runnerland

This came in as a comment to my visit to Whistler. It’s so durn kind, I thought I’d give it its own entry… (blush blush)

Here’s the thing. I’m a girl. I read girl books. Not boy books. Girl books. Except that once in a while I pick up a book that reminds me of what I’m missing in the other gender genre. Like Runnerland. 

When I met John a few weeks ago at said Whistler Young Writers Retreat, I made a mental note to get a copy of “Runnerland”. It wasn’t hard to find: #6 on Vancouver Kidsbooks top teen titles for that week. The story was a cinch to get into, even for a girl, with Peter’s wry family outtakes (…”the rule was breakfast at the table or no breakfast at all. It was tough, but, nutrition-style, Ellen would say, ‘It’s a human rights violation!’ Peter would yell back, ‘I’m phoning child services!’”) By chapter II, I had to get up and get my sticky notes–always the sign of a good read. Peter is sharp, witty and very, very grade 9. The definition of what reviewers call a “believable” character.

Kudos to John’s editors for not watering down the realistic references into generic brand names. McDonald’s is still McDonald’s; Nirvana, Green Day, Tupperware and even t.v. shows like “Lost” and “Iron Chef” pop up in the text–making Peter’s world that much more authentic and current.

Peter’s stream-of-conscious-style of storytelling really suits the plot, especially as the story moves from the relative ninth grade out to the streets (and John made the streets so real that I wondered about his research process as I read, did he ever sleep in a condemned building? or a park?…) All in all Runnerland builds on its pace from the outset, a great book, highly recommended, and not just for boys.