ARC Review: Off Trail by Rick Polito

“you know,” i said, “the road to hell is paved with good wintentions.”

rick polito

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Goodreads Summary: A laugh-out-loud coming of age story of one teen’s preposterous experience in a wilderness therapy program.

Daniel grew up in the shadow of his older sister, the brash, self-assured, and utterly reckless Jackie, now living with her dirtbag boyfriend and wandering through dead-end jobs. When his parents find her marijuana stash in his closet and decide they do not want him to turn out like his sister, Daniel suffers the “trickle-down parenting” effect and is sent to Quest Trail. Surrounded by other similarly uprooted teens, Daniel endures a series of preposterous self-discovery exercises and gets caught up in a rivalry with Troy, a too-tough poser, as they vie for the attention of Vera, a charismatic California teen who grew up with too much money and not enough emotional connection. Just as Daniel’s confidence begins to grow and things start to look up, the Quest Trail program dissolves into complete chaos.

Sometimes humorous, sometimes painful, Off Trail shows an authentic account of all the embarrassing and heart-wrenching moments of being a teen.

Rating:

Thoughts:

Secretly I was hoping for a “grown up” version of Holes when I received this book and I have to say, I wasn’t disappointed. The book is entirely its own creature but it still has enough of that Holes vibe to satisfy a reader who is familiar with the story.

Set in the 1980s, this book has that “modern historical fiction” flare that I enjoy seeing in books. It lent that slightly nostalgic air to the book which was a nice touch. I also liked the setting of the story taking place in the desert of Arizona. As a fellow Desert dweller, albeit not in Arizona, it’s refreshing to be able to read something I can actually relate to like 100+ degree Fahrenheit summers and the ever-present sight of tumbleweeds. It gives a true picture of what it’s like to live in the climate while being entertaining, kind of that vibe that you’re learning new things without realizing you’re being educated.

I enjoyed the ragtag group of characters this book had. While some of the side characters weren’t very fleshed out, they definitely added some color and humor to the book. The main character, Daniel, was an interesting narrator and I enjoyed the way he liked to compare a lot of things in metaphors. Greg, Daniel’s used-to-be-best-friend that gets shipped off to the youth correction camp with him, had me smirking more than once with the out-of-the-box things he said and did for attention or comedic effect. Vera, another member of the camp, was probably my favorite and I enjoyed her confident attitude that wasn’t too overbearing and her unique way of seeing the world.

Although I wouldn’t call it the fastest-paced book, the flow was still pretty good and it picked up a lot in its second half which I really enjoyed. And I absolutely loved the ending with the way the characters developed. The romance was also pretty cute and I liked that the characters read their age rather than too young or too old. Even though it might sound strange to say about a book featuring troubled youth, it has a lighthearted, humorous vibe which gives the book a great balance.

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