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    Hit the Ground Running
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    Hit the Ground Running
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    Hit the Ground Running
    Ebook197 pages2 hours

    Hit the Ground Running

    By Alison Hughes

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Sixteen-year-old Dee and her seven-year-old brother, Eddie, have been on their own for six weeks. Their father has seemingly vanished into the baking Arizona desert. Their money is drying up and the rent is coming due, but it's a visit from a social worker and the prospect of being separated from Eddie that scares Dee enough to flee. She dupes her brother into packing up and embarking on the long road trip to Canada, their birthplace and former home. Lacking a driver's license and facing a looming interrogation at the border, Dee rations their money and food as they burn down the interstate in their ancient, decrepit car.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOrca Book Publishers
    Release dateAug 29, 2017
    ISBN9781459815469
    Unavailable
    Hit the Ground Running
    Author

    Alison Hughes

    Alison Hughes is an award-winning author of many books for children and young adults, including The Silence Slips In, winner of the R. Ross Annett Award for Children’s Literature, and Hit the Ground Running, nominated for a Governor General's Literary Award. Alison is a university writing adviser who also volunteers with children and literacy groups and gives frequent workshops and presentations at schools, libraries, festivals and conferences across Canada. She lives in Edmonton with her family.

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    Reviews for Hit the Ground Running

    4/5

    16 ratings8 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read, one you read in one sitting because you can't put it down. However, I thought that the ending left too many things up in the air. For it to be a stand alone book I thought that it should have included Dee and Eddie settling in at the Auntie Pat's house in Canada, as well as the relationship between Dee and Jack, and what happened to their father. However, if there is going to be a sequel I feel as though too many things have been resolved for entire second novel to be written. As a whole I thought that it was wonderfully written. The relationship between Dee and Eddie was captured perfectly in being able to imagine what goes on in their heads, especially Eddie and how he can be easily mistaken as a slow kid to the outsider because he has no interest in the mundane school topics. Overall, a great book, but had a shaky ending.
    • 4/5
      I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It is a very quick read, but the author managed to make me feel an attachment to and concern for the characters right away. My only complaint would be that I felt the ending was too abrupt and there were several questions left unresolved. It is up to the reader to imagine how things will ultimately turn out for Dee and her little brother, but the ending is, nevertheless, hopeful, and I was grateful for that because I did care for these characters. The basic premise is that Dee Donnelly and her younger brother Eddie must drive from Santacino, Arizona to Canada to avoid the possibility of becoming wards of the state after their father disappeared on one of his antiques-buying runs. He's been gone for weeks and a social worker is now poking around, asking lots of questions. With only a little money, a small amount of food, a beat-up car, and their soon-to-expire Canadian passports, Dee and her brother set off on their journey. They hope to make it to their aunt and uncle's home in Canada, but there is no immediate help from their relatives because they are away on vacation and have no idea that Dee and Eddie are in this predicament. The only person who knows they are coming is Jake, a relative of Dee's uncle who is tending to the house and cat while her aunt and uncle are away. The story is well-written and the plot is engaging, I just wish there had been a bit more. I would still recommend this book with the warning that the reader may wish to use his or her imagination to fill in a few unresolved points.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed the read but was left wanting more: more action, more adventure, more romance, more humor. The ending left several plot points unresolved which leads me to believe there must be a sequel coming. As short as this book is, it should and could have been contained in one novel. Otherwise, Hit the Ground Running is a well-written novel with creative use of imagery and personification. The heroine is smart and capable with a lot of love for her little brother. The tension is well strung, and the book is sometimes humorous, even in stressful situations. I just wish the book hadn't ultimately left me dissatisfied. In accordance with FTC guidelines, please note I received a free ARC of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      Excellent look at a girl who wrestles with multiple worries/obsessions in her mind at a time in her life when she should be cared for by parents and enjoy life. Unfortunately with her mother dead and her father so enmeshed in his own grief, he's disappeared, Dee must step into the parental role. With just over $400 and a twenty year old car (but no drivers license), she strikes out from the small Arizona town where she, Dad and her younger brother landed, determined to drive all the way to Rolling Garden, the nursery in Canada owned by her Aunt Pat. It's a long journey, not only in terms of distance, but in experiences and personal growth. Following it makes for a great read. While there are many things left unfinished by the end, readers close the cover with a sense that Dee will not only survive, but thrive.
    • 4/5
      Dee is sixteen and has been left in charge of her seven-year-old brother Eddie while their father is off looking for antiques for his business. The book begins with Dee worried about her father who has been gone for six weeks. He has been gone for a few days at a time before this, but never this long. Dee becomes even more worried when a child protective services lady comes by and begins asking a lot of questions, so she goes to a pay phone near their trailer and tried to call her aunt who lives in Alberta, Canada so she will have some adult advice. However, her aunt and uncle are on vacation and unavailable. Dee is worried that she and her brother will be put in foster care or even separated, so she decided to drive their dilapidated car to Canada and to her Aunt Pat's home.The good thing is that she and Eddie have valid Canadian passports since they are Canadian citizens. The bad thing is that Dee does not have a driver's license since she is a Canadian citizen and her father did not want to deal with the complications that came with getting a license for her. Dee is worried that her father may show up after they leave and not know where they went so she leaves a note to let him know where they went. Dee packs up necessities and her small hoard of just under $500.00 hoping it will be enough for the trip. Eddie packs up all he needs, too and they head off. Dee is terrified of driving on the highway. In face, this whole trip is terrifying for her. While Eddie is having a wonderful time on the road trip, Dee is trying to keep her fears from him and keep the car going as long as possible. And then the car breaks down somewhere in Montana. The creepy guy stops to give them a ride. When will Dee get a break?I began to wonder why didn't Dee tell the CPS lady about her father being gone so long and also that she had an aunt up in Canada? Children aren't usually separated from family if there are relatives who want them. Apparently Dee is unaware of this or is worried that they will be separated in any case. I received an ARC to read and review.
    • 5/5
      I received Hit the Ground Running by Alison Hughes, through Librarything.com Early Review Giveaway for a honest review. I received an Arc copy of this book. I really enjoyed this book. I love all the characters in this book. I really enjoyed how Dee the main character was portrayed. She is a strong character who truly cares about her little brother. Dee and her brother, Eddie go on a road trip of their lives.
    • 4/5
      This is the first book by Alison Hughes that I've read, and I must say I like her style of writing. She brings her characters to life and you can't help but empathize with their plight. She has a realistic and straight forward way of describing settings and situations, so even though this is a work of fiction, it reads like a memoir.I felt so sorry for Dee and Eddie, I wanted to reach into the pages and give them a reassuring hug. I so wanted these kids to have a happy ending, and though it ended differently from what I desired, I wasn't disappointed. For me it was a fitting and realistic ending to a bittersweet story about the love of siblings and their search for a place they can call home.I read this in one sitting and give it 4 over 5 stars. Thank you to LibraryThing and Orca Publishers for sending me a copy of this book.
    • 4/5
      When her father fails to come home after more than six weeks’ absence and a family services worker knocks at the door, Dee knows it’s time to act. Despite lacking a driver’s licence, she packs up the car, and then she and her brother Eddie are off on a manic road trip that involves charming the cops, avoiding creeps, making new friends, and stretching a dollar creatively. Can Dee get across the border to Canada to meet her relatives and Jake, the elusive voice on the phone? You’ll want to read this book to find out.I really enjoyed HIT THE GROUND RUNNING. There’s a great deal going on in the background of this novel that will reward readers who reflect on and talk about the book with others. Sixteen-year-old Dee is a witty and sardonic, but also surprisingly tender, narrator. After spending several hours with her story, I felt I knew and liked her: Dee is a memorable character. The text is face paced, topical, and realistic, but avoids the miserablism that marks a lot of current YA. Instead, it’s often laugh-out-loud funny — and sometimes joyous, sometimes poignant.HIT THE GROUND RUNNING is one of my favourite YA novels so far in 2017. I’ll definitely be looking for more from Alison Hughes.