What do you think?
Rate this book
Riding Out the Storm
Zach is riding the Greyhound bus through a snowstorm to visit his older brother Derek, whom he hasn’t seen in seven months. That’s when their parents finally went broke paying Derek’s doctor’s bills and had to give him up as a ward of the state. Nothing—not drawing in his sketchbook, not basketball—lets Zach forget that his brother is living in a mental institution five states away. But surprisingly, sitting next to a talkative teenage girl he nicknames Purplehead starts to take the edge off Zach’s pain.
Prompted by a chain of unpredictable events and by the people he meets along the way, Zach’s cynical humor gives us a poignant look at medical insurance and health care systems for the mentally ill, and at the everyday fears, joys, and revelations of adolescence.
Prompted by a chain of unpredictable events and by the people he meets along the way, Zach’s cynical humor gives us a poignant look at medical insurance and health care systems for the mentally ill, and at the everyday fears, joys, and revelations of adolescence.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2012
4 people are currently reading
482 people want to read
About the author
Sis Deans
9 books4 followersSis Deans was born and raised in Maine, USA. She has won several regional awards, including the 1995 Main Chapbook Award. Sis now lives on a small farm in Maine with her husband and three daughters.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 2, 2018
*3 and a half stars*
March 22, 2013
14 yr old Zach and his grandfather are riding a greyhound bus from Portland, Maine to New Jersey during Christmas break during a blizzard to visit his older brother. Derek, the brother, is bipolar and has been made a ward if the state because the family can no longer afford his care and treatment and because Derek resists his diagnosis and medications to treat it. In essence, this snowy journey gives Zach time to reflect on all that has happened to his family, assisted by a serendipitous meeting on the bus with a cute goth girl, a couple of years his senior.
The author was writes about the financial hardships that people who are mentally ill or who have family members who are mentally ill face and the absurd insurance limitations and restrictions. But aside from the enormous financial hardships Zach's family faced (running through their savings, losing their home), it seems that the author should have also focused on the emotional cost more. It is mentioned to be sure, but Zach seems to think that it would be better if Derek were at home with the family not in a residential treatment facility. Sadly, it doesn't seem like anyone is addressing Zach's needs after living with a bipolar sibling who used him as a personal punching bag. I think she presented a clear picture of Zach as conflicted about the illness but loving his brother despite the illness that caused so many rifts in his family. Overall, very slow and plodding, much like riding a Greyhound bus! I don't think this novel created understanding or empathy to distinguish it. Likeable but not compelling.
The author was writes about the financial hardships that people who are mentally ill or who have family members who are mentally ill face and the absurd insurance limitations and restrictions. But aside from the enormous financial hardships Zach's family faced (running through their savings, losing their home), it seems that the author should have also focused on the emotional cost more. It is mentioned to be sure, but Zach seems to think that it would be better if Derek were at home with the family not in a residential treatment facility. Sadly, it doesn't seem like anyone is addressing Zach's needs after living with a bipolar sibling who used him as a personal punching bag. I think she presented a clear picture of Zach as conflicted about the illness but loving his brother despite the illness that caused so many rifts in his family. Overall, very slow and plodding, much like riding a Greyhound bus! I don't think this novel created understanding or empathy to distinguish it. Likeable but not compelling.
September 3, 2020
Personal Response: This was not a very good book. It was extremely boring and did not have much that happened in it. I do not think I would ever read this book again.
Plot Summary: In the book, a young boy named Derek is traveling on a bus with his grandfather to go visit his brother who is in a mental hospital. He becomes friends with this girl who’s name we never really found out. While they are on the bus a huge snow storm happens and the bus crashes. Everyone who was on the bus was picked up and sent to South Station where they waited for the next bus to take them the rest of the way. The book never said if Derek and his grandfather made it to see Derek.
Recommendation: I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read very boring books. Or if you are interested in bus trips you might like this book. Otherwise, I really would not recommend this book to anyone.
Plot Summary: In the book, a young boy named Derek is traveling on a bus with his grandfather to go visit his brother who is in a mental hospital. He becomes friends with this girl who’s name we never really found out. While they are on the bus a huge snow storm happens and the bus crashes. Everyone who was on the bus was picked up and sent to South Station where they waited for the next bus to take them the rest of the way. The book never said if Derek and his grandfather made it to see Derek.
Recommendation: I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read very boring books. Or if you are interested in bus trips you might like this book. Otherwise, I really would not recommend this book to anyone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2013
Riding Out The Storm
I thought the book was very good because it was very well described. I did not really care for the book because when Zach was telling a story it was very confusing because he made it seem like he was relieving the story. I liked Purple Head because she is always honest and was willing to help people if they needed it. Helping people is good because it shows that you care and are willing to help them. I would recommend this book for kids that are in 8th- 12th grade to both female/ male. Kids in 8th -12th grade would understand it more than kids younger than that. younger kids would not understand it because of the way it is told.
By Audrey Voss
I thought the book was very good because it was very well described. I did not really care for the book because when Zach was telling a story it was very confusing because he made it seem like he was relieving the story. I liked Purple Head because she is always honest and was willing to help people if they needed it. Helping people is good because it shows that you care and are willing to help them. I would recommend this book for kids that are in 8th- 12th grade to both female/ male. Kids in 8th -12th grade would understand it more than kids younger than that. younger kids would not understand it because of the way it is told.
By Audrey Voss
July 26, 2023
Such a short but fantastic book. I like that the entire plot of this book takes place on a greyhound bus- it’s literally about the journey from one state to his destination state. We see the main characters observations of people who come on the bus, his convos with his girl crush on the bus, and through his thoughts we see flashbacks of his family situation where he didn’t have lots of money growing up and his brother had serious behavioral problems and got all the girls and he kind of lived in his shadow but now his brother is a ward of the state so he’s on the bus visiting him for christmas. i liked the language- they spoke accurate to what you’d see for a low education low SES family. i like the fact that this girl gave him attention and allowed him to feel happy for the first time. I wish the book was longer i really wanted to see the reunion and confrontation with the brother but i guess that’s the beauty of the book. truly dark and eerie. there’s even an intense car accident scene. i loved it!
April 20, 2019
Rating rounded up from a 1.5 because I'm aware I'm too old for this book.
For a young adult road trip book about accessible mental health care, I'm still shook that they turned it into a manic pixie dream girl relationship book. Judge a book by its cover.
For a young adult road trip book about accessible mental health care, I'm still shook that they turned it into a manic pixie dream girl relationship book. Judge a book by its cover.
May 18, 2021
It felt very artificial and the lack of flow stopped me from getting into the story, but there were some moments where I cared about the characters. (However, the main character was very unlikable most of the time.)
2.5-3/5
2.5-3/5
March 5, 2012
Seven months have kept thirteen-year-old Derek from his sick brother Zach. Now that Zach is a ward of the state at seventeen and his parents have lost everything trying to help him, Derek and his grandfather board a Greyhound in the middle of a fierce snowstorm to see Zach for the first time since he was taken away. Along his journey we learn about Zach's illness and the devastating effects it had on his entire family. When Derek starts talking with a girl he has dubbed Purplehead, Derek thinks that maybe this long bus ride won't be so bad after all.
The story behind Zach's illness is revealed in short flashbacks as Derek recounts the demise of Zach's health and the series of hospital and doctor visits that lead to the loss of their family home. It all started with mild rebellion, but soon the family realized that Zach was more than just a little hot-headed. His highs and lows were more than the family could bare and after a suicide attempt, they lost Zach along with everything else. I really enjoyed learning exactly what happened to Zach. In the beginning, we weren't sure how sick Zach is or the nature of his illness. This part of the story slowly evolves over time and the pacing of the reveal was very well done.
Purplehead, we never do learn her real name, has an interesting story of her own. I love that she comes off as a tough, can't-touch-me kind of girl but through time and late night conversations, she opens up to Derek. Turns out her life isn't picture perfect either and they both figure out they have more in common than they thought. Their sarcastic and witty banter is enjoyable and gives the heavy story a much needed comedic break
I had a little trouble with Zach and the consistency of his speech. At the beginning of the story, Zach comes off as a street kid with a heavy crunk or thug speech pattern. Using words like: yuh, hafta, musta....were prevalent in the beginning, but towards the end of the book, they were used sparsely. I'm not sure why that it is, but for me the difference was noticeable. Generally, it did not sway my opinion of the book. I enjoyed Derek and my heart weighed heavy on his family's situation. I think the book conveys an honest look into two lives with deep-rooted family issues while touching on the very political and jaded medical industry.
*Cover update - I enjoy the addition of Purplehead on the cover and it gives it all a little less psychotic feel. I know, interesting choice of words, but with two Derek's on the cover like the one above, that is my interpretation. Plus, that is pretty much how I pictured Purplehead.
The story behind Zach's illness is revealed in short flashbacks as Derek recounts the demise of Zach's health and the series of hospital and doctor visits that lead to the loss of their family home. It all started with mild rebellion, but soon the family realized that Zach was more than just a little hot-headed. His highs and lows were more than the family could bare and after a suicide attempt, they lost Zach along with everything else. I really enjoyed learning exactly what happened to Zach. In the beginning, we weren't sure how sick Zach is or the nature of his illness. This part of the story slowly evolves over time and the pacing of the reveal was very well done.
Purplehead, we never do learn her real name, has an interesting story of her own. I love that she comes off as a tough, can't-touch-me kind of girl but through time and late night conversations, she opens up to Derek. Turns out her life isn't picture perfect either and they both figure out they have more in common than they thought. Their sarcastic and witty banter is enjoyable and gives the heavy story a much needed comedic break
I had a little trouble with Zach and the consistency of his speech. At the beginning of the story, Zach comes off as a street kid with a heavy crunk or thug speech pattern. Using words like: yuh, hafta, musta....were prevalent in the beginning, but towards the end of the book, they were used sparsely. I'm not sure why that it is, but for me the difference was noticeable. Generally, it did not sway my opinion of the book. I enjoyed Derek and my heart weighed heavy on his family's situation. I think the book conveys an honest look into two lives with deep-rooted family issues while touching on the very political and jaded medical industry.
*Cover update - I enjoy the addition of Purplehead on the cover and it gives it all a little less psychotic feel. I know, interesting choice of words, but with two Derek's on the cover like the one above, that is my interpretation. Plus, that is pretty much how I pictured Purplehead.
October 8, 2013
Zack is taking the bus with his Gramps to go see his brother Derek, who has spent the last 7 months in a mental institution 5 states away. A chance meeting with a goth-girl a couple years older than Zack make the bus ride a little more interesting, as these two characters develop a friendship and share their troubles in a way they have never shared with anyone else. The story was believable and helps to shed some light on the emotions that teenagers go through when dealing with family issues including, divorce, financial hardships, mental illnesses, and health issues.
While the story was believable, it was told from Zack's point of view and an almost stream of consciousness. This was a bit hard for me to read, as his speech pattern was a bit off and he used words such as "yuh" instead of "you or your" but other times he used the word correctly. Overall a quick and easy read, but I could not quite get into Zack's "voice"
This would be a good book for middle grade students.
While the story was believable, it was told from Zack's point of view and an almost stream of consciousness. This was a bit hard for me to read, as his speech pattern was a bit off and he used words such as "yuh" instead of "you or your" but other times he used the word correctly. Overall a quick and easy read, but I could not quite get into Zack's "voice"
This would be a good book for middle grade students.
August 26, 2012
8th, High School Zach, a middle school aged boy, is heading on a greyhound bus to visit his bipolar brother in a hospital in New Jersey. Deans was inspired to write this story after reading an article in the Portland Press Herald about families losing custody of their children with mental illnesses after their health insurance cuts them off. In this story Zach meets a wide array of characters on the bus trip and one girl in particular, that helps him come to terms with what he had been through, and what he will be continuing to deal with. I think the content puts it in the high school age range.
April 20, 2013
Zach is taking a bus trip with his Grandfather to visit his older brother Derek. Derek is mentally ill and this has caused his family to lose their home, their savings, almost everything. On the bus, he meets a girl and the two strike up a friendship. Will Zach tell her what he can’t share with anyone; the truth about his brother? This is a well written story about the toll that mental illness takes on a family, and how our health care system doesn’t support this particular disease. Zach is an 8th grader, but I would refer this to a bit older crowd.
Crossposted to kissthebook.blogspot.com CHECK IT OUT!
Crossposted to kissthebook.blogspot.com CHECK IT OUT!
March 5, 2015
The entire book is a Greyhound bus ride, but there's plenty of stories to keep you interested! Zach is riding with his Grandpa to see his brother Derek, and, as you read, you find out more and more about Derek. Zach is only in 8th grade, but is fascinated by the sophomore girl sitting next to him on the bus. Zach calls her "Purplehead" and the two swap life stories. She's pierced and painted black, and he's a basketball star, yet they get along just fine. It's a sweet, gentle read.
January 18, 2013
I think that this will work for the lower end. It takes place during one whole bus trip. The protagonist is in 8th grade and narrates from his perspective of his bipolar brother. He learns from his brothers mistakes, but is still a teenaged boy. A YES vote for me.
February 3, 2013
Usually I like books where one of the main characters has a mental health issue, but this one didn't really grab me- maybe because it was told second hand through his brother... "Purplehead" was a well-defined character and the bus setting was interesting.
March 7, 2015
This was an interesting, quick read but doesn't really delve too deeply into anything so it was difficult to connect to the characters.
Good for younger readers who like reading issue-centric books.
Good for younger readers who like reading issue-centric books.
January 3, 2012
An excellent and touching story of a trip via Greyhound through a snowstorm, on the way to visit a mentally ill older brother.
Read
January 23, 2012Good book. Ironic thing was it is about being stuck on a bus (and then a bus station) due to a snow storm. Good thing I read it while stuck in my apartment for a week due to a snow storm. Funny.
Want to read
March 27, 2012ya, mental illness, family, finding peace
July 19, 2012
It was a good story but I was hoping... for more to happen.
July 4, 2013
Amazing perspective.
February 15, 2016
This wasn't what I thought it was going to be. It was really disappointing. I wasn't a fan of the writing style or the story. I thought it was boring and it just dragged.
February 22, 2012
An engrossing, fast-paced, realistic story.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews