Book of the Week

By Shelli Harrell

Pittsburg Library’s Children’s Librarian
 

Since February is a month celebrating love, and this book was on a best seller list, I thought that I would give it a try. While I have not read any of James Patterson’s mysteries, I have read one of his other books, entitled Sundays at Tiffanys and thoroughly enjoyed it. First Love is a relatively short book compared to other works by this author, but nonetheless, an interesting read.
The story centers around a young, teenage girl named Axi, who from all perspectives has always been a “good girl.”
She keeps up with her studies and rarely goes against the rules. Everything changes one day when she misses school and invites her best friend and resident “bad boy”, Robinson, to accompany her on a cross country trip. Things quickly take a turn for the unexpected as Robinson pushes Axi to “live dangerously” and starts off their trip by stealing their transportation instead of taking the bus. Axi is soon forced to shed her “good girl” persona as each turn in their road trip brings exciting new adventures and challenges.
As the story progresses, we learn more about what has drawn these two characters together. Although they come from different backgrounds, they have shared a common experience and both battled challenges that forever altered their childhood. Throughout their crazy, challenging, and sometimes “law breaking” experiences, they learn lessons about life and each other that truly give meaning to their journey.
 

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