Behrens, A. (2006) All the way. New York: Dutton Books. ISBN: 0525477616
Plot Summary: Ian is the typical nice guy who never seems to get anything but friendship from the girls he likes. While his two best friends Lance and Felicia are spending their summers having a blast, Ian is stuck working 6:30AM shifts at the mall’s donut shop. To keep himself entertained, he develops an online relationship with a beautiful college girl from South Carolina, Danielle. However, Ian has convinced Danielle that he is a good looking, experienced, and aggressive football player. After several weeks of convincing himself, Ian decides to take a road trip from Illinois to South Carolina in hopes of losing his virginity. Having unsuccessfully lied to his friends, they invite themselves along and have quite an adventure on the road. Throughout the trip, they experience several detours which involve Lance’s consistent girl chase, Danielle’s food poisoning, and the breaking down of “the creature”, his $350 aged yellow Oldsmobile. In the end, Ian realized that there is more to life than pretending to be the person that he wanted Danielle to believe he was.
Critical Evaluation: This book was a lot of fun to read. It was a quick and easy read that will surely give readers a good laugh. I was a bit turned off from the book jacket summary, but thought I should give it a chance anyway. I’m glad I did since the author did such a great job at character development. Although the story is about a boy who takes a road trip in hopes of scoring with a hot college girl, the experiences he has on the way are hilarious and priceless. The author does such a great job at describing the events that readers will wish they are part of the adventures. The friendship that Ian has with Lance and Felicia is touching. Despite the madness they experience, they truly come through for each other. I would definitely recommend this book to teens who are looking for something entertaining, but still profound.
Information about the Author: All the Way is Andy Behren's first young adult novel. He grew up in Chicago's suburbs but not currently lives in the city.
Annotation: In hopes of losing his virginity to a beautiful college girl who he met online, Ian and his two best friends take a road trip and have a maddening experience.
Genre: Travel
Curriculum Ties: United States Geography
Booktalking Ideas: Ask teens what they think about online dating. Explain how Ian pursues an online girlfriend by driving from Illinois to South Carolina in hopes of going “all the way”.
Reading Level/Interest Age: 9th-12th grade
Challenge Issues: : Sexual content
Reason for Inclusion: Although the book was Andy Behrens first novel, the story was down to earth and would definitely capture the attention of any teen who is looking for a good time.
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