Customer Reviews

Driver's Ed

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(43)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This is a book I read some years ago. I'm reviewing it now because I was thinking about it this morning. And any book that makes you think years after you've read it deserves a review, I think. I don't remember a thing about the structure of the story or the style in which it was written. I do remember feeling a certain distance from the story as I read it. Cooney is a fairly dependable writer; perhaps the distance had to do simply with my own particular taste. Regardless, the book has tremendous impact. If you read the other reviews, you will get the spoilers; I see no need for me to outline the plot here. What I want to discuss is the very effective, very real tension that arises out of what could seem like a very simple decision--a choice kids make, thinking it's going to be funny, thinking that what they do tonight has no connection to anyone else's life, or to their own futures. I have very good kids - I'm not at all worried that they'll do something easily definable as wrong. But I am afraid of their youth and inexperience, which has to result in a fair amount of short-sightedness, and of the level of silliness the best kids can hit when they are out together and egg each other on.

I still remember the horror I felt as this story unfolded. As a mother, way past any such temptations myself, I still became the kids as I read. Cooney creates in the reader that sort of nightmare experience: in your dream, you have done something terrible, something really terrible and your life will never be the same. From the dream, you wake. The impact of this story is that there can be no waking. The terrible thing is there, and will always be there. My reaction to the story still lingers, after all these years. And so I save this book, when so many others make way for the new stuff on the shelves. I would sit a kid down and make him or her read this book if I felt like the lesson needed to be learned - or I would read it to a family out loud. This said, the book is not written in a didactic manner (preachy). The facts are simply laid out. When you read these other reviews, you will find plenty who note that the book is "hard to get into," which, with a writer like Cooney who knows her business, means that the book has some serious things to say and is not simply entertainment. There is a feeling of portent from the beginning. If only more people understood that so many stories in our own lives, if told by a storyteller, would start weeks before the mistake or accident or choice with a feeling of portent and forshadowing.

Read it as a horror novel, if you like. Certainly, that's what it was for me. I still carry with me the imprint of its impact. It is a true cautionary tale. And if reading it can give any kid just a moment's pause before making a stupid choice, then God bless it.

As a university student, I chose to read this book as part of a Young Adult Literature class. I enjoyed it for several reasons. First, the characters in the book are realistic and ones that readers can easily relate to. The book took me back to my teenage years when driving and dating seemed to be the most crucial aspects of life. The characters are not fluffed up to become some heroes they aren't. For example, even when Remy and Morgan, the protagonists, get into trouble beyond anything they could expect they still worry about their newfound relationship. These are real kids trying to make the best of a bad situation.

Another aspect I enjoyed was the way Caroline Cooney built up the suspense throughout the book. I experienced the same anticipation as the main characters and was never quite sure what they would ultimately decide to do. The ending is such that it leaves you meditating because the story does not feel quite finished. While some may view an unfinished story as irritating, I see it as an opportunity for the reader to make the story his or her own by personalizing it with his or her opinion of how the characters' lives will play out.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has experienced the torture of keeping a secret or has done something wishing no harm but later regretted the action. If you like this book, I would also recommend The Face on the Milk Carton by the same author.

Remy Marland and Morgan Campbell are just like any other sixteen-year-old who just got their license. One night, Remy and Morgan, along with a boy named Nickie Budie who everyone knows is "pond scum" decide to take part in what they think is a harmless prank: stealing road signs. However, the teens steal a stop sign from a busy intersection, and the next day on the news, Morgan finds out that a woman was killed in a car accident on the same intersection in which they stole the stop sign. Remy and her driver's ed class soon all find out what happened, and she and Morgan are constantly bothered by their own consciences. This book taught me to question your actions, and to think about others before you act.

I recommend this book for kids age 12-14.

Caroline Cooney's Drivers Ed is about several high school students experiencing all the ups and downs of learning to drive. As teenagers they are very mischievous and just enjoy a good time, but when a mother is found dead as a result of something they are guilty of, it seems like there lives will change forever.
Remy, Lark, and Morgan are mischievous friends who plan to go out to steal certain signs one night. None of them have their licenses, so Nicky Buddy drives. He is one year older than all of them, and he lives by Morgan so he is a friend with him. Remy decides that she want a Morgan Road sign, they get a "Thickly Settled" sign for Lark, and Morgan takes a Stop sign. Also, Remy and Morgan kiss when they are in the car. When Remy comes home, Mac starts to question her and she has to hide the Morgan Road sign in the bushes to make sure that Mac doesn't tell their mom what she did.
That night, Morgan is watching the news and he sees a thing on about how a stop sign was taken off of Cherry Road and some mother was hit by a truck and died. Morgan then realizes that it was the sign that they took. Morgan's dad then says, "Whoever took that sign should be shot."
It was Friday, so she didn't have to worry about school, but all she could think about was the sign. What if her class found out? Saturday passed, and still, she couldn't think of anything but the sign. Then Morgan's family decides to start going to church, and this makes Remy think that Morgan told. But then she realizes they only went because his dad is running for governor. After church, everyone went to the basement to have cake and coffee, but Morgan couldn't eat because every time he put cake in his mouth, he thought of the lady never eating again. Then Mac walks over to Morgan and starts telling him about how Remy likes him so much, and how their mom has pre-qualified him for marriage. He pretty much embarrasses Remy. The next Monday morning, Remy's mom is taking her and Mac to school when they notice that 43 mailboxes are destroyed. Her mom said they should be shot, and this made Remy think what she would think of her if she found out that it was she that took the sign. That day in school, a cop comes and talks to the class about the accident. Remy and Morgan are scared, but all the cop says is don't do it. Nothing happened on Tuesday or Wednesday, but on Thursday, a full-page ad was in the paper, paid for by the lady's husband that said: Who murdered my wife? I don't know, but I'll find out. Look at this beautiful woman. Only twenty-six. You killed her. You ended her life, and left mine empty. Don't sleep tonight! Murderer!
In the next section of the book, Morgan decides that he can't take it anymore and tells Nickie that he has to tell about it. Nickie just said, "Don't do it yet, let's talk." Morgan calls for Remy, but she's not there so he tells Mac to have her call him and say that he is going to tell. Remy then goes to call Morgan, but Mac interrupts her and says, "Tell what? What is he going to tell?"
"Gossip," Remy says.
Then Morgan goes to Nickie's house, and they talk about what would happen if they tell. To prevent Morgan from telling on them, Nickie says that if he tells he is going to say that Remy and Morgan wanted to see an accident and that they were glad that a woman died. This stopped Morgan from telling. Back at Morgan's house, there are a bunch of lawyers watching the news. The ad comes on, and Morgan asks them what would happen to the kid if they found him. They said that being it would probably be his first offense, he would be fined $50 and have to do some community service. The reason for that is that all they did was take the sign, they didn't kill anyone. Morgan tells Remy about Nickie's threat and that scared her. She's afraid that her parents might actually believe him. Then the days begin to pass very quickly and nothing is heard about the accident for a while. The ads stop, and most everyone forget about it.
In the last section of the book, Remy takes her driving test and passed it, but on the way out, she tells Mr. Fielding that it was her who took the sign and that she is going to tell her parents tonight. She takes her car out and goes and picks up Morgan. She tells him that she told. Morgan decides that he better tell his parents also. He tells his dad and his father just sits there in disbelief. Then it tells how Remy told her parents and how they went nuts. Her mom thought she was a bad mother, and her dad just couldn't believe it. Remy's father doesn't know whether to bring in the police or not. Then he called Nickie's parents, but they convince him that he wasn't involved. A meeting between Mr. Fielding, Remy's family, and Morgan's family is arranged. At the meeting, Mr. Fielding says that he thinks Morgan and Remy should be punished. They don't agree on whether to call the cops or not. The next day, they decide to go and talk to Mr. Thompson. They apologize for what they did and Mr. Thompson realizes that if they're sorry, that's good enough for him. Then the next day, Mr. Fielding takes Remy and Morgan to look at the grave of Denise Thompson. They say they're sorry again.

Over all the book was fairly good. I did like the realism of the life of a teen: the pressure of friends, crushes, teachers and parents. I didn't like the realism of Denise Thompson death. This book was very different than all the books I ever read. This is a book many people can look at and see how it relates to their life or somebody else's life. It keeps you on edge, and makes you ask questions like. What will they do next? What is going to happen? It is obvious Caroline B. Cooney enjoys writing very real books. If you don't like realistic fiction, or dramatic books, this book isn't for you. If you do like these type of books, try it.

In the book Driver's Ed by Caroline B. Cooney, three teens, Remy, Morgan, and Nickie are having the time of their lives. Lark, Remy's best friend, has asked them to take a Thickly Settled street sign. So they did. They also took two more signs, a Morgan Ave. sign, and a stop sign. It is all fun and games till someone got hurt. Seriously hurt. She died. Denise Thompson died in a crash all because of the missing stop sign. She didn't stop and she crashed into a truck. Does one stop sign really make a difference?
Over all the book was fairly good. I did like the realism of the life of a teen: the pressure of friends, crushes, teachers and parents. I didn't like the realism of Denise Thompson death. This book was very different than all the books I ever read. This is a book many people can look at and see how it relates to their life or somebody else's life. It keeps you on edge, and makes you ask questions like. What will they do next? What is going to happen? It is obvious Caroline B. Cooney enjoys writing very real books. If you don't like realistic fiction, or dramatic books, this book isn't for you. If you do like these type of books, try it.

This book is a very disturbing story about sheer irresponsibility and its dire consequences. The victims and families of the perpetrators are the only sympathetic characters. I detested Remy and found her to be an overly dramatic, irresponsible and self centered character. I didn't like her mother and felt those two deserved each other. I also was quite perturbed about Remy's brother having never been named. That really bothered me. That is another example of a lack of regard for human life, human identity and sheer irresponsibility. Remy and her foolish mother were two dodo birds of a feather that flew together. This is Cooney's worst book after a string of successess. I usually like Caroline Cooney works, but this one is one to drive past. Detour and read another one of Caroline Cooney's books instead and leave this one in the dead end it belongs in!

In the book Driver's Ed by Caroline B. Cooney, a boy Morgan and a girl Remy steal a stop sign. That night a woman, Denise Thompson, dies bringing home her babysitter when she goes by the stop sign that they took and an oncoming car hit her. The guilt of the death eats away at Remy and Morgan, and they just can't take it anymore. They have to do something about it.
This book is not the greatest book ever; it is very hard to get into. There are a lot of dialogue and unnecessary characters in the first chapter. Most of the action comes later in the book, so because of that in the beginning it kind of just rambles on for a while and then the action comes. One of the things I did like was the message the book sent. It tells you to think before you do something and that peer pressure gets you into trouble. I think 7-9 graders would like this book, because the characters and issues deal with those ages.

Carissa Bedard
January 5, 2006
Drivers Ed
ISBN: 0-440-21981-7

Remy Marland crossed her fingers and prayed to the god of drivers Education that she would get to drive today. Remy loved to drive. She didn't know where she was going, but one thing was for sure, she was going to get there fast. Morgan Campbell had been standing on the threshold of turning sixteen and getting his drivers license ever since he could remember. But deep in the first crush of his life, thinking of nothing but girls, Morgan forgot what driving was all about. Drivers Ed. A class about life...and death.

I thought this book was really good because it has a lot of fact stuff about teenagers that we can relate to and think about. I recommend this book to people who like realistic books and the drama of being a teenager. I enjoyed the genre because I myself could relate to the drama of trying to be popular and looking right and having the right clothes. The plot was unbelievable because the mood of the story didn't match what happened in the end.

The book i read was Driver's Ed by Caroline B. Cooney. Its abot these teenage kids named Remy,Morgan and Nickie. They are all good friends, Remy and Morgan like each other. The part i didn't like was when Denise Tompson died.She died because Remy,Morgan and Nickie took the stop sign. They were just trying to have fun. They didn't want to kill anybody. The book was kind of boring. I think is not a good book to read its a boring book.