Today kicks off The Teen Book Scene book tour for Thou Shalt Not Road Trip by Antony John. One of the characters, Alex, is here today to share her wisdom about road trips.
Antony John has been kind enough to offer up a SIGNED ARC of Thou Shalt Not Road Trip so be sure to sign up below!
Questions to Alex
1. What advice would you give to someone who was planning a road trip with their boyfriend/girlfriend and members of their family?
Do bring deodorant, beverages, energy bars, and a sense of humor.
Do not bring too much baggage—I’m not talking about suitcases, either. Emotional issues, it turns out, get magnified by close (read: claustrophobic) living conditions. And it’s hard to get away from everyone when you’re stuck in a car all day.
And if someone has forgotten deodorant, well.. things get ugly really fast.
2. What's the coolest"fun-fact" you learned while traveling?
That the mid-point of Route 66 is in Adrian, Texas, and there’s even an excellent café there (imaginatively named the MidPoint Café) to mark it. Order the ugly crust pie for dessert. You won’t be disappointed.
3. What would you say is the biggest difference between you and Fran?
I’ve always been able to shut out distractions. If people suck—hi Mom and Dad!—I ignore them. If something is holding me back, I cut it loose and move on. If I want something very much, I can focus like a laser beam. Unfortunately, sometimes the distractions actually matter, and I guess I’ve made a habit of overlooking them too (sorry, Fran). 4. Tell us one thing about you that people may not get from reading the book?
I care. Deeply. About almost everything. Even my pet betta fish, which my lab mates are kindly babysitting for the entire summer. When I get back in a few weeks, I’m going to bake them an organic carrot cake as a thank you. (I’m assuming the betta fish will still be alive.)
5. Who really surprised you the most on the trip?
That’d be Fran. When you grow up with someone, you figure you know her. We’ve had our share of terrific moments, and fights, and resolutions, and through it all I’ve come to know who she is. Or rather, I thought I knew who she is. But actually, Fran feels things in a way I don’t. She feels the weight of things, the importance of the truthfulness of things, the need for the world to make sense. I almost wish for her sake that she didn’t, as it made this trip pretty hard for her, to be honest. But I admire her for it, all the same.
Which is more than I can say for some people..
Thanks so much for having me along today, Jessica, and a hi to your readers!
Thou Shalt Not Road Trip by Antony John
Publisher: Dial Books (April 12th, 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 336 pages
Sixteen-year-old Luke Dorsey is sent on a cross-country tour to promote his bestselling spiritual self-help guide accompanied by his agnostic older brother and former girlfriend, Fran, from whom he learns some things about salvation.
Prize:
- 1 winner will receive a SIGNED ARC of Thou Shalt Not Road Trip.
- You must be at least 13 (or have permission) to enter.
- Name and email must be provided.
- Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
- Contest is US/Canada only and ends April 18th.
- Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
- The form must be filled out to enter.
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