Joyride

Gr 9 Up—Good girl Carly and popular Arden combine forces in order to live more authentic lives in this angsty contemporary novel. Carly's parents have been deported to Mexico and she works nights to support her family. Arden uses his bad-boy reputation to pull off grand, sometimes disastrous pranks to salve the pain of his sister's death. Carly is not Arden's type, at first—and Carly knows she is too busy to bother with him. Eager to escape the iron fist of his sheriff father, Arden grows closer to Carly after an unexpected encounter. Together they realize Arden's father's true intentions and work in concert to bring him to justice. With a dash of romance, Banks's book tackles the issues of human smuggling, immigration, and a rogue police officer. It could be too much for any young adult novel, but buoyed by irresistible characters, sincere dialogue, and robust prose, this is one ride readers will all want to take. Fans of Sarah Dessen and Deb Caletti will flock to the author's fan pool.