A book where you want to know what happened to the characters next. ( )

It was OK, but I expected more (probably from reading the Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night)... ( )

This was a sad tale of a neglected kid and his journey on a Greyhound bus. The main character meets all sorts of people and experiences quite a bit on his journey. It is both sad and hopeful. You can't help but root for happiness for the young man. ( )

Loved this book - easy read but a real feel good. Great for YA and book clubs. A coming of age story that shows how one person can make a huge difference in the life of another. Don't want to give too much away!

NWE!! Our book club selected this book to read. Two of our members, Melanie and Cheryl were posting about the book, and all of a sudden the author chimed in! He left a detailed message about the story that was very enlightening. The story is very autobiographical, and he did have a Greyhound experience, complete with a "Marcus". He is now raising his son in California. It was wonderful to hear his story, and it makes the book even more heartbreaking! ( )

The quirky cover and noting that magic era - the 1980s - in the blurb persuaded me to take a chance on Steffan Piper's novel (well, that and the bargain basement price). Overall, the story didn't disappoint, either - Sebastien's cross-country adventure with Marcus on a series of Greyhound buses is well paced and quaintly nostalgic (Hall and Oates, though?)

The only part of the novel which didn't quite work for me is ironically the greater part of any work of fiction - the narrative voice. 'Sebastien Ranes' just does not sound like an eleven year old boy, especially one with a fractured education, raised by disinterested parents. Harper Lee made Scout's first person narration work in To Kill A Mockingbird by telling a child's story through the reminiscences of a grown woman, but Piper can't even claim to be attempting that gimmick with Sebastien, who charts his journey from California to Pennsylvania using mature words and phrases that just don't gel with a child's perspective. I managed to 'read past' Sebastien's unnerving narration, but feel that the story suffered without the charming naivete of a youthful 'voice'. ( )