Author: Beth Vrabel
Genre: realistic fiction
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Far From Fair by Elana K Arnold
Rating:
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Summary (provided by publisher): Perry Homer is bad news, just like the rest of his troublemaking family. His parents skip out on restaurant bills. Uncle Manny uses his legal training to get free stuff. Perry’s cousins use their coding skills to scam people. On a disastrous vacation to Lindsborg, “the nicest town in America,” Perry’s siblings steal their new favorite toys from local businesses and set the town’s whimsical Swedish decorations ablaze. The Homers are worthy of the nickname the local news gives them—the Bad Family—and they’re having a blast.
Perry thinks he could be good. His favorite teacher, Miss Penelope, recommended him for a scholarship at the prestigious Ithaca School, and it’s his chance to change things. He just has to get home from Lindsborg and show up for the interview.
Still, that’s easier said than done. After the Homers get kicked off their plane, Perry comes up with one last scheme to keep them pointed toward home. But can Perry really make it to Ithaca—or is it his fate to ruin everything?
My opinion: Start with a road trip. Add in a family of scammers with a son who wants to be better. It sounds like a recipe for a pretty nonsense, madcap story. And at the outset, that's what we get. Ridiculous cons and a family that never quits. Perry is initially sympathetic and then a little bit uptight. Our affection for him wanes. At about that point, though, Vrabel starts slipping in more serious notes, seeding the narrative with a more grounded reality that makes for much more compelling reading and ultimately a pleasant book.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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