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Review: The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

Title: The Disenchantments
Author: Nina LaCour
Year Published: 2012

Genre: YA fiction
Pages: 307
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Challenges:
Geography Connection (my Google Reading map): USA (California)


FTC Disclosure: I bought this book and am donating it to my school library

Summary (from the inside flap of the book): Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: Graduate, hit the road with Bev's band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: She's abandoning their plans--and Colby--to go her own way in the fall. But the show must go on, and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie Colby struggles to deal with Bev's already growing distance and the most important question of all: What's next?


Review: I have been in a reading slump for the past three weeks and haven't had time to read anything. The few moments I have had have been depressing since no book has hooked me. Then I went to an author event last week where I heard Nina LaCour, Gayle Forman, and Stephanie Perkins speak (I know, right?!) and I bought this book hoping it might get me reading again. Bingo!

This book is light and serious, fun and sad, poignant and flip. The story is narrated by Colby and it was nice to have a male narrator for a change, especially for a "coming of age" novel. Colby 3 best friends are Bev, his BFF since forever, and two sisters: Alexa and Meg. I really liked the relationships among these four friends while they were on tour. They were supportive, honest, moody, funny, and inquisitive with one another. I guess the best word to describe them is real.

Reading of their adventures reminded me of time I spent in the San Juan Islands and on some road trips. They have crazy adventures that seem like they couldn't happen, but they do. They aren't really on a schedule and are open to trying new things, going to new places, and this attitude means that they meet interesting people. Having the open minds to go somewhere off the beaten track means being open to all the possibilities and that's what this story is all about.

These four friends discover more about one another, themselves, and their friendships through a one-week road trip that I was really glad to be on with them.

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