Mystereity Reviews
Written on Dec 2, 2016
Equal parts exciting, poignant, thrilling and frustrating, 360 to Paradise is the 21st century's Catcher in the Rye.
This was a captivating read! When I received a copy of this book to review, my first thought was that I was too far out of youth culture to get into it. I was so wrong! I was quickly absorbed into Cody's world from the very first page. Cody is a kid with a lot of baggage; he never knew his real parents, grew up as a foster kid and has apparently never had anything in the way of a support structure. As a result, he's had to find his own way in life and is doing a poor job of it. I spent half the book wanting to give the poor kid a hug and the other half wanting to give him a kick in the pants.
The plot was off like a shot right from the first page and follows 24 hours in Cody's hedonistic life; drugs, sex, partying and all the trouble it brings. His best friend is pregnant, his drug dealer is after him and he risked all of his money on a last ditch attempt at finding his real father. As he makes his way through his day, Cody is forced to confront the reality of his situation and learns a lot of very hard lessons. And that's the beauty of this story; it's not a retelling of a day-in-the-life, it's a heartbreaking look into one boy's struggle as he comes of age.
Overall, 360 To Paradise is a stellar read that will captivate readers young and old.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.