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Furious
After years racing go-karts and looking up to her mother, a celebrity Formula 1 racer, Jojo Emerson-Boyd should be starting her own racing career. But when she loses her mom in a tragic crash, Jojo’s future comes to a screeching halt. Now her dad won’t let her get a license, much less race. Instead, she’s stuck working at her grandmother’s mechanic shop in the sleepy small town of Dell’s Hollow.
But Jojo’s heart quickens when Motorcyle Girl Eliana “El” Blum shows up at the shop. El grew up on the motocross circuit sidelines, watching her sister and idol Maxine compete. When El mysteriously loses all contact with Max, she’s determined to find her, with her first clue leading straight to the mechanic shop, and to Jojo.
United by fate, the two quickly bond over Mario Kart showdowns and the Fast & Furious films. As their friendship shifts into something more, they’ll have to confront both their growing romance and the grief woven into their complicated families if they hope to chase down their dreams and make it across the finish line.
But Jojo’s heart quickens when Motorcyle Girl Eliana “El” Blum shows up at the shop. El grew up on the motocross circuit sidelines, watching her sister and idol Maxine compete. When El mysteriously loses all contact with Max, she’s determined to find her, with her first clue leading straight to the mechanic shop, and to Jojo.
United by fate, the two quickly bond over Mario Kart showdowns and the Fast & Furious films. As their friendship shifts into something more, they’ll have to confront both their growing romance and the grief woven into their complicated families if they hope to chase down their dreams and make it across the finish line.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published June 4, 2024
25 people are currently reading
4126 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
September 27, 2024
**'There are many ways to tell a story, just don't embellish or overwrite your insight. Be transparent and always let your language be your point..'
3.5 stars!
A surprisingly nice YA story. Had to lower my rating because the ending was rushed -- otherwise it's still enjoyable.
Recommended book!
3.5 stars!
A surprisingly nice YA story. Had to lower my rating because the ending was rushed -- otherwise it's still enjoyable.
Recommended book!
June 10, 2024
4 stars
Sapphic F1 with a gorgeous cover? 👁️ 👄 👁️
Sapphic F1 with a gorgeous cover? 👁️ 👄 👁️
August 17, 2024
honestly i hoped for more mostly because i wrote my own version of this book in my head and it didn’t follow my script
July 23, 2024
If you are a racing fan. Do not read this book. It will make you furious (not unlike the title of this book).
There is a lot of Fast and Furious references in this book. And you know what. Cool. Fine. Terrible movies and not at all true to racing but fine. Have at it.
F&F and actual racing? Nothing in common. I'm not kidding.
As someone who worked in racing, I can honestly say that racecar people do not take those movies seriously.
This book reads like the authors know absolutely nothing about racing. Maybe they watched an episode of Drive to Survive and decided to write a book about it. THERE WERE SO MANY THINGS THAT WERE WRONG I WAS LOSING MY MIND.
Is it so hard to find a fun racing book where the writers at least take the time to know what it is they are writing about? IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR?!
I want to list all the things that were wrong (Like how NASCAR and F1 do not intersect at all and the likelihood of the daughter of a NASCAR driver wanting to get into F1 is insanely rare. Especially an American. If she desperately wanted to get into open wheel, it would be Indycar. F1 is a hard place to go for an American, and they would have to move to Europe for that anyway). But I'll stop there. I couldn't get past all of it. It hurt my racing heart way too much.
There is a lot of Fast and Furious references in this book. And you know what. Cool. Fine. Terrible movies and not at all true to racing but fine. Have at it.
F&F and actual racing? Nothing in common. I'm not kidding.
As someone who worked in racing, I can honestly say that racecar people do not take those movies seriously.
This book reads like the authors know absolutely nothing about racing. Maybe they watched an episode of Drive to Survive and decided to write a book about it. THERE WERE SO MANY THINGS THAT WERE WRONG I WAS LOSING MY MIND.
Is it so hard to find a fun racing book where the writers at least take the time to know what it is they are writing about? IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR?!
I want to list all the things that were wrong (Like how NASCAR and F1 do not intersect at all and the likelihood of the daughter of a NASCAR driver wanting to get into F1 is insanely rare. Especially an American. If she desperately wanted to get into open wheel, it would be Indycar. F1 is a hard place to go for an American, and they would have to move to Europe for that anyway). But I'll stop there. I couldn't get past all of it. It hurt my racing heart way too much.
September 22, 2025
Three race cars 🏎️🏎️🏎️
This book was cute enough, I guess, but being that the only fast car I care about is Tracy Chapman’s, I am probably not the target audience for this one.
This book was cute enough, I guess, but being that the only fast car I care about is Tracy Chapman’s, I am probably not the target audience for this one.
March 16, 2025
OH MY STARS LOVED THIS ONE
August 21, 2024
Can confirm this is a teen book. Also…I need the version Alessia wrote in her head…it sounded more exciting…
April 26, 2024
🔥 🛞 A wild ride sapphic YA story with Fast and Furious vibes 🛞 🔥
This was a joy to read and pulled me out of a reading slump. It’s packed with action, racing, and mystery surrounding family events whilst still having a fairly strong focus on the developing sapphic romance too.
Furious is a book for the gays who grew up obsessed with cars, motorbikes, or the F&F films. It’s for the carabiner wearing tomboys and I LOVE that.
Rep// bisexual MC, Jewish lesbian MC. MC’s grandma is also sapphic and in a relationship with a woman.
Set in: USA
TW’s and CW’s listed below:
Tw// street racing, illegal driving, scene involving police, death of a family member (in past).
This was a joy to read and pulled me out of a reading slump. It’s packed with action, racing, and mystery surrounding family events whilst still having a fairly strong focus on the developing sapphic romance too.
Furious is a book for the gays who grew up obsessed with cars, motorbikes, or the F&F films. It’s for the carabiner wearing tomboys and I LOVE that.
Rep// bisexual MC, Jewish lesbian MC. MC’s grandma is also sapphic and in a relationship with a woman.
Set in: USA
TW’s and CW’s listed below:
Tw// street racing, illegal driving, scene involving police, death of a family member (in past).
November 27, 2024
3.5 rounded up* i feel like this premise was specifically made for me though i haven’t been involved in racing since i was a kid and we we were more of a nascar family than an f1 it was still a story i enjoyed. despite some of the racing parts not making sense.
specifically i drove mini sprints throughout my childhood and cause i grew up in a racing family the remark about jeff gordon racing since he was 5 and jojo racing at 4 and a half to have a leg up was actually my exact experience. i have a picture of me at 4 years old in my yellow mini sprint race car it was a fond memory to recall.
(also not a fan of F&F but it you had references to the 2005 herbie remake i would of ate that up)
specifically i drove mini sprints throughout my childhood and cause i grew up in a racing family the remark about jeff gordon racing since he was 5 and jojo racing at 4 and a half to have a leg up was actually my exact experience. i have a picture of me at 4 years old in my yellow mini sprint race car it was a fond memory to recall.
(also not a fan of F&F but it you had references to the 2005 herbie remake i would of ate that up)
Want to read
October 27, 2023"Becky Albertalli meets the Fast & Furious films in this heartfelt, funny sapphic YA contemporary novel"
hell yeah
hell yeah
August 23, 2024
Content warnings for: alcohol, death of parent, grief.
Rep: Jojo is cis, white, and bisexual. El is cis, white, Jewish and lesbian. Side enby character, side POC characters, side queer characters.
Did I go and watch The Fast and The Furious after the first third of the books having copious references that just flew over my head? Yes. Yes I did (no, I had not seen any of them prior to this).
This was quite fun. I enjoyed the family dynamics as well as the cute romance between Jojo and El.
Rep: Jojo is cis, white, and bisexual. El is cis, white, Jewish and lesbian. Side enby character, side POC characters, side queer characters.
Did I go and watch The Fast and The Furious after the first third of the books having copious references that just flew over my head? Yes. Yes I did (no, I had not seen any of them prior to this).
This was quite fun. I enjoyed the family dynamics as well as the cute romance between Jojo and El.
September 23, 2024
A heartfelt Sapphic YA romance between a bisexual teen girl and a lesbian who bond and fall in love over a shared joy of racing and their mutual fandom for the Fast & the Furious movies. This book had emotional depth and unique settings/characters. Perfect for anyone who crushed on Michelle Rodriguez and enjoys a good Appalachian queer teen romance.
CW: absentee sister, deceased mother
CW: absentee sister, deceased mother
August 13, 2024
Loved every second of this book. I absolutely loved Jojo and El. I had a lot of laughs and some cries. But I highly recommend this book to everyone.
January 29, 2025
Furious is a cute and sweet read that I didn’t expect to touch on the many ways grief and dealing with grief can manifest. While this book didn’t feel like anything groundbreaking, it’s comforting to know there is more queer storyline’s entering YA that are going to appeal to different individuals.
June 28, 2024
Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos have teamed up to write one of the coolest YA sapphic novels of the year. Furious is a coming-of-age story about two girls who both seem to have lived lives beyond their young years.
Jojo lived her life in the fast lane and on the sideline of formula one tracks. Her mother was a well-known racer, and Jojo’s own skills meant she was on the same path to success. Until her mother was killed in a horrific crash. With her father banning any form of racing and moving her back to the small town he grew up in, Jojo keeps her goals close to her chest while working in her grandmother’s mechanic shop.
El was taught to ride motorcycles by her sister, who was a champion on the local motorcross circuit. Suddenly, she quits and disappears from El’s life. The occasional postcard had El certain she wanted to come home, and El took it onto herself to make it happen.
When Jojo offers to help El find her sister, the two embark on a journey of self-discovery, love, chasing dreams, and accepting what can’t be changed.
Written in first-person narrative, El and Jojo’s stories are both heartbreaking and satisfying. Their joint obsession with the Fast and Furious franchise is fun and adds another layer of relevancy to the overall story. There is a happy ending, which is what we all hope for, but this one is realistic and keeps with the theme of independence and friendships. Don’t miss this cute and clever book.
I received an ARC via NetGalley, and am leaving my voluntary review
Jojo lived her life in the fast lane and on the sideline of formula one tracks. Her mother was a well-known racer, and Jojo’s own skills meant she was on the same path to success. Until her mother was killed in a horrific crash. With her father banning any form of racing and moving her back to the small town he grew up in, Jojo keeps her goals close to her chest while working in her grandmother’s mechanic shop.
El was taught to ride motorcycles by her sister, who was a champion on the local motorcross circuit. Suddenly, she quits and disappears from El’s life. The occasional postcard had El certain she wanted to come home, and El took it onto herself to make it happen.
When Jojo offers to help El find her sister, the two embark on a journey of self-discovery, love, chasing dreams, and accepting what can’t be changed.
Written in first-person narrative, El and Jojo’s stories are both heartbreaking and satisfying. Their joint obsession with the Fast and Furious franchise is fun and adds another layer of relevancy to the overall story. There is a happy ending, which is what we all hope for, but this one is realistic and keeps with the theme of independence and friendships. Don’t miss this cute and clever book.
I received an ARC via NetGalley, and am leaving my voluntary review
June 22, 2024
Do you love cars, motorcycles, the Fast and Furious movies, or sapphic YA stories? If so, I have the book for you!
Furious was the perfect summer read for me- it's quickly paced, has a dual-perspective narrative with two interesting protagonists, and has an original premise that excited me! I loved both Jojo and El's emotional journeys, as they dealt with grief and family strife to come into their own strength. For me, the sapphic romance in this story made it an obvious pick for my reading list, but the emotional arcs of the characters made this a five star read!
I have loved every single book Jamie Pacton has written- she does an incredible job writing strong protagonists in interesting situations, so when I saw she was one of the authors of Furious, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy! This was my first read from Furious's co-author, Becca Podos, but with how much I enjoyed this book I know that I will be following her work in the future!
My Recommendation:
If you love heartfelt yet exciting young adult novels, you need to grab a copy of Furious! This book was a solid five-star read for me, and was such a wonderful addition to my pride month reading list!
Furious was the perfect summer read for me- it's quickly paced, has a dual-perspective narrative with two interesting protagonists, and has an original premise that excited me! I loved both Jojo and El's emotional journeys, as they dealt with grief and family strife to come into their own strength. For me, the sapphic romance in this story made it an obvious pick for my reading list, but the emotional arcs of the characters made this a five star read!
I have loved every single book Jamie Pacton has written- she does an incredible job writing strong protagonists in interesting situations, so when I saw she was one of the authors of Furious, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy! This was my first read from Furious's co-author, Becca Podos, but with how much I enjoyed this book I know that I will be following her work in the future!
My Recommendation:
If you love heartfelt yet exciting young adult novels, you need to grab a copy of Furious! This book was a solid five-star read for me, and was such a wonderful addition to my pride month reading list!
May 2, 2024
I want to thank Netgalley for an e-arc of this book.
I saw another review saying this book didn’t reinvent the wheel, but it was fun nonetheless. And I feel like that describes my opinion on the book quite well. It wasn’t ground breaking, but it was a very nice read, with a good pace and fun characters.
I’m not a big fan of the fast and the furious franchise, so the mentions of those movies (and there are a LOT) sometimes felt a bit to much. But Michelle Rodríguez is very hot, so we can agree on that.
Overall it was a fun book about family and how that can have different shapes and sizes and I feel like it would be a good summer read.
I saw another review saying this book didn’t reinvent the wheel, but it was fun nonetheless. And I feel like that describes my opinion on the book quite well. It wasn’t ground breaking, but it was a very nice read, with a good pace and fun characters.
I’m not a big fan of the fast and the furious franchise, so the mentions of those movies (and there are a LOT) sometimes felt a bit to much. But Michelle Rodríguez is very hot, so we can agree on that.
Overall it was a fun book about family and how that can have different shapes and sizes and I feel like it would be a good summer read.
August 21, 2025
three stars because i expected a bit better, the start was good, then the whole thing to find max was a bit hectic but fun... and when max happened, everything went downhill. that's how you expect kids to act, hence why it's a young adult book.
i loved it still, but i am being a bit harsh on the rating just because of some parts.
though, the fast and furious references are perfect since my girlfriend and i have started to watch them at the same time as we started reading it.
-> el ended up realizing she was being a bit meh and immature, so that's good. she stepped up and got her shit together.
where you ride, i ride, shreya 😘
i loved it still, but i am being a bit harsh on the rating just because of some parts.
though, the fast and furious references are perfect since my girlfriend and i have started to watch them at the same time as we started reading it.
-> el ended up realizing she was being a bit meh and immature, so that's good. she stepped up and got her shit together.
where you ride, i ride, shreya 😘
June 27, 2024
I have grown to love the books being published from Page Street YA! I was so excited when I first saw Furious announced because come on sapphic romance, racing, Mario cart, motorcycles, fast and furious?! I had to read this! I really enjoyed the two main characters and you get to see how they handle grief and it’s full of action!!!! It’s the perfect summer book to pick up and definitely easy to finish in a day or two. Totally recommend! Thank you PAGE ST for the gifted physical copy and e-arc!
September 13, 2024
DNF 51% in. There's so many Fast and Furious references. They even do a heist haha. These girls know each other for a few days and are sort of dating and then the one gets mad the other didn't tell her about applying to an F1 school for racing even though their relationship is so new. Also dead mom trauma and the other has missing sister trauma. So much going on for this book to be so boring.
June 24, 2025
Perfect.
But digging up till a few pages of search engine shows how scarce it is to find a GOOD sapphic book for formula 1 fans. Tho i admit it is the boys club but I don’t think theres lack of demand for the stories.
But digging up till a few pages of search engine shows how scarce it is to find a GOOD sapphic book for formula 1 fans. Tho i admit it is the boys club but I don’t think theres lack of demand for the stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2025
This was a very fast read, but I was definitely not the intended audience. If you’re a teen, you’ll absolutely love this book! It’s fun and fast paced and has a really sweet romance at its core. But at 28 it just didn’t hit for me the same.
Read
August 26, 2024DNFing because Fast and Furious are terrible movies (RIP Paul Walker, it’s never been the same) and the dialogue is so cringe I could simply pass away
February 15, 2025
Great book.
May 4, 2025
Furious is the sapphic, coming-of-age, YA novel of the summer! Buckle up, because you're in for a ride with this one.
Furious is a dual-POV novel set in the quaint town of Dell's Hollow, following the adventures of Jojo and El. Jojo, new to town after the tragic death of her mother, renowned racecar driver DeeDee Emerson, is struggling to find her place. El, a lifelong resident and known for being a "good kid," is grappling with the fallout from her sister's tumultuous departure. When their paths cross by chance, Jojo and El embark on a summer filled with teenage antics and some seriously bad decisions.
While I'm not a Car Girl™, I was able to follow along with every part of this story and fall in love with each and every one of its characters. As someone who works with teenagers daily, I appreciated how the characters were portrayed realistically. I also loved that there were clear consequences for their actions when things inevitably went wrong. Some of the dialogue made me cringe a bit, but that might be because I just wasn't the target audience for those lines.
This book dealt with grief in such an accessible way and the story was both rewarding and heartbreaking at the same time. Both Jojo and El's stories were well written and unlike some dual-POVs, each of the girls had their own distinct voices in their chapters.
This book was an absolute joy to read and I would recommend it for anyone looking to jump into a wild ride of a YA novel this summer.
Thank you to Page Street YA for an ARC of this book.
Furious is a dual-POV novel set in the quaint town of Dell's Hollow, following the adventures of Jojo and El. Jojo, new to town after the tragic death of her mother, renowned racecar driver DeeDee Emerson, is struggling to find her place. El, a lifelong resident and known for being a "good kid," is grappling with the fallout from her sister's tumultuous departure. When their paths cross by chance, Jojo and El embark on a summer filled with teenage antics and some seriously bad decisions.
While I'm not a Car Girl™, I was able to follow along with every part of this story and fall in love with each and every one of its characters. As someone who works with teenagers daily, I appreciated how the characters were portrayed realistically. I also loved that there were clear consequences for their actions when things inevitably went wrong. Some of the dialogue made me cringe a bit, but that might be because I just wasn't the target audience for those lines.
This book dealt with grief in such an accessible way and the story was both rewarding and heartbreaking at the same time. Both Jojo and El's stories were well written and unlike some dual-POVs, each of the girls had their own distinct voices in their chapters.
This book was an absolute joy to read and I would recommend it for anyone looking to jump into a wild ride of a YA novel this summer.
Thank you to Page Street YA for an ARC of this book.
June 14, 2024
A YA sapphic romance that takes place in Appalachia, is full of Fast & Furious references, F1 Racing, Horses, Motorcycles & Mario Kart?? ✨Sold!✨
This was such a great coming of age story. Furious follows Jojo & El who are both coming of age and grieving how things used to be. Brought together by chance, they embark on an adventure full of mystery, fast cars, healing and the love of the open road!
🏎️ F1 Racing
🌄 Appalachia
🐎 Horses
📖 YA Sapphic Romance
🗺️ Roadtrip
🎥 Fast & Furious
⏳ Coming of Age
🎮 Mario Kart
❤️🩹 Grief & Healing
🏍️ Motorcycles
🏁 Competition
This was my first book by Jamie Pacton & Rebecca Podos and I really enjoyed it! Very excited to dive into their backlist!
Thank you so much TBR & Beyond Tours & Page Street YA for the gifted copy!
This was such a great coming of age story. Furious follows Jojo & El who are both coming of age and grieving how things used to be. Brought together by chance, they embark on an adventure full of mystery, fast cars, healing and the love of the open road!
🏎️ F1 Racing
🌄 Appalachia
🐎 Horses
📖 YA Sapphic Romance
🗺️ Roadtrip
🎥 Fast & Furious
⏳ Coming of Age
🎮 Mario Kart
❤️🩹 Grief & Healing
🏍️ Motorcycles
🏁 Competition
This was my first book by Jamie Pacton & Rebecca Podos and I really enjoyed it! Very excited to dive into their backlist!
Thank you so much TBR & Beyond Tours & Page Street YA for the gifted copy!
June 20, 2024
Thank you NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for accepting my request for an ARC of this book!
Some people are born fearless, but most of us think if we keep running fast enough, we’ll stay ahead of whatever scares us.
3.5/5
I am a sucker for Pacton and her writing. I loved Jo and El and how their relationship grew and the reader got to go on this journey with them. The story itself read like a movie, though there were so many F&F references that I sadly didn’t get. (I’ve never seen F&F) but that didn’t help me from having a good time.
Some people are born fearless, but most of us think if we keep running fast enough, we’ll stay ahead of whatever scares us.
3.5/5
I am a sucker for Pacton and her writing. I loved Jo and El and how their relationship grew and the reader got to go on this journey with them. The story itself read like a movie, though there were so many F&F references that I sadly didn’t get. (I’ve never seen F&F) but that didn’t help me from having a good time.
July 8, 2024
Some spoilers ahead:
Best opening line: “Some people are born fearless, but most of us think if we keep running fast enough, we’ll stay ahead of whatever scares us.” This unique fast paced backdrop of a story takes place mostly in a small town called Dell’s Hollow in North Carolina where both main characters Jojo and El try to balance growing up and figuring out where they fit into the world. Both go on their own emotional journey to understand their grief but come together to overcome the obstacles that stand in their way. If you are a fan of the Fast & Furious franchise you will definitely enjoy the references and feel that same fast paced exhilaration you get from the thrill of fast cars, adventure, and love.
Jojo has recently lost her mom in a NASCAR racing accident and is forced to move back into her grandma’s house with her dad, where she works in their garage fixing up cars. El is trying to balance being the “good girl”, running her volunteer program with her best friend Zaynah, maintaining a high GPA, and working at Putt in the Pond. After meeting Jojo, El persuades her to help find her older sister Max, whom she has always idolized and looked up to. Max was the cool older sister who competed in motorcycle racing and was the person El could always talk to and go to for advice. But with only some postcards and an old leather jacket to go by, El tries to track down Max and bring her home, despite the obstacles that stand in her way.
Both Jojo and El were compelling characters, but I felt myself slightly drawn more towards Jojo and more invested in her side of the story because of her flawed and goofy personality, which made her so much more relatable. She is that typical rough around the edges type with a ginormous heart that seems to put everyone else first. Having just met El, she risks her life and dreams to help El find her sister by any means necessary, including an illegal street race, confronting sketchy people and towns, and going across state lines to be there for someone that matters to her. That's true love and dedication right there. And you could definitely feel the love and chemistry between the two. I just wish there was more spice (yes I know it is a YA), but I mean El literally has sex for the first time and we got no description, no indication of what she was feeling both in the moment and leading up to it, and no in depth reflection afterwards of her experience. Besides purely selfish reasons, I just think it would have made us feel more connected to El. Yes there romance was very intense and fast from the get go, but I think it fits with the books’ ride or die mentality.
I think the way Jojo dealt with her grief was very real and admirable even if it was a rocky road along the way. She was unapologetically herself and owned up to her mistakes which is another reason why I loved her so much. El on the other hand was dealing with the grief of coming to terms with the fact that her sister was not who she thought she was and even though she is still alive, El has to accept that her sister may not ever be a part of her life again, which in a way makes her feel like she lost her. By the end you realize just how special it was for El and Jojo to stumble into each other's lives when they did, because without each other, their lives wouldn't have been the same.
Okay lets talk about parental figures. Grandma Jolene is hands down the coolest grandma in town, I mean who else can be so queer, fix cars, and walk around in high heels all day at her age??? Her love story with Flo was just so sweet and heartwarming. Though I had my doubts about Jojo’s dad in the beginning, he was just doing what he thought was best for Jojo and tried to protect her from what could possibly happen to her like what happened to his wife. It's too bad Jojo’s mom died because she sounded like a kick ass kind of woman and I love that she was a female racecar driver, since you don’t hear about too many of those. El’s parents on the other hand were terrible communicators and tried to hold on way too tight to her, but in a way was also understandable considering what a handful Max was and not wanting El to turn out the same way.
A couple things I would fix about the story mainly revolved around Max and the ending. Max’s story I think was more complicated than we really got to know about so it would have been nice for more context and explanation for why she really left and wouldn’t come back, instead of just surface level bits here and there. Besides the main plot involving miscommunication, I would have liked to have seen a different sort of twist or conflict to arise that wasn’t so predictable. The ending also felt extremely rushed and resolved way too easily which made the epilogue feel ungenuine. I just wanted more and wanted the ending to feel more complete than it did because all we really know about what happens afterward is from a mere postcard.
Overall though it is a cute, unique story, filled with memorable characters, female empowerment, and queer love.
I received a physical arc through a giveaway.
Best opening line: “Some people are born fearless, but most of us think if we keep running fast enough, we’ll stay ahead of whatever scares us.” This unique fast paced backdrop of a story takes place mostly in a small town called Dell’s Hollow in North Carolina where both main characters Jojo and El try to balance growing up and figuring out where they fit into the world. Both go on their own emotional journey to understand their grief but come together to overcome the obstacles that stand in their way. If you are a fan of the Fast & Furious franchise you will definitely enjoy the references and feel that same fast paced exhilaration you get from the thrill of fast cars, adventure, and love.
Jojo has recently lost her mom in a NASCAR racing accident and is forced to move back into her grandma’s house with her dad, where she works in their garage fixing up cars. El is trying to balance being the “good girl”, running her volunteer program with her best friend Zaynah, maintaining a high GPA, and working at Putt in the Pond. After meeting Jojo, El persuades her to help find her older sister Max, whom she has always idolized and looked up to. Max was the cool older sister who competed in motorcycle racing and was the person El could always talk to and go to for advice. But with only some postcards and an old leather jacket to go by, El tries to track down Max and bring her home, despite the obstacles that stand in her way.
Both Jojo and El were compelling characters, but I felt myself slightly drawn more towards Jojo and more invested in her side of the story because of her flawed and goofy personality, which made her so much more relatable. She is that typical rough around the edges type with a ginormous heart that seems to put everyone else first. Having just met El, she risks her life and dreams to help El find her sister by any means necessary, including an illegal street race, confronting sketchy people and towns, and going across state lines to be there for someone that matters to her. That's true love and dedication right there. And you could definitely feel the love and chemistry between the two. I just wish there was more spice (yes I know it is a YA), but I mean El literally has sex for the first time and we got no description, no indication of what she was feeling both in the moment and leading up to it, and no in depth reflection afterwards of her experience. Besides purely selfish reasons, I just think it would have made us feel more connected to El. Yes there romance was very intense and fast from the get go, but I think it fits with the books’ ride or die mentality.
I think the way Jojo dealt with her grief was very real and admirable even if it was a rocky road along the way. She was unapologetically herself and owned up to her mistakes which is another reason why I loved her so much. El on the other hand was dealing with the grief of coming to terms with the fact that her sister was not who she thought she was and even though she is still alive, El has to accept that her sister may not ever be a part of her life again, which in a way makes her feel like she lost her. By the end you realize just how special it was for El and Jojo to stumble into each other's lives when they did, because without each other, their lives wouldn't have been the same.
Okay lets talk about parental figures. Grandma Jolene is hands down the coolest grandma in town, I mean who else can be so queer, fix cars, and walk around in high heels all day at her age??? Her love story with Flo was just so sweet and heartwarming. Though I had my doubts about Jojo’s dad in the beginning, he was just doing what he thought was best for Jojo and tried to protect her from what could possibly happen to her like what happened to his wife. It's too bad Jojo’s mom died because she sounded like a kick ass kind of woman and I love that she was a female racecar driver, since you don’t hear about too many of those. El’s parents on the other hand were terrible communicators and tried to hold on way too tight to her, but in a way was also understandable considering what a handful Max was and not wanting El to turn out the same way.
A couple things I would fix about the story mainly revolved around Max and the ending. Max’s story I think was more complicated than we really got to know about so it would have been nice for more context and explanation for why she really left and wouldn’t come back, instead of just surface level bits here and there. Besides the main plot involving miscommunication, I would have liked to have seen a different sort of twist or conflict to arise that wasn’t so predictable. The ending also felt extremely rushed and resolved way too easily which made the epilogue feel ungenuine. I just wanted more and wanted the ending to feel more complete than it did because all we really know about what happens afterward is from a mere postcard.
Overall though it is a cute, unique story, filled with memorable characters, female empowerment, and queer love.
I received a physical arc through a giveaway.
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