All the Way

by Andy Behrens

To Ian, being a nice boy is a curse. Ian is nothing like his best friend, Lance, who always gets the girls. And Danielle, the girl he met online this summer, is nothing like the girls Ian knows, who think he’s just a nice boy who should be their friend instead of boyfriend. Ian has plans to change things, though. The weekend before starting his senior year of high school, Ian is set to take off from Chicago for a weekend in Charleston, South Carolina to meet Danielle. His friends Felicia and Lance pile with Ian into his Granny’s Oldsmobile and start off down the road. It’s a long drive – nine hundred and thirty-five miles across six states – but to Ian, it’s worth it. At the other end of this road trip might be something he’s been waiting for, something that he’s been thinking about roughly every eleven seconds since puberty hit – sex. All the Way is a comedy of misguided hormones and hilarious detours, wherein a nice boy goes the distance for sex, but might find that something even better lives a little closer to home.

Genres: Young Adult, Humor, Contemporary, Romance, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Coming Of Age

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Andy Behrens is the author of two previous children’s books. He lives in Chicago with his wife and daughter.

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of seventeen year old Ian Lafferty starts out on a typical morning of a typical day. It’s a quick and humorous introduction to the life of a nice guy who’d like to be something less than, yet more than himself. He wants to kiss a girl, he wants to have sex with a girl and he wants it to be before the end of the summer. He’s got four days to accomplish his task and he even has the girl. What he doesn’t anticipate is the company of this two best friends on a road trip that takes several wrong turns.

I read this book in one sitting. I could not put it down. I laughed out loud and I shook my head in fond memory. Though I was never a seventeen year old boy, I had friends like Ian. We all did. What I particularly loved about this book was Ian himself. His struggle to be something he thought he wanted to be, while deep down, he really seemed to like himself. A deep sense of self assurance carries him even through the more precarious moments, a sense he does not lose touch with.

While some of their escapades bordered on the almost unbelievable, the author carries it off with enough humour and wit to keep the story rolling. It’s funny, even when it shouldn’t be. The writing isn’t literary, but it doesn’t have to be. It clearly conveys the story and doesn’t get in the way of the telling. Ian’s thoughts, and author’s use of exposition as well as dialogue, give a clear picture of the young man’s character. He’s utterly engaging!

I’d hesitate to recommend this book to its intended audience, teens, because of the mature themes, but that’s the mother in me talking. Realistically, I think it perfectly captures what is going through the mind of most seventeen year olds and ultimately it delivers a message worth reading.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seems like too many writers are turning their scripts into YA books (I Love You, Beth Cooper). This one was actually made into a movie ("Sex Drive"), and the book reads like a screen treatment. Of course, what wound up in the Hollywood version doesn't much resemble the book beyond the most basic elements, so even if you've seen the film, you can enjoy the book on its own terms. They both wind up in about the same place, but take completely different paths. And as Frost pointed out, that makes a lot of difference.

The characters aren't quite original , and the plot is just what you'd expect it to be. Still, Ian's trip goes down easily. In the same vein as The Last Great Getaway of the Water Balloon Boys, Swim the Fly, "The Sure Thing" and "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." It is decorated with R-rated sex and scatology, but at its core, "All the Way" is all about real love and realizing the value of truth and friendship. When done well, this genre can be funny and gross and sweet all at once. Behrens' version is adequate.

I'd suggest this to readers who aren't quite up to the demands of Doyle's book, who can't keep up with Audrey Wait or Spanking Shakespeare. I see the perfect reader as being those who want a naughty kick that doesn't demand much. It may be a near-perfect reluctant-boy read.

[Tommy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cant remember anything about this book, but I distinctly remember it being funny.

[Jake S · Rating 2 out of 5]

"All The Way" is a decent summer classic by Andy Behrens. At first it starts out as an average/boring kind of summer when Ian is stuck at home with a summer job while his two friend Felicia and Lance were out of town. Normally with the last week of summer they decide to take a trip to Chicago for a festival named "Lanceapalooza" which is creatively named after Lalapalooza. But, it all gets set back when Ian meets a girl online named Daniella. Daniella who lives in South Carolina is expecting to meet up soon and wants it to be the last week of summer. Which is a big pickle for Ian, but in the end decides to choose Daniella over his two friends. He tries to get out of going to Lanceapalooza by telling his friends that his grandmother is sick in the hospital and that he needs to drive up to visit her. They don't believe a word he says and they follow him to a walgreens where he is stocking up for his trip. When Ian sees them he quickly rushes to his car to explain what was really happening and Lance and Felicia were up for going with it. The story then takes a few more twists and turns which would be a huge spoiler for all people interested in reading it. But, what I will say is this book is a good book to read for entertainment as it is very funny. I gave this book a 2 out of 5 stars because it was entertaining but did lag at times with repetitive content that wasn't needed. I would recommend this to people that love humor and also for people that aren't heavy readers but like to read every once in a while for entertainment.

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars.

As are most of my reading tastes, this was a random thrift-store find that I had no prior knowledge about. I'd finished my TBR for this month, and needed something quick & easy to read. This was definitely it. Also, the naked book is stunning.
Ian's friends irritated me a bit; they just didn't seem to care about his interests, and Lance was such an ass. Ending was fairly predictable, but I didn't mind. That's what you get for $3 thrift store finds.
A fun, easy and predictable summer read. Finished it quickly and enjoyed every moment of it.

I read this book for the Read-a-thin readathon 2017. Challenges covered:
- Read a book set in summer
- Read a book with a summer themed cover

[Kenny Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun, easy read! Ended up reading the whole thing in two days and laughing the whole way through. The dialogue and story are a little over the top, but what good teen road trip book isn’t?!

[Michelle Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you've ever seen "Not another Teen Movie," you will like this book. Its main plot is ridiculous, and the ending feels a bit rushed, but the writing style and character development are what really kept me interested the whole time. It's definitely more on the satirical side, so keep that in mind.

[Carmen Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was fine I suppose. It was an extremely easy read. However, there was absolutely nothing unique about this story and the characters are not likable.

[Pyrate Queen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hoping to have sex for the first time with a girl he has met in on-line chat-room, seventeen-year-old Ian drives with his two best friends from Illinois to South Carolina.

[Anika · Rating 3 out of 5]

kinda weird

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Out of today's daring, provocative, and sometimes raunchy brand of comedy movies emerging as a genre all its own, few movies have the ability to make me laugh as did the 2008 landmark comedy Sex Drive. I watched this movie with friends on a regular basis to a point where we could quote any amount of dialogue from any scene. A friend of mine even looked into making an actual webpage out of the impromptu website Randy (of Andy & Randy) makes up while joking with Ian, totalfuckingawesomeness.com/werule. Needless to say, when I saw that this was based on a book, it was instantly on my to-be-read list. I ordered a copy for myself and a friend on Amazon and, upon receiving them in the mail, poured through it quite quickly. First off, as you may have guessed, this book falling under the category of teen fiction, it's easy to surmise that the book is much different from the movie. While they're both very entertaining, the book tends to be a little more predictable, but has its elements of suspense. Ian Lafferty, a timid high school senior nearing the end of his Summer break, has spent the past few months doing nothing of real excitement: working, playing video games, working. His two best friends, Felicia and Lance, have had much more interesting time off from school. Ian has kept busy with one other, more productive pastime, conversing over the internet with a cute sorority girl he'd been using experimental pickup techniques on. Though it seemed to be working, Ian's approach was procured by his more successful friend Lance, who'd spent his Summer mingling with attractive young girls by utilizing seemingly 'unethical' methods. Lance's aggressive-toned, confident, cocky, slightly rude style of approaching women was alien to soft-hearted Ian, but seemed to be working on his current prospect. Ms.Tasty agrees to see Ian at her sorority house if he'd be willing to make the journey to visit her. As fate would have it, this is the weekend that Lance and Felicia were supposed to accompany Ian to 'Lancapaloosa', an inner city field-trip to see Lance's cousin. Naturally Ian is stuck with his two friends in tow on his Summer-defining sex-trip. They encounter a series of friendship testing ordeals and comical situations while at the same time make revealing discoveries. Not a bad read. It doesn't take long to read through so I'd definitely recommend it for any fans of the movie or teen fiction enthusiasts.

[Joey Dice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very funny, enjoying, and made me want to keep reading because it made me want to know what happened next. It is about a kid named Ian Lafferty he is a nice boy but yet a teenage guy which means he often thinks about sex about every seven seconds. Ian is a sex crazed virgin though, Ian wants some excitement in his life this summer instead of doing is usal like working for the donut shop everyday and working in that horrific donut costume, so to had some thrill in his life this summer he meets this girl online Danielle.

Daniellle isnt like other girls he has met before she actuallly likes him as a boyfriend, I find this funny because before Ian goes on this internet site he tries hitting on girls and it just doesnt work he embarrasses him self and these girls laugh at him because he is stuttering he just doesnt know how to get a girl, the reason I find this funny is because talking to girls in like breathing it just naturally comes.

Anyways Ian and Danielle talk on email for a while and Ian says a bunch of stuff hes not because he thinks thats the only way she will like him if he doesnt act him self its east for Ian to lie because Danielle lives in South Carolina but only after talking for a while she sends him some inappropriate pictures and tells Ian to come to South Carloina for the best time of his life. So the weekend before his senior year Ian decides to go. His friends Lance and Felica are back in town and they always hangout before school starts but Ian makes up a lie this time and says hes going to his Grandmas, Lance and Felica dont believe him one bit. Ian leaves them and goes into Walgreens to buy snacks for the long trip and condoms for his sex drive. As Ian leaves his friends are outside waiting for him to try and convince them into going. As they talking Felica looks inside the bag and sees the condoms and they start laughing because this isnt like Ian.

They finally convince Ian to go with them and they travel to South Carlonia to drive to lose his V Card. This book is really good annd great humor and events happen. Read it!!!

[Silvia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Vielleicht verdient dieses Buch auch nur 1 Stern für diese unglaubliche Vorhersehbarkeit. Ian soll wohl als sympatisch rüberkommen und mehrmals im Buch wird betont, dass er ja der "nette" Typ ist, davon merkt man komischerweise gar nichts. Von Anfang an ist er unglaublich respektlos gegenüber seinem Chef und später auch gegenüber seinen Freunden. Auch sein "Womanizer"-Kumpel Lance ist nicht sympatischer und sucht sich tatsächlich in jedem Kaff und bei jeder Tanke ein Mädchen zum abschleppen, welches normalerweise "weniger Intelligenz besitzt als ein Toastbrot". Auch in den unpassendsten Situationen. Den einzigen Charakter den ich hier ein wenig sympatisch fand war Felicia, obwohl sie mir auch ganz schön oft auf die nerven ging.
Außerdem war wohl von dem 2. Kapitel an klar, was Felicia Ian sagen wollte. Und diese unbeholfenen Versuche in Ruhe mit ihm zu reden. Dann sag das einfach ein mal klar und deutlich und dann wird das auch was. Auch hier wurden die unpassensten Situationen gewählt.
Die 2 Sterne habe ich eigentlich nur vergeben weil gegen Ende doch etwas einigermaßen Unerwartetes passiert ist, aber vor allem meinem Freund zu liebe, der dieses Buch *wunderlicherweise* total gut findet.
Ich empfehle dieses Buch pubertären Mädchen und vor allem Jungs im Alter von 13-15, für mich war dieses Buch einfach zu lächerlich und zu... Sex-lastig. Zu pubertär. Zu dramatisch dargestellt. Zu vorhersehbar.

[Lotuslulu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book to add to my in-class book club thinking it might be something the seniors would enjoy reading because they could relate to some of the situations and thoughts of the characters. I wasn't wrong, but I choose it for the wrong class, this is too simple a read for 17 year old students, and so I have put it into the grade 9/10 selections instead.

This story reads with little depth, and its characters are too stereotypical to be relatable on anything more than a superficial level. It wasn't hard to predict what was going to happen, it was merely a matter of when. The premise of the book is great, and I had hoped it would open better dialogue with my own students than it did. I wouldn't read this again, nor would the students who read it with me, but it wasn't the worst thing we have picked up. It is an easy, quick read, that considering much of it is about sex, it is not too controversial in its approach or treatment of that topic. If anything, it was a chance to talk to some of the girls in the class about the rather dismissive attitudes about sex that are personified in the protagonist's best friend, Lance.

I wouldn't recommend this one for your class book club because there simply isn't enough meat to the story.

[Robbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sex Drive
by Andy Behrens
224 pages
Puffin
0142412600

Sex Drive is a comedy book. It was recently made into a movie as well. A boy soon to go to college, Lan is desperate to loose his virginity. The only problem is, he was the one all the jocks picked on. One day though, he found the perfect girl, chatting online. She invites him to a party one day and he agrees to go, and lies to his parents and friends about where he is going. Unfortunately his friends catch him and end up tagging along on his crazy road trip to get to the girl he met online.

This was one book i really enjoyed.It is my type of humor and the type of thing that catches my attention. Parts of it really had me dying. It's even a movie which is cool too. Since its a movie also, now after reading the book, i'm going to have to watch the movie and compare the two.

People who have a sense of humor would love this book. The context was easy to understand, and was about teenagers. It's a short but enjoyable read. I would suggest this book to teenagers/young adults who want to have a good laugh but not have to read anything complex.

[Danny Araujo · Rating 5 out of 5]

all the way is a book about a nice boy, Ian, and his friends that go on a ride from Chicago to south Carolina. the reason is because so Ian can meet the girl of his dreams that he met on the internet. driven by hormones, he and his friends Felicia and Lance go to south Carolina together. one external conflict is that Ian and his friends are becoming closer during the trip and a lot is revealed. one internal conflict is that Ian is being brainwashed by this girl and is doing things he never does.
i can connect this book to what teens do when people offer them sex, they would do things they would never do and end up screwing up everything. this is what almost all boys would deal with during this time.
i would give this book a 5, i loved it. it had humor conflict and adventure.i would recommend this book to people who want a laugh and want a crazy adventure with friends.

[Bryce]

All the way is a crazy funny book that keeps you reading the book from page one. Iain is a total loner who only has a few friends and spends all summer working and playing video games. Through out the summer he is talking to this girl online who really wants to meet him.In the last weekend of the summer he and his two friends take a road trip to lose Iains "v" card. In the end he ends up with the person he has been with his whole life.
The plot is very well paced and is very understandable. On the other had the charactors see a little unrealistic to me because i have never see such a mesh of different people like Iain the loser, and lance the ladys man i just dont see those two charctors going together.The stlye seems a little cliche boy wants girl out of his league but in the ends marries his neighbor? I want to read a book where the nerd ends up with the babe.

[Fatima · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. It was very unrealistic. Lance's constant messing up their plans was both frustrating to read and odd. No guy would be that impulsive that often, and if that guy is his friends wouldn't tolerate him that easily. Ian was virtually too easy on him, and if they are best best he would have known the depths of Lance's relationship history. Felicia was typical. She would go from being sing to being fine, which was awkward. You could tell from the point when her and Ian first talk in the novel that she likes him.
It was weird that he literally spent 5 minutes at Danielle's. Even though they didn't do what they were planning on I would have like to see them talk. It was unrealistic that they just went right to it.
All together I wish this book was rewritten with different road stops.

[reza]

This book is about a young man who works at a doughnut shop. Over the summer he didn't do much. He stayed home and played video games, and worked, while his friends were off having fun partying. He was talking to this girl he met online, and he made himself sound different than he really is. He talked like he was a jock, and he photo shopped his picture, and he thought that it was just for fun. Until she said that there was a party going on in the college she goes to, and said he should go. So he lies to his parents about going on a day trip to the city with his two friends, and lie to his two friends and say he's going to his grandmothers.
At a convient store his friends saw him, and he was cought. So now his friends were in on the trip to.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suspect you've read o seen this plot before. Virgin boy takes trip cross-country to meet with sure thing. Friends come along, one he may have feelings for. I suspect the draw of this book was that it has specific suburban Chicago references, and that the author is a darn good journalist, but I would just say no on this one. Most irritating was the fact that it's taking place among highschoolers of the current day (our hero has a smartphone) but there are too many references to the author's youth (our heroine referring to her enjoyment of Jem and the Holograms.) Hope for better from this author.

[Lauren Z. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personally i think this book may have been a little bit innapproprite, it was a good book but it was a little too detailed and could have done without some things. I liked the book but there were some things that i didnt like about it, the ending of the book reminded me of some personal issues and it made me think really hard and i just don't know. Other then that it was a generally a good book. I didnt pick this book out, my friend gave it to me because i needed a book and i ended up finishing this one.

[Jeff Sawtell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that All The Way was way better then the movie "Sex Drive." I could relate to te plot because I am a teenager. The plot was very modern day related. It was written as a narative which made the book more easy to understand. It's main theam was two hormone indused teenage boys and one girl going almost 2,000 miles so their best friend could lose his virginity to a girl that he met on the internet. Ian who is the main subject in this story was the one who was willing to drive all the way to North Carolina form Illinois. Just to meet this girl for the first time.

[Trevor Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book very much. The story starts with Ian trying to get out of going to Chicago with his friends.It has an intresting adventure story line to it about their adventure to get Ian laid in Charlston. I recomend this book to anyone who likes a funny exploration story. This book was enjoyable because it is an easy read that has a good sense of humor and kept my intrested. I could connect with the story when Ian goes to the store to buy condoms and he is embarassed because I've felt the same way.

[Susan O'connor · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was Avery mundane read. The whole premise is about a nerd trying to have sex with a hot chick over the Internet at the end of summer break. He drives 1000 miles to have his first sexual encounter Really? It was just over and over this happens and he can't have sex and this, in the end when he gets to have it he refuses finding out his true love was one of his female friends that went with him on the trip like duh! Blah is all I say...

[Camille · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars just because it was so cute. I got used to so many way over the top YA's, I forgot that books like these exist anymore. I have got to be honest though, this is one of the most cliche stories I have ever read. If you're an avid YA reader, you'd get how the story goes (or at least would've guessed it). But! And there is a but, if you looking for a quick read that's simple and funny, this is the book for you. I enjoyed the time I spent with this book, even if it was 3 years ago.

[halenka .⋆☾⋆˚₊✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 3.75 stars. This book was funny, entertaining and totally predictable, but hey, sometimes that's just what you need. & after reading Winger by Andrew Smith, I needed a no brainer. Also - I'm pretty sure I've seen this plot in a movie with Breckin Meyer... something about a road trip and a bus and a blonde college girl. I'm sure of it! This is not bad, but it's no Salinger. Just happy fluff. :) enjoy this quick read- I did!

[Robert Wharton · Rating 5 out of 5]

My good reads review: It was a very humorous book because the predicaments the characters found themselves in made me laugh. The plot moved at good pace; it went from scene to scene slow enough that they made sense and fast enough that I didn't get bored. It could have used a few grammar corrections though, then again, I was reading the unedited version. I really think that it's a book worth your time.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a little cliche, or maybe a lot, but I thought the story was good. You could see the eventual get together of Ian and Felicia from a mile away. But I enjoyed it. I was laughing a lot and the characterizations were good. Seems like an unlikely group of friends though. Ah well. 4 Stars.

[Sharlyn Paulino · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book because it fits into a teenagers life. Its a teenagers quest to meet this girl he met on the internet. It's interesting and funny at the same time. Ian, the main character of the book takes a road trip to meet Danielle, the girl he met on the internet.
This book is funny because throughout the trip all he thinks about is sex, and its normal for a teenage kid in high school.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had its moments. It reminded me a lot of the road trip in Paper Towns, but with less “finding the girl for love and understanding of yourself” and more “finding the girl for sex and slight understanding”. Still, I liked it well enough.

I totally found this book at Ollie’s for $1.99. I was beyond stoked, and I’m totally going back there all the time!

Now, I’m off to find the movie.