- "I caught myself thinking that Win would have liked this place. But I didn't miss him. Out on the road I'd realized something about us. As important as he was to me, and as strangely connected as we were, our friendship had almost gotten too tight."
Chris Collins and Winston Coggans have been best friends since their third grade teacher labeled their desks in alphabetical order. It was a no-brainer that they would do something together before going their separate ways for college. Their plan to go on a cross-country bike trek was supposed to be the adventure of their lives... until Win started acting funny. Jump ahead two months, Win has disappeared and Chris' nonchalant behavior has everyone worried. A lot can happen in a couple weeks.
I wasn't sure what to think of this book when I was assigned it a couple years back, but I'm glad for it now. I tend to gravitate toward fantasy novels and if someone doesn't shove me out of my comfort zone every now and then I wouldn't have the well-rounded library I have today. Not to mention, this book is one of the primary reasons I love in media res so much. By having the book alternate between the trek and what happens after, the reader gets right into the action and gets bogged down by uneccesary narration.
Shift also brings up a valid question. What happens when you outgrow your friend? Win is so entangled in Chris' life that when he's removed, everything goes wrong. Win's father wants him so much he's willing to ruin the life of Chris and those around him until Win is found. How do you let go of someone who causes trouble for you even when they aren't around? This book places Chris' struggle at the forefront of the conflict and his emotions throughout it are so believable that the reader will find themselves hard-pressed not to hug him at the end.
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