Customer Reviews

The Last Exit to Normal

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

 

 

Life was going along just fine for Ben Campbell until he hit fourteen. That was the year his father announced that he was gay and his mother left. His dad's boyfriend moved in, and Ben started counseling -- and also misbehaving.

Now, after three years of run-ins with the law, Ben's dad has decided the only way to save Ben is to leave Spokane. At age seventeen, city boy Ben finds himself living in Rough Butte, Montana. Edward, who Ben calls Momdad, has agreed to take them back to the hometown he left when he was Ben's age. In Rough Butte, Ben is surrounded by homophobic cowboys, Edward's acid-tongued mother, Miss Mae, and an abusive neighbor with a strange young son.

Used to doing whatever he wants, whenever he wants, quickly ends for Ben as Miss Mae schools him in acceptable country behavior. She expects respect and hard work, and she doesn't hesitate to use her wooden spoon as a weapon to encourage it. Ben reluctantly falls in line and even finds it rewarding at times. His father and Edward seem pleased for the most part, and his improved attitude and behavior are useful in his quest to attract the attention of the beautiful girl living just four doors down the street.

There are still frustrations for Ben. Completely forgiving his father for trashing his life back in Spokane is proving harder than he expected. Rough patches between father and son keep tensions high, and to complicate matters, Ben becomes convinced that the young neighbor boy is the victim of dangerous abuse. Ben's efforts to seek justice for the boy create a whole new set of problems.

It is almost impossible to turn the pages fast enough in THE LAST EXIT TO NORMAL. Michael Harmon's protagonist is one-of-a-kind. Readers will root for him one minute and against him the next as they experience his struggle to accept what life has dealt him. Harmon has truly captured the torrent of emotions raging along that divide between boyhood and manhood. Don't miss this one!

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

I am a high school librarian, and I am constantly looking for good YA books to recommend to my students. This books fits the bill and more!

Before the story begins, we find out that Ben's father came home and announced that he was gay; Ben's mother flew the coop; Ben's father's friend Edward moved in, and Ben went wild and did terrible things in a three-year rebellion period. When the story opens, Ben's wild period has ended, albeit with a police record, and, desperate to help their son, Ben's dad and "momdad" have moved kit and caboodle back to Edward's hometown of Rough Butte, Montana, to live with Edward's ancient mother, Miss Mae.

While the story is filled with typical city-boy-moves-to-country gaffes and humor, it is also a poignant story of seventeen-year-old Ben's getting to know not only himself, but also his dad and Edward. Under Miss Mae's hawk-like eyes, Ben learns about hard work and the value of money. The humorous episodes, i.e., his first shopping trip to buy Wranglers and a Stetson, his first bird hunting outing, and his first experience of baling hay, are interspersed just enough to lighten the mood and keep the serious stuff from getting too heavy.

And there is some really heavy stuff going on in Rough Butte. Between the redneck neighbor who beats his son and locks him in the closet, the psycho who does not like Ben coming along and dating his former girlfriend and vows to stop it in any way possible, and an overturned tractor which lands on it driver, Ben finds plenty of drama in Rough Butte.

I read this book very quickly because I wanted to know what happened. I enjoyed it a lot, and I know that the kids will also. I highly recommend it not only for teenagers, but also for adults!

I opted to fetch this book from the library, not certain if I'd enjoy it enough to own it, but I'm now planning to purchase a copy as I intend to re-read this in my spare time (whenever that comes to pass). Last Exit is one of those gems of a novel I want to push out into the world and have others enjoy and since I lend a lot of books, it's one that will go into my permanent collection.

Benjamin is a troubled seventeen year old. That kind of character seems all too familiar, right? But the how and why of Benjamin's angst is far from normal. After his father comes out and reveals his true sexual orientation, thus destroying his marriage and sending his former wife running for the hills, Ben sets out on a course of self-destructive behavior. The formerly "good kid" takes up smoking pot, petty crimes and slacking at school. When a bad decision leads Ben on a high speed chase with the cops, ending in a car accident, his dad finally has enough of Ben's acting out.

After packing up the minivan, Ben's dad and his partner, Edward, leave their home in Spokane, Washington and head off to Rough Butte, Montana, where Edward grew up. The already tense family dynamic is pushed to the breaking point in this new fishbowl environment, where everyone knows everybody else's business and homosexuality is not a welcome lifestyle. Coupling that with Miss Mae's (Edward's mom) acidic personality, things reach a boiling point fairly quickly.

But sometimes we need that kick in the butt wake-up call to get us moving in the right direction and, though fraught with a myriad of complications, Rough Butte seems just what the doctor ordered for this ailing family. Ben finds himself constantly tested by the next door neighbor, Mr. Hinks, who regularly beats his son, Billy, with whom Ben develops an unlikely friendship. In the midst of this drama, Ben finds an unlikely ally in the local Sheriff and a budding relationship with Kimberly Johan, a neighbor from just down the street. Through all the peaks and valleys, Miss Mae and her unwavering demand for respect and hard work constantly needles Ben to the point of madness, but there are many lessons to be learned from her once he succumbs to their battle of wills. Ben begins to take stock in the things that are important and is forced to make decisions based on integrity, honor and loyalty. As the story progresses and deepens, Ben discovers the importance of relationships and learns the value of personal integrity.

Ben is a character that will resonate with a lot of teens. He's headstrong and willful, at times downright selfish and vindictive, but he knows right from wrong, and even when he knowingly makes bad or hurtful choices he understands and accepts the consequences. His anger, though at times a tad over the top, is warranted and steeped in hurt. The relationship with his father is tense and combustible, leading to several heated moments as these characters naturally clash.

The supporting cast of characters deftly aid in the telling of this tale, adding the appropriate dynamics to make this a fully fleshed out story. Edward is kind and giving but a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is kind of character that provides Ben some much needed insight into Ben's father's life. Miss Mae is a tough as nails matriarch, who won't accept disrespect or selfish behavior, oftentimes whacking Ben with a wooden spoon when he gets mouthy, but it's clear that she has a good heart and wants to see him succeed. Kim is down to earth and straightforward and brings out the best in Ben, making him strive to be a better person. Billy, like Ben himself, is suffering the devastation of a broken home, though his father's physical and psychological abuse have caused the eleven year old to shut down emotionally. This relationship allows Ben to examine his own loss more closely and provides him the opportunity to intervene, hence facing his own demons.

As challenges present themselves, Ben finds himself growing and maturing and coming to terms with his longstanding issues with his dad. This is a wonderful story about learning to accept the things in life one cannot change and embracing those we love. It tells the story of an unconventional family struggling to find common ground and facing challenges together. The foundational elements of this book deal with the aftermath of divorce, from Ben's perspective, and having a gay parent, but I think any teen going through a life altering situation can relate to his frustration, hurt and anger.

Though there's some rather frank sexual dialogue in the book, it's appropriate given the subject matter and tastefully handled as far as I'm concerned.

Michael Harmon's THE LAST EXIT TO NORMAL tells of Ben, whose life has been chaos ever since his father told him he was gay - and pulled him out of a troubled city life to move to a small town in Eastern Montana to live with him and his boyfriend. Ben's investigations of trouble at a house next door reveals a small town secret which is dangerous and challenging to all in this moving story of differences and change.

You know `em by heart, by name, by shoe size and possibly by sock color. The sometimes odd and annoying people who: use your things, wear your clothes without permission, read your diary, needle into your business, boss you around, ground you and generally drive you batty. Family! You gotta love `em--or else!

Recently, Ben Campbell's family in THE LAST EXIT TO NORMAL drove into my life. Initially, the title and the cover drew my attention. As a former Montanan, whose mother was nicknamed Normal by a free-thinking bull rider named Bill, I had to give this book a look-see. Man, was I sucked in! Relating to Ben Campbell, with his wit and smart-aleck ways, was off-the-charts easy. His VERY unconventional family worked its way into my heart and made me realize that no matter how one defines family - it's a precious gift. You see, Ben's father train wrecked Ben's life after he announced that he was gay. Now, my father didn't drop that kind of a bomb on me at seventeen, but he did pass away from a very unexpected heart attack, while playing softball. So, I related to Ben. Whenever I find a book with a seventeen-year old protagonist who steps or gets shoved into the muck, I feel a special connection to that character and want my peeps to connect also. So, if you think your family is a bit "out there" pick up THE LAST EXIT TO NORMAL and take a very heart-warming trip into Ben's life - where you will find love, heartache and mystery.
-- Reviewed by Darla Warrior

Michael Harmon has a great way of dealing with difficult subjects. I especially enjoyed that the author represented the main characters point of view in such an intelligent way.
The dry humor was so refreshing. Like, wearing Wranglers for the first time after being a "skater". Duct tape? Ouch!
This book would be enjoyed by either gender. The story has everything I expect a really great book to have. Excellent, don't miss it.

Being surprised in a good way is one of my favorite things! I hadn't intended on reading this book when I started it the other day, but I inadvertently left my intended "next read" at home so went to plan B. Now don't get me wrong... when this book first came out I was intrigued enough to put it on my "I'll read it someday" list ...but publishers keep coming out with enticing stories that also caught my attention...so the day for reading The last Exit to Normal kept getting postponed. This is one of those times I'm so very glad that I misjudged a book finish-date and I ended up reading a book sooner than I'd planned.

This wonderful story "hooked" me from the first pages with it's sassy dialog, storyline and characters--it easily made its way into my head and heart. Being a Montanan I wondered how the setting would fit with this story(ever notice when a book or movie wants to depict desolate or "in the middle of nowhere" it's spelled M O N T A N A??) and all I can say is the author's choice of location was spot on. I know people and situations like the author describes--the story really works. This is one of those stories that is more than the sum of its parts. On one hand it is about a troubled teen trying to come to grips with a huge family-life change and situations beyond his control. It's also a story about stereotypes, mental-illness, making the best of situations, adaptability, resourcefulness and community. A lot of big ideas are woven into this story--great stuff for thematic discussions "...you can disagree about certain things people do, but to disrespect them because of it makes you less of a person....they live by different standards."

I will definitely be recommending this to teen readers who are looking for a great read with substance AND humor!

Ben's father comes out, separates from his wife and settles down with a male partner, Edward ... all of which causes the destruction of Ben's "normal" family life and which compels him to become a teenage rebel with a cause. His father and Edward then decide to shift their nontraditional family from Spokane where Ben's running wild to a very small, very rural town in Montana, the hometown where Edward grew up gay & alienated. They settle in with Edward's mother who is sullen & alienating ... but (surprise, surprise) has a heart of gold.

17 year old Ben tempers his initial hostility to nearly everything and everyone, quickly adapts to doing chores 8 hours a day, befriends an abused boy, confronts the abused boy's father, travels to Vegas to find the boy's estranged mother, single-handedly rescues a farmer trapped under an overturned tractor, falls in love, engages in a relentless battle with his father, Edward and Edward's mother, learns to shoot skeet and partridge, takes on the town's psychopathic bully, rescues the abused boy from a burning house, accepts employment pseudo-managing a farm, resolves his issues with his father, enrolls in home-study ,acquires a taste for country music, reconnects with his own estranged mother and gets a puppy.

Sort of an implausible cross between an after-school-special and a soap opera in a rapid-fire sequence of events that would have left James Dean gasping for breath and yet, as unbelievable as it seems, it was compelling reading. Most of the main characters carried a load of personal baggage but had believable personas and all the interpersonal conflicts seemed more real than contrived although their sheer number was a little overwhelming. Clearly the author does have a talent for writing in a way that draws you in.

Since the "hero" is 17 years old and manages to solve an endless stream of problems that were too difficult for his elders to deal with, I assume the author's intended audience is a good deal younger than I am. Had I realized that before buying the book I would probably never have read it. I'm glad I did read it because there were a lot of thought-provoking, complex interpersonal issues dealt with realistically. I would imagine that it might be especially meaningful for young people who are dealing with their own resentment and frustration because they perceive that their family circumstances don't conform to the supposedly normal/stereotypical (and yet atypical) American dream family. It might also be useful for adults who still cling to anger issues that arose during their formative years.

My 8th graders loved 'Skate'. I snapped this one up nearly as soon as it came out (and I almost never do that.)

I wasn't disappointed. It was great although I thought a little formulaic. The dialogue is excellent. Harom seems to have inhabited the mind of some teenager because he has it down.

Another "gay" book. Another kid goes to the country and everybody is backwards. Another bad kid finds himself in a small town. There are many reasons why Last Exit to Normal should be considered another run-of-the-mill YA, but thankfully it avoids all of them. It is a book that deals deftly with difficult issues without being an "issue" book. Grounded in wonderfully strong and complex characters, honest relationships, and unpredictable plot points, the book manages to be surprising and satisfying at the same time. Don't fall victim to "typing" this book, but pick it up and enjoy it for what it is - a compelling, well-written novel with humor, suspense, and action. I highly recommend it.