Here's to You, Zeb Pike

by Johanna Parkhurst

Fact: When Zebulon Pike attempted to climb what is now known as Pikes Peak, he got stuck in waist-deep snow and had to turn back.

That's the last thing Dusty Porter learns in his Colorado history class before appendicitis ruins his life. It isn't long before social services figures out that Dusty's parents are more myth than reality, and he and his siblings are shipped off to live in Vermont with an uncle and aunt they've never met.

Dusty's new life is a struggle. His brother and sister don't seem to need him anymore, and he can't stand his aunt and uncle. At school, one hockey player develops a personal vendetta against him, while Emmitt, another hockey player, is making it hard for Dusty to keep pretending he's straight. Problem is, he's pretty sure Emmitt’s not gay. Then, just when Dusty thinks things can't get any worse, his mother reappears, looking for a second chance to be a part of his life.

Somehow Zebulon Pike still got the mountain named after him, so Dusty's determined to persevere—but at what point in life do you keep climbing, and when do you give up and turn back?

Genres: Young Adult, M M Romance, LGBT, Contemporary, Romance, Family, Fiction

180 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 2012

About the author

Johanna Parkhurst grew up on a small dairy farm in northern Vermont before relocating to the rocky mountains of Colorado. Johanna taught middle and elementary school for fourteen years, and only once during that entire time did she ever have to rescue a sweatshirt from a ceiling fan. She strives to share stories of kids and young adults who are as determined, passionate, and complex as the ones she has shared classrooms with.

Johanna holds degrees from Albertus Magnus College and Teachers College, Columbia University. She loves traveling, the Food Network, skiing, hiking, and yelling at the TV during football and hockey season.

Reviews

[LenaLena · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are many YA books that I’ve enjoyed immensely. Gives Light by Rose Christo and Silent by Sara Alva come to mind. But I must say, this book felt much younger than most of the YA I’ve read, mostly because of the simplicity of the the story line. Dusty, the protag is 14, but if this book had had more swords and/or talking animals I wouldn’t have had a problem reading it to my 9 year old, it felt that young. As it is he would find it very boring, and I am pretty sure my 13 year old would too. If I’d had more time for this review, I might have asked him to read it and tell me what he thought.

The story is very predictable for those of us who have read more than 5 YA novels, and 95% of it is right there in the blurb. The characters are all fairly shallow and the story just doesn’t have any meat on its bones. Neither the home life drama nor the barely there love story hit me in the feels at any point. If you’re reading this for the romance, don’t. Teh Gay doesn’t even get mentioned at all until one third of the book in and all you get eventually is one short kiss. The romance was kind of tacked on, and that is really not a problem, since the story had bigger fish to fry (unfortunately those particular fish weren't very fascinating either), but if that is what you are looking for, be forewarned.

I don’t know. I feel like the Grinch, because obviously the author meant to write something true to life and something people can relate to, but it just didn’t do anything for me.

[Ulysses Dietz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read YA books with LGBT themes, and 35% into Joanna Parkhurst's "Here's to you Zeb Pike," I was wondering if the friend who recommended this to me had misunderstood something. Because Dustin Porter, the wounded, brave heroic adolescent at the center of this story, has more than enough to deal with in his young life without focusing on his emerging sexual awareness, and his story had already captured me, hook, line and sinker.

Then the other shoe dropped. And I was very glad.

Parkhurst manages the teenage voice extremely well, without dumbing down her writing or losing the key literary elements that anchor a story in a place and time. She gives us, both in flashback and in first person, a richly detailed portrait of a fourteen-year-old with all the prickliness of his age, yet yearning desperately to be loved.

And Parkhurst also gives us adults who matter. I realized as I finished this book that, ironically, the only adult who uses the word "love" is the one who is the least trustworthy and the least lovable. Which simply made me appreciate the truth in the saying that actions speak louder than words.

This book brought me near to tears any number of times, out of sheer sympathy with one or another of the characters. As one of two gay dads who adopted children in our middle years, I discovered a particular poignancy to a story that is both about parents who can't understand what an irreplaceable gift parenthood is; and about folks who yearn desperately to take on that role.

Of course I doubt many public schools will offer LGBT-themed YA books such as this one to their students, because we are still a society brimming with prejudices. It does me good to know that books like this are out there, because surely there are lots of teenagers who need them and the messages of hope they offer.

[Michael Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know! I know! Why am I just now reading this great YA coming of age story? Since this is my favorite genre and I try to read all of these books I can get my hands on.
That's just it, there's been a flood of good books out there and since I've heard great things about this book I knew I would want the paperback to add to my collection. So I waited for the right time to read this one. I kept putting it off and then I find out the sequel , Thanks A Lot, John LeClair, is being released December 15! So, definitely time to read this book!
And I am so glad I did. It is everything I love about YA coming of age books. Johanna Parkhurst is excellent at putting you in the mindset of a 14 year old, struggling to keep himself and his two siblings out of foster care while resisting the olive branch that's promising a whole new meaning of family.

As expected, this was an excellent, enjoyable read. Don't wait to read this gem like I did, the sequel will be out soon.

*****Five Gigantic Stars *****

[Tess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful! It's the story of an incredibly resilient and brave fourteen year-old boy adjusting to no longer having the responsibility for his much younger brother and sister when they are all taken in by their uncle and aunt. There's also a little bit of romance. Recommended!

[Jax]

Quit at 25%. Found the writing style simplistic and the characters like cardboard cutouts. For such an emotional subject, it felt flat & lifeless.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

Previously seen at

I have to state right away that I loved this book and read it straight off, in one sitting, I also have to say that it is more YA than M/M. It is a YA story whose main character happens to be gay rather than an M/M book that happens to be YA - and I would recommend it to everyone but most specially those readers that are actually Young Adults.

This story was both sad and hopeful, and right from the beginning I was on Dusty's side. Life has been hard for Dusty, his parents are more absent than there and Dusty steps into the role of mum and dad to his two younger siblings. It is obvious from the start that Dusty adores his siblings and he thinks nothing of looking after them. Never sure whether his mum will be at home when he gets in at the end of the day, Dusty manages to feed them all as well as ensuring the laundry is done, homework is done, housework is done, that Matt and Julia get to go out to the park, that they get a bedtime story each night - the list is endless, parents could take lessons from Dusty - all the while managing to keep adults, particularly authority figures, in the dark.

It is near the beginning of the book that things start to unravel, yet we see Dusty holding on so tightly to the world he has created, the world he is in charge of. While part of me longed for him to forgo the responsibility, part of me could completely understand him not wanting to give any of it up. He knew he could look after the three of them, he knew his brother and sister were safe in his care and it doesn't matter how kind the adults were who took over that care, he could feel control slipping from his grasp. I really, really felt for him.

I like the fact that this book offered a glimpse into the life of a teenager whose world didn't revolve around his social life. He had real problems and was coping admirably with them. The interactions between Dusty and the other characters felt so real. His brother and sister adored him and this didn't go away when they were put into a stable home background, but it was so easy to feel the jealousy that Dusty experienced when someone else was doing what he thought of as his job. With his friends, first with Race his childhood friend, then with Casey and Emmitt was easy to see the teenage boy inside. In fact, one of the lines that gives most insight into Dusty's mind is about Race. Dusty says,

'Race keeps my secrets well. He's the kind of friend you can make farting noises with during lunch and still trust to never tell anyone that you almost set his mother's couch on fire in the fourth grade. I'm never sure which quality I appreciate more.'

I think this is so telling - most 14 year olds would definitely appreciate the farting the most. Casey and Emmitt were great friends for him to find when he moved, even though it was his uncle who set that ball rolling. They let Dusty be, they didn't pry, and, as we found out, they had some understanding of how he felt - particularly Emmitt and his relationship with younger brother Casey.

I also really loved the tentative starting of his relationship. The fact that he'd accepted he was gay, but really it was so far down on his list of priorities he didn't really have time to wonder or worry about it. I personally would love another story about Dusty, one that did focus on his burgeoning relationship, especially as some of his other responsibilities have diminished. I would also like the chance to read more about his mum and how she ended up being the person she was. It's touched on, but it isn't her story so not extensively written.

The only thing that I was a bleurgh about with this book was the flashbacks to times when Dusty was let down by his parents. Personally I think it was unnecessary. I can see why these moments were added, to give us flavours of the times he coped when his parents weren't around, but honestly I think this came across well enough in the story anyway. Johanna Parkhurst had such a good way of writing that Dusty's situation was perfectly well explained without the flashbacks. Though, while I felt they didn't add to the story, they didn't take away from it either.

One last thing - the title. Zeb Pike was the mountaineer/explorer who Dusty was learning about when his world got turned on its head. I loved the comparisons all the way through to this, how Dusty related his experiences to that of Pike's and especially the question how do you know when to turn back? It was a great analogy for his life and the mountain he was trying to climb.

I really hope that lots of people read this book - especially young adults. It is a great story, beautifully written and I for one would love to hear more about Dusty and his life.

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luvvvv...luvvvvv this book.
Honestly for a book YA story with LGBT characters, this book not quite exploring that LGBT thing, how that LGBT charas deals with his new found sexuality and so and so, but the story indeed more about family relationship. And this story about family really moved me, make me teary just by remembering it.

The story was about Dustin Porter or Dusty, 14 nearly 15 yo. He's been taking care his younger brother & sister since he was like...ten. His father left them, his mother been skipping out on them based on her mood. And Dusty did his job well, until his 6 yo sister taken to the hospital and the social services found about their family situation. Soon Dusty and his brother & sister fly to Vermont, to live with his uncle & aunt they never knew before.

And things weren't easy for Dusty...

I LOVE DUSTY. That for sure.
When other 14 yo kids were just playing around, he's to make sure that his brother & sister well fed, read them a story before bed, rent paid, homework done, house clean, and make sure that the school never found about their parents.
I understand his discomfort with the new environment in Vermont. His uncle & aunt were nice & good people, but it's not easy for 14-yo kid who's always been alone to embrace every new thing in his life.

Not to mention when he's sure with his sexuality. Just another pile in his already high pile... XD

I love Dusty relationship with his brother&sister, his friendship with Race, with Casey...

AND I LOVE DUSTY WITH EMMITT.
Yes it's not enough of them together, but even with that lack amount of romance, Dusty - Emmitt were cute and sweet together. ♥

So, who's Zeb Pike then?
You can googled him ^..^

[Michael Bowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book that straddles a fine line between social commentary and entertainment, and succeeds at both. Dusty is a fourteen-year-old boy who lives in Colorado Springs with his younger brother and sister and essentially acts as their parent and caregiver. Why? Because Dusty’s parents are perfectly drawn examples of people who should never have had children in the first place and once they did, they made the youngsters’ lives miserable. It’s not because they’re evil people. On some level, Dusty’s mom does love her kids, but she’s too self-absorbed to commit to them on a daily basis, so she just disappears for days or weeks to party and do drugs. Dusty’s father is the same, though he makes no pretense of even wanting to live at home. So Dusty struggles to hold his family together, and has been doing as good a job as possible on and off since he was seven.
Heady stuff? Yes. As a teacher for many years and a volunteer within many venues, I’ve seen this situation first hand and sadly, putting the children into foster care is often worse than what they have at home. But Ms. Parkhurst gets the ball rolling right away with a crisis Dusty can’t control which brings his situation to the attention of authorities.
Unlike most of these situations, an uncle his mother never spoke of is unearthed in Vermont, and he and his wife are happy to take in the children. It’s a plot convenience that the couple can’t have children of their own and just happened to be in the process of completing the lengthy paper trail to adopt, but that’s okay. The story moves faster this way. Dusty has no interest in being uprooted, but his younger siblings can’t wait to have a real home and be taken care of the way they instinctively know children should be cared for. Both Julia and Matt, the younger kids, are well written and never does the author fall into that typical YA trap of having young kids talk and act like adults. Thank you, Ms. Parkhurst!
Likewise, Dusty’s narration is spot on. He sounds and thinks like a fourteen-year-old. I’ve seen some reviewers say his pouting and obfuscation and irrational unwillingness to give his Uncle Jack and Aunt Beth a chance chafed on their nerves. Welcome to the teenaged brain, people. As mature as Dusty may have been on a strictly survival basis in Colorado, his brain and maturity are not that of an adult and he cannot possibly think things through like an adult. Though not intentional, the author has presented a very vivid counter-argument to the idea in America that teens are and do think like adults when they get in trouble and thus should be sent to prison. Dusty is emotional, moody, stubborn, intractable, fears loss of control, fears losing the love of his brother and sister to these interlopers, and most importantly for a teen, he’s angry that no one ever asked him what he wanted. Yup, that’s a teenaged boy!
Will Dusty finally settle into his new life and be happy in Vermont? Will mom show up at the eleventh hour and screw over her kids yet again? These are the questions that propel the story forward. I loved the Zeb Pike analogy as Dusty struggles to make sense of this journey he’s been forced to take, and the ultimate message gleaned from Pike’s inability to scale the peak named for him: even when we’re determined to go in a certain direction, things change in life and sometimes we have to change course, too, and sometimes that new direction is better than the old.
One element that didn’t thrill me was the use of flashbacks at the beginning of each chapter from some incident in the past, an incident showcasing Dusty having to cope with his mother’s selfishness. I’m not a big fan of flashbacks, and I felt I didn’t need them by the halfway mark because I had a crystal clear picture of this woman and the trials and stress she’d put Dusty through. However, I applaud the author for continuing these flashbacks all the way through because, as horrific as these episodes were for Dusty, they reinforced his irrational desire to return to that instability rather than remain with two adults who clearly loved and wanted him and his siblings. The flashbacks clarified that he was a kid who didn’t know what to do anymore and not an adult with all the answers. So in the end, the flashbacks were another way to illustrate the irrationality of a teenager.
There was a very convenient plot development that seemed too simplistic for me, and that was Dusty’s crushing on the first boy he meets at his new high school, and how that all played out eventually. Dusty knows he’s gay, but never had a personal life in Colorado Springs where it could negatively or positively affect him. Emmitt is a good kid, but he is a junior and Dusty is a freshman and at that developmental stage, two years is a huge deal. Freshmen and juniors simply move in different social circles, as a rule, anyway. It didn’t quite work for me the way I think the author intended because it all just seemed a tad unrealistic.
Having said that, all the characters are extremely likable and there are some very emotional scenes that caught me up and got me misty eyed. I also like the way the author has Dusty meet a random character on the plane to Vermont and then pays off that plot strand later on. For me, that’s solid writing. I don’t know if there’s anywhere to go with a sequel by the end of this one, but if the author does decide to revisit these characters, I’ll happily revisit with her. They are real and heartfelt and I highly recommend you read this book and discover them for yourself.

[Phoebe Gee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story! The first person perspective felt like a 14 year old boy to me, and not like an adult thinking through a young adult's situation. It frustrates me to read a YA novel and find the thought process of the main character to be more mature than mys own(40+ years old)! I do enjoy reading the occasional YA LGBT story for my own entertainment, but I mainly read them to pass on to my 16yr old son. He is struggling in his search of self, so it is especially important that the story reads as if it is a peer he can relate to. This will definitely be added to his to read list.

Thank you, Johanna, for this little gem.

[Mrs. Schonour · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me hooked from the beginning, which is sure to happen with young adult readers! This well-written novel has believable and interesting characters that are sure to interest readers. The author does a great job getting into the head of a high school boy. It is clear Parkhurst has lived in both Colorado Springs and Vermont, as her settings are very accurate. The historical aspect adds a fun twist and provides even more intrigue. I want to know more about Zeb Pike after reading this book.

[ash · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF-ing at 17% which is way less than I usually give a book, but the voice and alternating POV chapters (first person to third person omniscient, not character POV) and plot just aren't for me.

Also, why are people from Colorado so obsessed with Colorado? Is it the altitude thinning their blood or what?

[E. Summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's to You, Zeb Pike is an excellent book. The title was intriguing and beckoned me in, but it was Dusty's voice and his story that kept me glued to my kindle form start to finish.

The basic points of the plot are revealed in the book blurb. Dusty Porter and his little brother and sister have been, in essence, abandoned by their parents, leaving Dusty to take care of himself and his siblings. Considering Dusty had to teach himself how to do everything, including laundry and budgeting whatever money his parents leave behind on their irregular "visits" with the kids, Dusty is actually doing a remarkably good job. Still, both he and his siblings are losing key parts of their childhood and have to be mature beyond their years.

Dusty doesn't like the situation, but he's determined to do whatever he needs to do to keep all three siblings together. Unfortunately, his sister's appendicitis reveals the scheme to the authorities, and the only family available to take the kids without splitting them up are an aunt and uncle they never knew existed who live in Vermont. Dusty resents having to leave Colorado Springs and his friends behind, and that's just the start of the storm of change that sweeps Dusty into uncharted territory.

The book works because Dusty, who narrates much of the story in first person, is very genuine. His confusion, frustration and resentment are perfectly described, as are his feelings for the older brother of his new classmate, who may or may not be gay. While Dusty's more mature than most boys his age, he's still a kid and he reacts as a kid would, including angst-driven episodes of acting out.

My one minor quibble with the book is the inclusion of some big coincidences in the plot that require a bit of suspension of disbelief, but the pace of the action and Dusty's commentary make that pretty easy. The author is so good that I didn't even mind what is normally my pet peeve in books, which is a change in voice. In this instance, the author cleverly used third person flashbacks to show the reader things that Dusty himself could not, a device I found very effective.

I would very enthusiastically recommend this book both to the young adults who are the intended audience and to older readers who enjoy the genre. It was definitely a five star read for me and a nice way to start off 2014.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first read the blurb and some blog posts about this book, I had a feeling I would love it. And I was right!

I found "Here's to You, Zeb Pike" to be a moving, sometimes frustrating (in a good way), always engaging story. I especially enjoyed the POV/voice in which the story is told - that of 14-year-old Dusty who has been taking care of his younger brother and sister for years after his father leaves and his mother begins being absent for ever-increasing lengths of times. Dusty is smart, sweet, admirable, self-reliant, giving and strong; he is also surprisingly dense/oblivious at times, hurtful to people trying to help him and selfish about certain things. He is defined by his devotion to his younger siblings and his desire to keep his small family (which does not include his parents) together. At one point he says, "...by now I've gotten pretty used to being sold out by my own parents." I loved his character!

Each chapter opens with a small account of a past event told in the third person (versus the first-person narration used in the rest of the book). I enjoyed how this construction unveiled pieces of Dusty's past and his personality as the main story moved forward, even though each bit of his pst broke another piece of my heart. I also liked how the story of Pikes Peak and Zeb Pike are woven into Dusty's evolving self-realization and acceptance of the changes to his life after his parent-less situation is discovered.

Jed, a minor but influential character, gives Dusty some advice about life from which I think anyone can benefit: "It never gets fair. The best you can do - the best any of us can do - is to figure out when you're going in the wrong direction and find the right one. That's all you can ever do."

I found the pacing of the story and the ending to be just right. Although, I will admit that I wish I could follow Dustin around longer and find out which direction turns out to be right for him.

[Carrie-Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually read Thanks A Lot John LeClair before reading this, even though this is technically first in the companion series. I really enjoyed it, so of course I wanted to dive into this one!

This is all about Dusty. His family is the most important thing to him, with a mother who runs off for weeks on end, and a dead beat father who see's him and his brother and sister a handful of times a year, he takes on the task of looking after his considerable younger siblings.

After his sister gets rushed to hospital because of an illness, authorities find out they're living alone, so the three of them are shipped off across the country to an uncle and aunt they didn't even know existed

I really enjoyed getting into Dusty's head and following him trying to process having a new home, his siblings not needing him as much anymore, and not having to be the head of the family. The weight should be lifted off his shoulders, but he still holds all of the responsibilities close to his chest. I really felt for him, and could understand why he got so stressed and annoyed with his aunt and uncle when they changed his routine with the kids. It's sad to think about drifting apart, and this is a constant worry for him.

On top of this, a new school means new friends, and his best friends older brother just so happens to catch his eye

I think both this book and Thanks A Lot.. have a lot of great aspects, here we have family and learning to change and adapt - slightly more serious topics, where as in Thanks A Lot.. we have a big sports element (hockey) and more of a gay romance type plot - I loved reading both of these for different reasons

[Niki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy this very insightful story of a young teen going through the upheavals in his young tender life. Dusty is such a marvelous protagonist and I love his very engaging and refreshing voice. His care for his kids sister and brother is simply heartwarming, his dealings with his parents heartbreaking. What I love about the plot is that the bad things have happened (we do get little snippets) and the story is about moving forward as these 3 wonderful kids find the 2 people who really love and care for them. The writer really conveyed Dusty's feelings so well as he rejects the changes, realizes that he has unconsciously embraced the 2 persons responsible and finally accept them, all the while struggling with the idea that he is gay. The confrontation between kids and their mother in the last part is sad but at the same time uplifting. For those looking for romance there is young love of course. All the secondary characters are so well developed. I am satisfied with the ending but I wish there is another book on these characters. Love Dusty, Matt, Jack, Emmitt and Casey.

[The Novel Approach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This booked moved me a lot, and as an adult reader, I feel this book transcends the shackles of the YA labeling and provides something for every reader out there. It was written with humour, sensitivity and grace. It provided message after message of positive enforcement for its young readers and will inspire apathy for anyone in contact with a struggling teen. This book means a lot, not only to myself but to anyone who will pick it up. Much like Huston Piner’s seminal masterpiece My Life as a Myth, Parkhurst has penned a brilliant coming of age story with a deep and profound moral tucked between each glorious page.

Full Review

[Jamieb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wasn't impressed, the whole story seemed too rushed with the main character coming to his realisations all at once after a conversation with a stranger, other characters around him seemed to just be there to pad out the story before it got to this point. The plot was very predictable, the characters were two dimensional especially the 'couple' who seemed to be together simply because the author wanted the MC to be in a relationship despite them lacking any kind of chemistry or the proper characterisation to make their relationship seem like anything but a convenience for the plot. Overall I can say that I've read better paced, more fleshed out, emotive and attention grabbing fanfiction than I have this novel.

[Forever Young Adult]

Graded By: Brian
Cover Story: Which Way Did He Go, George?
Drinking Buddy: God, This Kid Needs to Kick Back With a Virgin Cocktail
Testosterone Level: Just Keep It on an Even Keel
Talky Talk: And They Lived Happily Ever After
Bonus Factors: LGBTQ, Zebulon Pike, 1779-1813, Foster Family
Bromance Status: That New Kid With the Backstory

Read the full book report here.

[Chuck R · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. I'm not one to hope for a sequel, but I hope there's a sequel... I absolutely fell in love with every single character in this novel. Bravo Ms. Parkhurst on crafting such a beautiful story.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pretty much hooked on Dusty's story from the first page. I loved that the characters, relationships and emotions felt real and this story has me in tears more than once. Even the adults were three dimensional, which I've found is rare in YA m/m books.

[J. Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Such a cute and warming story. The only thing was that the like friendship/romance wasn't as detailed as was the family moments which were the best dont get me wrong but I feel the other was a little rushed because of it.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story. Kept my interest the entire time. Dusty was a fantastic character.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review also appears on my blog alexreadsboooks
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Dusty Porter has been caring for his siblings for years when his sister Julia has to go to the hospital because of appendicitis and social services find out. Dusty, Matt and Julia get  shipped out to Vermont to live with their aunt and uncle they didn't know about, but that doesn't solve all of Dusty's problems. At school one hockey player instantly decides to hate Dusty, while another hockey player, Emmitt, is reason for Dusty to overthink the whole "pretending to be straight" act. And on top of that his mother reappears and wants to be a part of his life again.


Source: Goodreads.com
If you've been following my blog you have probably seen me talk about the companion to this book, Thanks a lot, John LeClair. I really loved that book, so Here's to you, Zeb Pike had a lot of expectations to live up to. Thankfully it has no  problems in actually doing just that.

The central focus of this book is Dusty's relationship with his family, most importantly his siblings and his aunt and uncle. It was really well done, and I thought it was really interesting to read about how much Dusty struggles to accept that he doesn't have to care for his siblings all on his own anymore. Most importantly Dusty's struggles felt realistic and Parkhurst really makes you care for him.

On top of that the romance between Dusty and Emmitt is just really cute and lovely. I loved them as boyfriends in Thanks a lot, John LeClair, but they're already super cute as not quite boyfriends. And on top of that Here's to you, Zeb Pike makes some of Dusty's choices in the companion novel seem a bit more logical than without knowing all of his backstory.

You'll probably see a lot more of this book on my blog, because I really loved it, and while you can read Here's to you, Zeb Pike and Thanks a lot, John LeClair on their own, I'm not sure why you would want to.

[Andreja · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Kid, what you don’t realize is that you don’t have to control everything anymore. You think you do, but you don’t. You don’t have to be in charge, controlling everything now, because there’s somebody else there to help you when you get into stupid fights, somebody to wait up for you all night. You’re not going to fall off the edge anymore…. There’s a floor under you now when things go wrong.”

Sometimes the mountain peak is not the goal, it's the will to start climbing and to find courage to know sometimes the right decision is to stop in the middle and head home.
Dusty never had an easy life, since he could remember he was more of a parent to his siblings than a brother. The only thing that was important was keeping his sibling safe, fed and with a roof above their heads. Suddenly the secret is out and he and his sibling are sent to live to an uncle and an aunt they never knew even existed. The sudden change brings chaos into his life, a rearrangement of thins he knew and he is standing on the Pikes Peak mountain not knowing it he should keep going or turn back.
This is quite a wonderful book and Dusty is a heartwarming teenager with lot of love for his younger siblings, too much responsibility at such a young age and a questioning sexual orientation. Not a small task for someone at fourteen, but he manages it quite good.

The man himself, Zebulon Montgomery Pike

[Mary Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars is not enough.
This story is amazing. i LOVED it from the first page till the last one.

it was so real and so sad how those kids were so lonely for so long it was heartbreaking. it is a really good thing I've already read book #2 because it was really difficult to read about Dusty's life. sure, he was doing just fine (in theory) but it was unfair for him to spend his life taking care of his siblings and worrying about everything.

i loved Dusty. i loved him for being such a wonderful, strong and loving boy, for being a great, caring brother and finally for giving Jack and Beth a chance.

I loved this book and i am head over heels with Dusty.
Dear Johanna Parkhurst, please write more books about them!

[Lois - Who Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, that was not what I expecting at all. Dusty is fourteen and taking care of his two young siblings, because of his really horrible parents are very seldom around. Dusty is basically a full-time parent and, of course, this is not sustainable and everything falls apart. Understandably, when life changes Dusty has a really hard time adjusting. It’s not like he can cut the cord after years of being a parent and he feels guilty for wanting to do normal teenage things like skateboarding and going to his first high school party. I was brought to tears several times throughout this book and just gave up wiping the tears away for those last few chapters.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story of teenage Dusty who is struggling to take care of his two younger siblings as his parents are mostly absent from their lives. When an emergency happens, his cover is blown and the authorities find out about his living situation. As things change, Dusty has trouble adjusting to his new life and his feelings for a new friend.

I quickly became sucked into this story and Dusty's challenges. Written for a teenage audience it is a coming-of-age story with just a hint of a romance. The author does a great job of honestly portraying Dusty's emotions.

[Chiara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[reading-always · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay. It was cute at some times and reasonably compelling at others. Some of the writing was clunky or younger, perhaps, than its audience. Worthwhile but not phenomenal.

[Alberto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great YA novel about growing up sooner than needing to because of absentee parents.