Customer Reviews

Tripping

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This is such a smart, witty and refreshing young adult novel. The main character Rainey is one of the most interesting and unforgetable heroines I've ever read about. The fact she has a prosthetic leg might surprise or even shock you at first but this is not a book about a girl with a disability. This is a book about tormented relationships and unlikely friendships. It's also about disovering yourself away from home. Six teenagers were chosen from six different schools for a study group type camping trip that takes place over two months in the Canadian mountains. Fueled by family issues, love triangles and an over exposure to nature, the teenagers soon find themselves growing and bonding in ways they hadn't expected. Most the characters will charm you by the end and if you think you'll be able to predict the outcome... think again cause you never know what the future holds!

<3

Rainey, the 16-year-old narrator of Tripping, moves from a small town to Toronto, leaving her home, her friends, and her boyfriend behind. A school-sponsored eight-week study/camping trip seems to promise an escape from everything she hates about the big city--including her new stepmother. Imagine her surprise and chagrin when the driver of the expedition turns out to be a young man on whom she's had a crush for weeks, and who seems displeased to see her as one of the six student travelers.

Rolling across Canada in a big, old, puke-green passenger van provides plenty of opportunities for things to go wrong, from engine trouble to bear attacks. Rainey narrates her adventure in a light, slightly self-deprecating tone. Her honesty includes a matter-of-fact attitude toward the prosthetic leg she wears because of a birth defect. She's less casual about the discovery that the trip will give her a chance to meet the mother who abandoned her 15 years earlier.

Everyone on this journey has some kind of secret that is gradually revealed as the unlikely assortment of travelers share funny, sad, exciting, and poignant moments.

This book is amazing, and wonderfully well written. It's full of wit and humor, making it a fun must-read. You can definitely identify yourself with one or more of the characters. Each character has a very different personality, yet everyone bonds with each other nicely. Although there are some mishaps dealing with love and fear, the 6 teens rise to the top. By the end, each realizes their growth due to their fellow campers. They have learned to form new relationships and reconcile old ones. This is an amazing book, that gives faith to all teens letting them know that adults, such as Heather Waldorf, really do understand the teenage mindset and lifestyle.