Back Roads [Paperback]

Tawni O'Dell (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 338 pages
• Publisher: Viking; 1ST edition (2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965069052
• ISBN-13: 978-0965069052
• ASIN: B000V8PCYU
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (370 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,917,476 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

113 of 118 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hidden from the world on the Back Roads, February 25, 2000

By 

Jeff Paszkiet - See all my reviews

This review is from: Back Roads (Oprah's Book Club) (Hardcover)

I finished this novel in two days.I simply could not put it down.I needed to know what was going to happen to Harley next. Harley's like other teens,except he has too much responibility too soon. With his father dead, his mother in prison, and three sisters to take care of,one may wonder where he finds the time and energy for everything else that happens. I didn't care, all I wanted was what would happen with the next page. He may be a low class Holden Caufield, but this novel reminds me more of the Bean family in Carolyn Chute's wonderful The Beans Of Egypt Maine. If you don't know that novel, read them both. Be prepared not to put them down until you are finished. Anyone who is interested feel free to e-mail me about books,music,etc. Enjoy! [e-mail]

54 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everytime you THINK you've got it... YOU AIN'T GOT IT!, May 1, 2000

By 

the_empress (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Back Roads (Oprah's Book Club) (Hardcover)

I finished BACK ROADS two weeks ago and I am still haunted by the images and the language of the text. It is a very intense piece of Art. Although, I must warn you that Oprah was telling you the truth, it's a hard novel on the emotions . O'Dell, the author, does not let up! If you are a 'lists' person, here it is in order of intensity: Intrigue, Sex, Abuse, Sex, Secrecy and Genuine Unpredictability. The protagonist, 19-year-old Harley Altmyer is the sole guardian of his three younger sisters Amber (16), Misty (12) and the baby of the family Jody (6) (Jody's spelling is both sad and painfully funny). Rather than become a ward of the state or be put on welfare, a very responsible Harley decides to be "the man" of the house after their mother is sentenced to life in prison for the murder of their very abusive father. I am very tempted to tell you the incredible twists and turns O'Dell takes you with that fact. But you must read it all for yourself. You will NEVER in a million years or pages should I say, see what the end will be. To continue, in conjunction with his two years experience of parenting, Harley also has to deal with his bursting need for sexual comfort. Some of the sexual images in his mind are extremely disturbing and violent. Yet, this author is on her job, she makes you see why the images surface in that manner in the first place which allow us very sensitive readers to carry on with the story. He has to deal with three emotionally raw females, for which he has neither data nor point of reference. Also, there is the mortgage, the two full-time jobs, and a loneliness that is so vast it creates a fifth mouth to feed. If you are one of those, " I can't read another disturbing word of this book, I MUST put it down"...you simply can't. Back Roads calls you back until your eyes have reached the last alphabet of the novel.

107 of 116 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book deserves a 10! Absolutely Wonderful!, February 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Back Roads (Oprah's Book Club) (Hardcover)

"Back Roads" has to be one of the best books I ever read! (And I read a lot of books! ) Harley is thrown into manhood much too early in this debut novel by Tawni O'Dell. If losing his father too early by murder wasn't hard enough, he has to deal with raising his three younger sisters after his mother goes to jail. Each girl has her own distinctive personality, and it's a wonder they didn't kill each other living in that house together. Harley finds out the truth about his father's death and his whole world goes downhill fast. He falls for a young mother of two and things start to go really wrong after his sister finds out about them. Harley wonders about from day to day, drinking beer and not sleeping. This is a book you need to start on a Friday night so you can stay up all weekend reading it! I thought it was awesome and I eagerly await a sequel or something else from Tawni.