See You Down the Road : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: a fast-paced, intriguing read!
Review: "See you Down the Road" is an interesting story about a girl named Bridget who lives as a "traveler" or person who lives in a trailer and lives on the road. This book is filled with plot twists and turns, as well as heartbreak and hope, as Bridget questions whether the traveler lifestyle is right for her. She wonders who the mysterious woman her mother is always talking on the phone with could be. Bridget also questions her families values as they shoplift and steal from various stores and people, in order to bring in their income. She also wonders if her boyfriend Patrick is the right guy for her or not. As Bridget struggles with these questions about her life, the story moves along at a very fast-paced speed and keeps the reader intrigued throughout the whole journey. I reccommend this book for readers ages 13 and up, for it has some mature themes, but is still targeted for teenagers and young adults.

Rating:
Summary: Is the Traveler's life for Bridget?
Review: I picked this up from my library one day to read over the summer, and I'm so glad I did. It didn't take me that long to read, because I really got into it. It is the story of a girl who's family are Travelers, like gypsies. They don't have real jobs, and they don't have permanent homes. They basically make their money by ripping people off and taking their money while doing odd jobs for them or selling items to them.

The main character Bridget starts o question whether the life of a Traveler is the one for her. She has always wondered what it would be like to live in a real house and get an important job, and have a normal family. She wouldn't have to constantly be on the run, and she could go to the same school for more than a year and make real friends. The main character also feels a bit guilty sometimes about living this dishonest life of ripping people off.

Meanwhile, Bridget is engaged to her older brother's friend Patrick, which was arranged by the parents of both families. Patrick is nice enough, and he's really hot, but Bridget wants to make her own choices about who she marries.

Then, later in the book when Bridget finds out that her family has kept a secret from her, Bridget has to make an important decision about what kind of life she wants for herself.

The ending was good on one hand, but on the other hand, I was upset with it. However, this is a great book that I recommend checking out from the library. It was interesting to learn how the "Travelers" lived.

Rating:
Summary: Down the Road Rules!
Review: I picked up Kim Ablon Whitney's See You Down the Road on a Friday evening and didn't want to put it down until I finished it! Not really knowing anything about the Travelers lifestyle before reading the book, I was intrigued to learn about it and to witness Bridget's angst as she struggled with the choices she had to make about staying loyal to her family versus forging a different kind of life for herself. Bridget's character was so believable and I must say I was very pleased by the book's ending! I found myself hoping that there will be a sequel because I really liked these characters so much!
I found the writing to be so descriptive and realistic- I could really envision and feel each of the scenes, which made it a really fun read! I would (and did!) recommend this book to friends!

Rating:
Summary: What an engrossing read!
Review: I really, really loved this book. I learned a lot about another culture even while reading about characters who seemed like very real, typical teenagers. The book asks a lot of difficult and intriguing questions, and it's never predictable. There are lots of surprises throughout the book. I hope to read more by this author!