Title: Ode to My First Car
Author: Robin Gow
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s
Publication date: June 20, 2023
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Summary
It’s the summer before senior year, and Claire is finally coming to terms with the fact that she might just be in love with her best friend. That she might actually be bisexual. But she doesn’t really know how to deal with either of those things–and whether or not she should come out.
In order to pay her parents back for wrecking her first car, Claire gets a job at the local nursing home where she meets Lena, an eighty-eight year old lesbian who tells her stories about her own life. Through the help of Lena, and Claire’s new friend–and love interest–Pen, she finds she might just have the courage to finally be herself. In front of everyone else.
Review: Ode to My First Car
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s for an advanced copy of Ode to My First Car by Robin Gow to review! Robin Gow has a knack for writing emotionally packed novels in verse. Even though this is only their second YA book, I can tell that we can probably expect more to come from them. They have a knack for what they do!
Sometimes, character development can suffer in novels in verse, but that’s not the case here. One of my favorite aspects of this book was the relationship between Claire and her brother, who is also coming to terms with his own sexuality. They both are so supportive of each other and hatch plans for the ways they think they can come out to their parents. It works well in this format, and good sibling relationships are just one of my favorite things to read about anyway.
I think the pacing overall was a little off, in that maybe it felt too long at moments? Even though it is a novel in verse. Claire is very much a messy bisexual, and this is reflected in the overall plot of the book. But outside of that, I was still engrossed in the story and there were so many endearing moments between all the characters. I can’t wait to see what Robin Gow does next!
3.5/5 stars