Review Detail

Road tripping with a purpose, Good and Bad is a journey, the reader won't soon forget.

Lexi's brother, Charlie, is in a slump. One day he was away at school, the next, he's a permanent fixture in the house, on the couch, and in every crevice of the house--dripping depression on every crevice of the house.

But, Lexi is dealing with her own stuff--and she has no time to coddle her older brother--who she believes is only heartbroken over a recent breakup. She was terrible, he should be relieved, so why isn't he? Why hasn't he shaken this yet?

Then out of the blue, her brother decides to go find, now-missing pop star, Adrian Wildes. So, Charlie, Zack, and confused Lexi going on a road trip to find him.

Every part of the road trip is an awakening, a moment to reflect over moments of Lexi's life with Seth, her now ex. All of the would've, should've, could've's come to plague Lexi on this journey.

Brilliantly woven in the story, is the juxtaposition of then, and now. Who Lexi is now, and what happened then--all comes to a shattering, and heartbreaking conclusion by the end. But ultimately, it leads to healing , self-discovery, acceptance, and forgiveness.

What's really enjoyable about the book--although it's pretty much a sad story--is Lexi's ability to humorous--despite it all. It's a little sliver of light in an otherwise dark room.

Overall, the characters are pretty solid, all seemingly written with purpose. Each of their stories stand up, without the support of the other--but when together make total sense.

The parents in this book are quietly present, and I appreciated that despite the fact that they weren't core characters--they were still there--both of them, caring in the background.

It's a solid-read, with a meaningful story--great for teens and adults alike.