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A review by allerkins
The Courage Test by James Preller
2.0
A father takes his son on a road trip following the Lewis and Clark trail. The voice of Will our narrator sometimes sounded contrived. There was a lot of heavy handed foreshadowing and I really, really didn't like the addition of Maria Rosa as a character. The author seems to treat her as a Sacagawea parallel and it just doesn't work.
then there is the fact that there were a ton of things Will 'just knew' for example the first time he saw Maria Rosa he knew he would be seeing her again and then they happened to run into her later in a completely different city. Most mind baffling of all when they are looking for her cousin Alejandro they stop at a gas station and this happens: "I notice a young man, dark like Maria Rosa, leaning against the building. He wears a blue button-down shirt and jeans. A red rag hangs from his pocket. A mechanic, probably. And I know in that instant: It’s him. Alejandro. I can’t explain how I know this is true, but the jolt is like lightning." Implausible much? Also I didn't like the way the father referred to her as 'an illegal.'
The treatment of Native Americans in the story could also be problematic. The author makes sure to point out the historical injustices against native people but then does appropriative things like give Will a spirit animal.
then there is the fact that there were a ton of things Will 'just knew' for example the first time he saw Maria Rosa he knew he would be seeing her again and then they happened to run into her later in a completely different city. Most mind baffling of all when they are looking for her cousin Alejandro they stop at a gas station and this happens: "I notice a young man, dark like Maria Rosa, leaning against the building. He wears a blue button-down shirt and jeans. A red rag hangs from his pocket. A mechanic, probably. And I know in that instant: It’s him. Alejandro. I can’t explain how I know this is true, but the jolt is like lightning." Implausible much? Also I didn't like the way the father referred to her as 'an illegal.'
The treatment of Native Americans in the story could also be problematic. The author makes sure to point out the historical injustices against native people but then does appropriative things like give Will a spirit animal.