Asher (17) lost his mother a year ago in a car accident. The semi driver was drunk and ran her off the road. He did not receive the punishment Asher thinks he deserved, due to a technicality.
Over the course of the book certain facts and Asher’s plans are revealed to the reader. Asher has started group therapy, in 2 different groups, since he has made no progress in accepting his loss. He befriends an older gentleman, Henry, from his first group, and then he befriends Sloane and Will, close to his own age, from the second.
All three agree to travel with him from New Jersey to Memphis, so he can take his long-distance girlfriend to the prom. That’s what he tells them but he really is planning to kill the man who killed his mother.
Believe it or not, this is an upbeat book, with the final plan lurking in the distance. They accept and bond with each other as they travel. There are jokes, laughing, supporting each other when needed.
They have fun. Ultimately, what will Asher do?
This book was on my mind for several days after I finished reading it. Something about how the characters interact and how they express themselves made it hard to forget.
Reilly, K. J. Four for the Road. Atheneum, 2022.
