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“Every wolf ‘s and lion’s howl / Raises from Hell a human soul.”

Monday, April 23, 2012

All aboard: Last Stop This Town by David H. Steinberg

The debut novel from "American Pie" series screenwriter David H. Steinberg. It's the last weekend before high school graduation, and as they prepare to go their separate ways, four life-long friends spend a wild and raucous night in New York City that forces them to face their fear of growing up... and growing apart.


 West Hartford, Connecticut. Growing up in the suburbs is a mind-numbingly boring experience for most teenagers, and high school seniors Dylan, Noah, Pike, and Walker are no exception. They spend their days testing how fast they can drive on the local residential streets, bribing homeless dudes to buy them beer, and attending crappy house parties. So when Dylan proposes that they spend their last weekend of high school in New York City attending an underground rave, the guys are ready to make some serious memories. In New York, though, the guys have run-ins with a drug dealer with a penchant for fire extinguishers, a Chinese restaurant owner with a score to settle, an Albanian street gang, con men, hookers, performance artists, and a gaggle of hot, degenerate, rich girls. Over the course of one incredible night, their outrageous journey gives the guys a bonding experience they'll never forget, as they learn that part of growing up means they're going to have to face their futures on their own.


(Parental advisory: This book contains strong language, drinking, drugs, and sexual situations, all involving teens.)------>; Well I mean, that's sort of to be expected.


Within the first few pages of the book, I wasn't very invested with the characters, I could barely remember their names.  But with the progression of the novel, I quickly learned that each character had their own place in the story.  Dylan, the leader of the pack and owner of the Cube, Noah, the most-of-the-time voice of reason and Dylan's second hand, Pike, the horny stoner (with a heart), and finally Walker, the nerdy virgin.  I grew to like these guys more and more as they fought to arrive to their destination of NYC.


Of course I could see the resemblances between the American Pie movies and the book because they both have those embarrassing-but-almost-too-unbelievable-but-I-mean-I-guess-I-could-see-that-happening-in-a-movie-or-something- situations that the guys get stuck in.  At some points, the book was a bit too predictable.  I could tell when that first punch would be thrown, when the cell phone would be forgotten, etc.  But I liked it.  


As I continued reading the novel and the boys continued discussing their futures it evoked a feeling of nostalgia.  I am yet to graduate (about a year left) but I understood what the guys were going through, and the importance of creating memories that would stay with us forever.  The fear that came along with graduation and the probability of losing most of your friends to the fact that you don't go to the same school anymore. I got it!  And that made me love the story that much more, even though I am a straight edge 16 year old girl, I was still able to relate to these 4 guys on the cusped of manhood.


 I would mostly recommend this novel to guys, since they would probably appreciate it the most, but I loved the book to be honest!  Last Stop This Town may have had a few  unbelievable situations and a some typical events but it still had that witty coming of age narrator that all teen readers seek to find.



Gold for Last Stop This Town by David H. Steinberg!

2 comments:

Spit it out