Notes from the Midnight Driver

I don't usually talk about the cover's on YA novels, not because they aren't worth mentioning, but because in my opinion the old adage of judging a book by it's cover is never more true than when looking at YA books. In the case of Notes from the Midnight Driver, by Jordan Sonnenblick, the cover art is exactly what the book needed. Pictured is a teenager, spotlighted in front of a police line-up, and placed next to a garden gnome. It has a graphic novel appeal, as do the different varieties of type setting within the book. It also captures the essence of the book.

One evening, Alex Peter Gregory, a sixteen year old high school junior living with his mother while his parent fight through a less than cordial divorce, puts in to motion what he feels is a brilliant plan. In his words:

"The plan had a certain elegant simplicity, too. I would drink one more pint of Dad's old vodka, grab Mom's spare car keys, jump into the Dodge, and fire that sucker up." (Notes, p. 3).

On the way to his father's house he wrecks the car in a neighbors yard, beheads a garden gnome, and is arrested for DUI. The end result is a night in the hospital with stitches and a concussion, teenage humiliation, and a judge who orders Alex to perform 100 hours of community service at a nursing home with a notoriously difficult patient Solomon Lewis. One of the most intriguing aspects of this book is the way Alex refuses to take responsibility for anything he has done. This alone could make him simply another teenager with angst who is forced to learn a lesson. However, author Sonneblick has a wonderfully realistic view of the teenage mind and instead crates a believable main character that matures significantly without loosing what makes him, well, Alex.

Not everyone in this book is perfect. Alex's parents are not infallible, he has friends who are normal, and the character of Solomon Lewis has to be read and enjoyed. He is every crusty character you have ever known and yet he too is kept from being a cardboard cut out of a nursing home resident. Sol has wit and his own cross to bear. Three differing points of view are represented throughout the book; Alex, Alex through the letters he writes to the judge, and the judge herself. Pay attention to the subtle foreshadowing so you don't miss critical elements in Sol's history. Don't forget to read the back flap of the book's dust jacket. Sonnenblick details a day in his classroom that serves as inspiration for this book. Then, just sit back and enjoy.

Tags: Notes from the Midnight Driver, Jordan Sonnenblick, YA literature