Friday, January 10, 2020

Book review - Clean Getaway

Title: Clean Getaway
Author: Nic Stone
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
                      Some Places More Than Others by Renee Watson
Rating:
a bit disappointing

Summary (provided by publisher): How to Go on an Unplanned Road Trip with Your Grandma:
  •  Grab a Suitcase: Prepacked from the big spring break trip that got CANCELLED.
  •  Fasten Your Seatbelt: G'ma's never conventional, so this trip won't be either.
  •  Use the Green Book: G'ma's most treasured possession. It holds history, memories, and most important, the way home.
What Not to Bring:
  •  A Cell Phone: Avoid contact with Dad at all costs. Even when G'ma starts acting stranger than usual.
Set against the backdrop of the segregation history of the American South, take a trip with New York Times bestselling Nic Stone and an eleven-year-old boy who is about to discover that the world hasn't always been a welcoming place for kids like him, and things aren't always what they seem--his G'ma included. 


My opinion: There are certainly things I like about this book. I especially like the parallels between G'ma's experience with racism and societal expectations and Scoob's. It makes it clear both how much the world has changed and yet racism remains. There are ways life is easier for Scoob yet he must be more mindful of his actions. By highlighting the differences it points out how truly unfair our current reality is. That makes this book worth a read. But I didn't love many of the plot elements. I found several plot twists entirely too predictable. And I'm concerned that the subtlety of the final chapters will be lost on many readers.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

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