sister, and found herself." Eleanor runs away to Seattle from some unknown place 500 miles away, to find her sister, who Eleanor herself may or may not have driven away with some unknown act. Eleanor is 15 and alone in the city with little money, but not without personal resources. She is naive, but sort of lucky -- she encounters the kinds of scary situations you'd expect a teenager alone in a big city to encounter, but finds herself in the reluctant protection of others (the human spirit is essentially kind, after all), and sees a little of how other people manage to survive harsh circumstances. A constant monologue runs in her head (and out of her mouth) as she works on coming to terms with her sister's disappearance, and her own role in that event, which is gradually revealed. I both loved and hated the suspense in this graphic novel, wondering if Eleanor will find her sister, whether she will be injured in the process, what she will discover about herself and the world around her. Based on the buildup, the climax is ... unexpected (I will say nothing more than that). But, because I pretty much couldn't put it down from the time I picked it up (except when I really had to go to sleep), this will be my first 5-star book of the year. Maybe I have more James Patterson in my future.