The Last Great Getaway of the Water Balloon Boys

Gr 9-Up This compelling first novel about two Oregon teens and the road trip that irrevocably changes their lives begins with an attention-grabbing first line: "If I'm going to tell you how I killed this kid, I can't start on the day it happened." Self-proclaimed geek and talented artist Charlie Hill, 16, normally watches the world pass him by. He's certainly not the type you'd expect would take a life. But a succession of bad decisions rooted in good intentions puts naive Charlie and his well-meaning but manipulative ex-friend Jake Tucker (bonded by childhood delinquency/water-balloon lobbing and absent fathers) on a dangerous path. It starts with hopping into the principal's Mustang (stolen by Jake) to escape bully pummeling and ends with Charlie taking responsibility for his past and his future. This well-paced coming-of-age story follows the pair from Rexton to Denver, through police chases, thievery, drag racing, suicide intervention, self-discovery, peer pressure, confrontations, breaking and entering, difficult choices, and second-degree murder in self-defense. (A bit more on Charlie's incarceration experience mentioned in the final chapter wouldn't have hurt.) The novel ends with a fresh start for both teens. The book has violence, drug use, some swearing, and conversations about sex, but nothing is graphically described. Well-developed characters and twists and turns along the way reveal the complexity of friendship, the redemptive power of second chances, the importance of looking past preconceived notions, and the lasting effects of choices (major and "insignificant" alike) and the responsibility one takes for them. This is a good choice for reluctant readers."Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.