Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Saturday, February 7, 2015

100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith...

How I Heard About It:   I have been on an Andrew Smith kick and trying to read as many of his books as possible.  I recently finished Grasshopper Jungle and was looking forward to reading this one.  

What It Is About:  Finn is a high school boy that suffers from epileptic seizures.  He also registers time by distance.  Finn's father is a writer and wrote a best-seller with "Finn" as the main character.  Sometimes the real Finn gets confused with the book character.  Finn's best friend is Cade who causes problems wherever he goes.  Finn was unlucky when a horse fell from a bridge as Finn and his mother were under it causing major scars on Finn's back.  During one of Finn's seizures he meets Julia and falls head over heels in love with her.  They begin to spend more and more time together and Cade becomes a bit of a third wheel, but he doesn't mind.  He has enough "stuff" in his own life to keep himself busy. When Julia moves away, Finn is heartbroken.  Finn and Cade head off on a road-trip to scope out a college for their future educational needs.  While on the road trip, the two boys bond even more than they ever have and end up having a life-changing experience.  

What I Thought Of It:   It didn't surprise me, but this was another hit from Andrew Smith.  Once I start one of his novels, I can't stop.  I so enjoyed the character of Finn.  With all of his struggles, both physically and emotionally, he kept moving forward and trying to make the best of his life.  The character of Cade was the perfect "side kick" and really made the novel.  The whole time/distance thing was a unique take and interesting to read about.  The road trip is one that I won't forget and was written with such greatness.  Andrew Smith is one of my new favorite authors.  I'm so glad I decided to read one young adult novel a week.

Who Should Read It:  If you have read any of Smith's other work, then you must read this book.  As with some of his other works, the content of the book can be quite mature, so in my opinion the reader should be in high school or above.  Even though the book is geared toward the young adult reader, I know that adult readers would enjoy it just as much.  I can't wait to read other novels by Andrew Smith.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  4 STARS out of 5 Stars


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