So I finally got to reading my advanced reader copy of The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life by Tara Altebrando. I received it some time in May but my stubbornness trying to get through my summer reading list has postponed it a bit. Currently my schedule and more so 1984 have me a bit behind. Not sure what it is about that book but I have yet to get gripped by the story yet. Not the case with The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life. It was an easy and entertaining read. Perfect for a rainy day or a car ride. I didn’t have the former (far from it, it was nearly 100 today, if not actually that hot) but I did have a car ride home from my sister’s place.
Anyway (Tread carefully, Spoilers ahead) the book takes place all in one day, the weekend of senior week. Four friends are out to prove themselves against the jocks (and other social groups as well). The story it told from Mary’s point of view-and she is the one that eggs the others on to join the unofficial annual scavenger hunt. She is joined by two guy friends (Patrick and Dex) and one gal pal (Winter). They all have their battles to face, and some come to light throughout the day. Winter has to deal with feelings she has with a guy Mary has been crushing on for years. Especially when said guy actually breaks things off with his girlfriend mid-hunt and switches teams. Dez, whom all the friends know to be gay, has to deal with the bullying that the jocks constantly give him. (The king of the bullies has also gotten in to Georgetown ‘over’ Mary – or at least that’s how she sees it. The principal only gave one recommendation to the college and gave it to the bully and couldn’t pick Mary out of a line-up). Patrick comes clean about his feelings for Mary after something arose during prom the previous week. This gives Mary more than enough to consume her mind all while trying to juggle point totals and items they are suppose to be finding. Adding in her drunken little sister and a missing family heirloom you have the perfect recipe for multiple meltdowns. End spoiler section.
I hate to use mindless, but this book was an easy read – which is an underrated necessity to life. Sometimes you don’t want to read the heavy hitters (hence I’m still only like 7 chapters in to 1984 for instance). I did enjoy this book, and now that it’s on my shelf can see myself reading it again. It comes right in time though because mid-July a high school buddy and I plan to go on a random road trip (one thing to check off the bucket list!). We were thinking of all the little quirky things we could do while on this road trip and a scavenger hunt came up. I might just siphon off some of the suggestions (like a cardboard Witch Halloween decoration – the car needs a mascot). Overall an easy enjoyable entertaining (easy and entertaining are the buzz words people) read about 4 high school students who are facing saying good bye at the end of their senior year. Until next time~Q
Q the Adult 