Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Jul 2012
368 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
Kendra has always felt overshadowed by her older brother, Grayson, whose OCD forces him to live a life of carefully coordinated routines. The only way Kendra can stand out next to Grayson is to be perfect, and she has perfection down to an art - until a cheating scandal threatens her flawless reputation.
Behind the wheel of her car, with Grayson asleep beside her, Kendra decides to drive away from it all - with enough distance, maybe she'll be able to figure everything out. But even in the midst of the road trip's flat tires, gas-station food stops, and detours to quirky roadside attractions, eventually Kendra must stop running and come to terms with herself, her brother, and her past.
With undeniable grace and humor, acclaimed author Jennifer Brown explores OCD, the pressure for perfection, and the emotional highs and lows of a complex sibling relationship.
Ages 12+
"Starred Review. Brown skillfully navigates the emotional complexities and psychological minefields of her characters and their relationship, treating OCD with delicacy without losing sight of the big picture." - Publishers Weekly
"Brown paints an unflinching, nuanced portrait of siblings in a family overwhelmed by serious illness... Readers will enjoy the trip." - VOYA
"[A] road-trip novel with momentum and realistic characters that will have many teen readers hitching a ride." - School Library Journal
"Kendra's struggle to face her mistakes will resonate with many young adult readers... intelligent and compassionate." - Library Media Connection
This information about Perfect Escape was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Jennifer Brown writes and lives in the Kansas City, Missouri, area with her family. She is the author of Bitter End and Hate List, which received three starred reviews and was selected as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a VOYA Perfect Ten, and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. Visit her online at www.jenniferbrownya.com.
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