Wednesday, July 27, 2011

review: night road by kristin hannah

Slow to start, Night Road is excellent though I recommend having a box of Kleenex handy as the story becomes heart-wrenching about halfway through. Things start off quaintly enough: a girl who bounced around foster homes finally gets some stability when her aunt takes her in at the same time that a “helicopter mom” (who I hated throughout the book—oh how she annoyed!!) tries to deal with her twins growing up. Lexi’s background in foster care keeps her from fitting in with the wealthy students at her new high school, but she soon bonds over books with another outcast, Mia. Mia’s twin is an über-popular football player who Lexi understands to be off-limits (thanks to annoying helicopter mom who overshares about Mia’s one other friend dumping her for Zach). But eventually Lexi and Zach admit their feelings for each other and become seriously involved, much to the chagrin of his parents who’d previously accepted Lexi as family when she was just Mia’s friend. It all changes one night when the trio get drunk at a senior year party and elect to drive home. The contrast Kristin Hannah creates between their mundane lives prior to the party and the grim aftermath made Night Road a powerful and touching story.
5/5
Review copy from LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

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