Carson already knows it’s going to be a bummer summer. His aloof therapist mom has moved them from the not so mean streets of Manhattan to the boring wilds of small town Montana, where they are tasked with taking care of Carson’s dying alcoholic dad who abandoned them years ago. Carson’s feelings about his father have been on lockdown for so long that they only way he knows how to deal is by making bad puns and staying far away from anyone or anything that might make him open up. Enter Aisha, a smart, pretty African American lesbian who’s just been tossed out of her house for being gay and is looking for a couch to surf. Aisha makes Carson feel feelings that he’d forgotten he even had, and even though she’s so not interested in being his girlfriend, she just might be his first real friend. They bond over their lack of family ties and the Porcupine of Truth, a prickly craft project that represents their shared skepticism of spirituality. Their new friendship is tested when Carson discovers a box in the basement of his dad’s house that provides clues to the roots of his dad’s alcoholism and why he hit the road so long ago. Turns out Carson’s grandfather had the same case of itchy feet and Carson is determined to find out why. Armed with his grandfather’s journal, the Porcupine of Truth and $100, Carson and Aisha set out in Aisha’s Dodge Neon on a cross country journey of personal discovery that delights, saddens and surprises them both. This sweet, funny road trip of a novel is perfect for warm weather reading. If family drama, highway hijinks and realistic relationships are your thang, than throw this lime green lovely in your beach bag.
