Customer Reviews

Up Country (Point Signature)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Up Country is probably one of the most treasured books I own. I can relate to Carl's feelings and emotions, and every time I read it, the same situational segments of the story still make me laugh out loud. I would recommend Up Country to anyone, based on it's superb characterization and thought.

I used to not like books this book changed my mind! a must read. Very touching and a great wake up call to life!

I read this book for an 8th Grade book report, and I have read it over and over again. Everytime I read it I get the same feelings I had the first time I read it. Carl Staggers feels what a real 16 year old boy would feel if he were in that same situation and it amazes me how well the auther expressed that.

Up Country is the story of a young boy Carl who finds the deck stacked against him. How do you find help when your Mom is an alcoholic prostitute? Carl finds it from the most unwelcome source, his upstate relatives in hicksville! How ironic that the only way he can get there is to be caught by the police for helping his mother attack a cop, and then for opporating a theft ring. Lessons from responsibilty, respect, humor, and friendship are to be found with a family that really cares. The really hard choices come when he has to choose between support for himself or helping his Mom. What should any of us do is such cornering times?

Up Country by Alden J.Carter
This book is mainly about a boy who lives in a city in the beginning and later on moves to live up country. The story started off with Carl who is and teenage boy and his mother who is a drunk. The mother always brings in a lot of guy with her from work thinking that they are the one, `'her classy guy.'' Carl himself starts to get involved in bad thing, by fixing stolen stereos with a couple of his friends and has made a big plan for his life. In time his mothers' habit of drinking gets to her and she gets in a car accident and fleas the area. She is found guilty and was given several years in jail or an option of two months in the half way house for her drinking habits. Carl is sent over to his aunt and uncles house up country where he meets his cousin Bob. They don't have too much fun until Carl gets some bad news. He is told that he is going to go to court and plea guilty for having all those stolen stereos. At the end he is let off the hook and is told not to do any more bad things. He moves in with his aunt and uncle. This is an awesome book to read for anyone because there is a lot of action happening. The big thing I like was it was using words that would be said now by teens and adults. I would give this book a five out of five stars. Really a great book to read for fun.

I picked up this book in middle school at a RIF book swap and I have read it at least every year since! Going on almost 10 years now! I would recommend this book to anyone!

Read this book in college, and the story and characters touched my heart. I still read it and it's still the same poignant, beautiful story I remember. I feel for Carl and his plight. he is a likable character. I felt sorry that his mother was a drunk and sexually promiscuous so Carl, age 16, had to escape by inventing a dream life and a fantasy sweetheart, and cheered when he moved up north with his farm-boy cousin and the cousin's folks, and he and his cousin became great pals and he even found a real girl to love -- the athletic blonde country beauty next door.
This should be a made for TV movie starring Cody kasch -- DanaZack on "Desperate Housewives" as Carl, David Gallagher -- Simon on "7th Heaven" -- as Robert, Carl's cousin, and Hilary Duff as Signa, carl's sweetheart

^^ I really would... I mean, the thoughts and feeling are so real and thought out to what a real sixteen-year-old boy in that situation of having and alcholic/protisute mother... I can really relate to how he's acting and feeling... I would tell anybody to add this book to their collection!!!! :)

This book instantly became one of my favorites. Carl seems like the type of character you know in your own school or have encountered in a social situation. Carl creates this fantasy master "plan" to improve his life. His life is ruined from the beginning as his mother is brought to trial for yet another charge of assaulting an officer and Carl to try to help his mother, assists in the assault. Along with that, Carl's mother is an alcoholic, is never home, and constantly brings "classy" guys over, to put bluntly, just to screw her while she's drunk.

He decides when he gets a lot of money to attend college, buy a house and live with his dream girl. Literally. He decides to come up with his money illegally. He has one of his "friends" steal car radios, he fixes it up and sells it.

Carl's emotional journey is a tough one, as problems from his money making business and his mothers worsening condition with the law ends up with him getting sent up north to live with his cousins and uncle and aunt in the boonies where he falls in love with his real dream girl. He's forced to leave soon unexpectedly to face his trial for assisting in the stealing of all those car stereos and to see his mother through her sobriety even though he knows there is a slim to none chance that she will ever get better. Being sentenced again, and opening his eyes to the truth that his plan was nothing but a sham to keep himself from going insane, Carl realizes his mom would be better off if he wasn't there. He decides to permanently live with his cousins up north and miraculously when he comes for a visit, his mother is clean for good this time.

Very emotional involving story. My life almost seemed to mirror this book especially in regards to Carls "Master Plan" for improving his life situation. Read this book! You won't be disappointed!

I think it is like Carl has reversed roles and became the parent. When he would not bail his mother out of jail after so many times of doing so. He did a great job of adapting to his new life in Wisconsin with his aunt and uncle.