100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith

Smith, A. (2014). 100 sideways miles. NY, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

At seven, a dead horse fell on Finn injuring him and killing his mom. Finn says the horse fell 100 sideways miles because he theorizes the earth travels 20 miles per second. Because of the accident, Finn has epilepsy and a quirky scar on his back, which his best friend, Cade, teases him for. When a new girl, Julia, enrolls, Finn is smitten. She reveals she has read Finn’s father’s book, “The Lazarus Door”, which Finn hates because he feels the character resembles him. Finn has seizures, which Cade and Julia have to help him get through. Julia returns to her hometown, and Cade and Finn embark on their college visit road trip. However, a massive rainstorm makes it difficult to drive. They realize the car in front of them drove into a river. They jump in and save two people. Cade and Finn decide to detour to Chicago to surprise Julia. The literary device, foreshadowing, is evident when Finn has seizures and sees two “ghost-like” girls, Marjorie and Mazie Curtis. These girls died when the dam flooded the town. Finn and Cade end up saving two lives from drowning. In the book, there’s a reoccurring symbol that represents what Finn’s scar looks likes. The importance of friendship and loss of innocence are two themes portrayed. Cade, who’s the sarcastic class clown, and Finn are always there for each other. Coming of age is revealed when Finn starts out as a shy and embarrassed because he think he bears a resemblances to a character in his dad’s book. By the conclusion, Finn realizes he has confidence and can write the end to his own story. The author, Andrew Smith, makes the tone not only serious, but comical, too. I would recommend this book to a young adult (13-18 years) student who wants to pick up an enjoyable book during leisure time.