By Joan Ackermann
The night that Colm Drucker’s mother got married for the third time, an old paint-encrusted screw gave way outside the house and snapped in half, letting fly a second-story window box jam-packed with sand and artificial flowers.
When Colm’s (Coll-um) mother leaves for her third honeymoon, Colm stays behind at the house with plans for remodeling the laundry room, organizing his baseball cards, and the usual Colm Drucker stuff. Instead, he winds up with a dead dog, a house for sale, a kiss from a girl, and his long-lost father. And when his father offers Colm a road trip to California where Colm would turn his father in to a guy named Frank for the reward of $70,000, Colm turns him down. But… with that money, he could buy his family’s house and stop it being sold out of the family. After a lot of deliberation, Colm slides into the passenger seat of his father’s SUV and they head off to California. But there’s a lot that his father isn’t telling him.
Opinion
I thought this book was great. I really did. The best thing about it is Colm. His character is so grown up and knowledgeable and likeable and I really connected with him. I love how he didn’t take any stupidity from his father and is good with fixing things and how he really thinks about other people. I just really like him. The story is also good and… I just enjoyed the whole thing. But then there’s the sparse use of curse words. Why?!? The story could have been great for younger kids too, but those unnecessary obscenities just ruin it. Anyways. I still loved the story either way.
Favorite Quotes
Maybe it was true. Maybe everyone in the family had moved out except him. But if he didn’t hold on to the house, how could any of them ever come home?
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“Would you happen to have the time?
“Yes,” said Colm, flustered. “It’s… uh… it’s Mountain Time. No, wait. It’s Pacific Time. Yeah. Pacific.”
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“You know, you should try saying ‘yes’ sometimes. Just for the hell of it. Saying ‘no’ so much… it’s not good for you. ‘Yes.’ ‘Yes!’ Pulls your mouth back up, like a smile. Feels good. When you say ‘no,’ it makes you all… gaunt.” He demonstrated. “Noo-o-o.”
Are there any big ideas that stuck you?
This quote caught my eye:
“I have to say, though,” continued Lloyd Henry, “sometimes what one person might call a lie is really just… conversation. Talk. You’re fleshing out the story.”
Sometimes people care too much about the difference between lying and joking. Just chill out, people. Seriously. Life is only as fun as you make it.
