Helpful Score: 2
Driving Sideways by Jess Riley is yet another one of those books I acquired on a whim, added it to my "to be read" mountain with every intention of reading it quickly. Instead, it languished for years in the bottomless pit of my reading pile. With Driving Sideways, new to me author Jess Riley introduces us to Leigh Fielding, a dialysis patient who has recently received a kidney transplant and thereby a new lease on life.
I know it doesn't sound very appealing on the surface, but where this story really pulled me in and hooked me is when Leigh decides to hit the road, literally, on a road trip to visit her best friend, meet the kidney donor's family to thank them for the kidney and finally to track down the mother who abandoned Leigh and her brother when they were children.
Along the way, Leigh meets a teenage hitchhiker named Denise, who isn't all she seems but not completely in a bad way. The story is rich in pop culture references that gave me the real sense of being in the car with Leigh and Denise.
The story moved at a good pace, kept me plugged in and interested in what was going on and what was going to happen next. The characters were easy to get to know and felt realistic for their surroundings and place in the story. Don't make the same mistake I did. Get in the car and go on a road trip of your own to the bookstore to get this book. Every journey begins with the first step and I am sure this is one ride you will thoroughly enjoy.
I know it doesn't sound very appealing on the surface, but where this story really pulled me in and hooked me is when Leigh decides to hit the road, literally, on a road trip to visit her best friend, meet the kidney donor's family to thank them for the kidney and finally to track down the mother who abandoned Leigh and her brother when they were children.
Along the way, Leigh meets a teenage hitchhiker named Denise, who isn't all she seems but not completely in a bad way. The story is rich in pop culture references that gave me the real sense of being in the car with Leigh and Denise.
The story moved at a good pace, kept me plugged in and interested in what was going on and what was going to happen next. The characters were easy to get to know and felt realistic for their surroundings and place in the story. Don't make the same mistake I did. Get in the car and go on a road trip of your own to the bookstore to get this book. Every journey begins with the first step and I am sure this is one ride you will thoroughly enjoy.
Helpful Score: 1
Quirky & fun! A good beach or airplane read! My husband got so tired of hearing all of the witty & quite cheesy sayings from the book. If you're looking for a deep, heartfelt book, then this is not the one. BUT...if you're looking for a fun, light-hearted book, then you'll enjoy it.
this was an enjoyable read. there was a little bit of cussing but overall I would not be ashamed to have my mom read this.
Wow this was a great book. It's the traditional road trip story with a great twist. I highly recommend.
I put this book on my wish list after a recommendation from Jen Lancaster on her blog about it. The story is about Leigh. In her early twenties, she was diagnosed with PKD and put an dialysis. The book opens right after she has finally received a new kidney and she is setting out on a road trip from Wisconsin to California by herself. Along the way she plans to meet up with her ex-boyfriend, meet her kidney donor's family, visit her best friend, and find her mother who abandoned them at a young age.
Sounds like a pretty packed agenda right? Well it gets even more crazy when she picks up a teenage runaway along the way who seems to have her own secrets. Her ex-boyfriend turns out to be almost unrecognizable. She finds out probably more than she wanted to know about her kidney donor. Deals with her older brother fretting about her health and safety. Her friend has her own drama and joins them for the last leg of the road trip.
As with any road trip they have some grand adventures along the way. They stop and see various landmarks and sights, meet some interesting people, and have more than a few mishaps.
I loved the concept of the book because it was like this girl trying to take her newly given life back before her 30th birthday. I mean I haven't been through half of what she has been through and that 30th year mark is stressing me out. And of course I loved the road trip aspect of the story (this is so going on my next list!).
It was a good book with lots of plot twists and turns and the characters were really relateable. However it took me a while to get through it. I wasn't pumped to read it every night and her writing style didn't excite me. But the storyline was enough to make it a good read.
Sounds like a pretty packed agenda right? Well it gets even more crazy when she picks up a teenage runaway along the way who seems to have her own secrets. Her ex-boyfriend turns out to be almost unrecognizable. She finds out probably more than she wanted to know about her kidney donor. Deals with her older brother fretting about her health and safety. Her friend has her own drama and joins them for the last leg of the road trip.
As with any road trip they have some grand adventures along the way. They stop and see various landmarks and sights, meet some interesting people, and have more than a few mishaps.
I loved the concept of the book because it was like this girl trying to take her newly given life back before her 30th birthday. I mean I haven't been through half of what she has been through and that 30th year mark is stressing me out. And of course I loved the road trip aspect of the story (this is so going on my next list!).
It was a good book with lots of plot twists and turns and the characters were really relateable. However it took me a while to get through it. I wasn't pumped to read it every night and her writing style didn't excite me. But the storyline was enough to make it a good read.
CAN YOU SAY S......L........O........w!!!!!
Jess Riley is a fresh new writer, and I can't wait for her next book to come out! I found myself laughing hysterically throughout this book - (I think she and I were born around the same year, so I "got" her) - I didn't want the book to end. It was deeper than chick lit. It felt like hanging out w/ an old comfy friend.
Found book to be OK - not a riviting novel, just a nice story
Dollycas's Thoughts
Why did I wait so lone to read this book? Leigh Fielding lives with her brother and his wife about 30 minutes from where I am sitting. I loved all the local references. Also my mother was on dialysis for some time before she died so those references rang true as well.
Leigh was lucky to receive a kidney transplant and through a mix up the anonymous donation didn't stay so anonymous. Leigh has planned quite a road trip and she has added a stop to visit one of her donor's relatives. She wants to find out what he was like and to thank them for the gift they have given her. Against her brother's wishes Leigh heads west in what turns into a very memorable trip. She gains a passenger along the way, they stop to see the sights, visit her best friend in Colorado, meet up with an old boyfriend, has an interesting stop at the donor's mother's house and then head to California to hopefully reconnect with her mother.
This was Jess Riley's debut novel and it a heartwarming and sometimes a heartbreaking story. It is also full of some laugh out loud and crazy moments. I found it to be very well written with a very balanced pace. Easy to picture all the events as they happened because of the author's descriptive writing style. There was a twist that added just a little suspense too. It was almost a learning experience as Leigh has PKD, polycystic kidney disease. I had heard of this disease but didn't know much about it.
The trip that Leigh calls her Unfinished Business Trip was quite a journey. I am honored to have been able to travel on it right along with her. I loved this story.
Why did I wait so lone to read this book? Leigh Fielding lives with her brother and his wife about 30 minutes from where I am sitting. I loved all the local references. Also my mother was on dialysis for some time before she died so those references rang true as well.
Leigh was lucky to receive a kidney transplant and through a mix up the anonymous donation didn't stay so anonymous. Leigh has planned quite a road trip and she has added a stop to visit one of her donor's relatives. She wants to find out what he was like and to thank them for the gift they have given her. Against her brother's wishes Leigh heads west in what turns into a very memorable trip. She gains a passenger along the way, they stop to see the sights, visit her best friend in Colorado, meet up with an old boyfriend, has an interesting stop at the donor's mother's house and then head to California to hopefully reconnect with her mother.
This was Jess Riley's debut novel and it a heartwarming and sometimes a heartbreaking story. It is also full of some laugh out loud and crazy moments. I found it to be very well written with a very balanced pace. Easy to picture all the events as they happened because of the author's descriptive writing style. There was a twist that added just a little suspense too. It was almost a learning experience as Leigh has PKD, polycystic kidney disease. I had heard of this disease but didn't know much about it.
The trip that Leigh calls her Unfinished Business Trip was quite a journey. I am honored to have been able to travel on it right along with her. I loved this story.
