DESTROY ALL CARS
Blake Nelson
Scholastic Press
Fiction
ISBN: 9780545104746
224 pages
A PARTIAL LIST AND DESCRIPTION OF REASONS WHY YOU WOULD ENJOY DESTROY ALL CARS BY BLAKE NELSON
COOL FORMAT
You have the privilege of reading about the main character, 17-year-old James Hoff, through his thought-provoking essays that are (sometimes) turned in to Mr. Cogweiller for Junior AP English. These essays are sprinkled throughout and explore much of what drives James. They cover anything from topics of choice to reflections on a place or location. Providing a nice counterbalance to the required schoolwork are timely personal journal entries from James. Here you get the chance to see what really is going on with James and his ex-girlfriend Sadie, which leads to the next reason why you would enjoy this book: teenage angst.
TEENAGE ANGST
James and Sadie Kinnell haven’t dated since sophomore year. James is disgusted by the “perfectness” that Sadie exudes on a daily basis and naturally finds fault with everything she does. While James and Sadie are both into saving the planet, they take different approaches in trying to accomplish this. James would rather destroy all the cars in the world to combat lame, weak consumers from killing the planet. It’s called walking people. Sadie, on the other hand, is all about raising awareness and getting people to sign petitions. Her latest efforts are focused on saving one of the last natural swampland ponds in the area. Of course James agrees to help since he has never really gotten over Sadie, despite the fact that she has dated that annoying Will Greer guy up until a few weeks ago. You can’t just say no to Sadie.
TEENAGE LOVE
Like any teenage boy, James is trying to make sense of the whole business of love. He realizes there is no better way to learn than by responding to any signal a girl may give. Sure, there may have been a little kiss with an eighth grader on an ill-fated family vacation, but the movie date with a girl who waved at him once in the hallway was way better, right? Perhaps, though, Sadie still feels something for James like he has envisioned in his mind, among other things. Could getting back together be the answer to all of his problems?
THE FUTURE
The future is always lurking behind you propelling you forward. When you’re a junior in high school, it sometimes slaps you in the face. Sadie has major plans for a big college, while James has resisted even writing for the school newspaper because it would take too much effort. James’s father offers to buy James a car if he goes to college, but has apparently missed the memo on how cars are ruining society. With so many decisions to make, James struggles to figure out where he fits in at school, in his family, in society, and with Sadie. Sometimes it would be easier to destroy things --- especially cars.
MASTERPIECE
To put it simply, DESTROY ALL CARS is a stunning work of art. At least that’s what James thinks. Blake Nelson has created a character who we can all relate to and root for. Where else can you probe the inner workings of a teenage boy who takes himself and life too seriously? I laughed throughout as James wandered from topic to topic and girl to girl only to end up hopelessly confused and clueless, yet utterly optimistic at what would happen next. What other reasons do you need for this fast and clever read?
--- Reviewed by Benjamin Boche (bennyboche@hotmail.com)
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