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Driftwood
How far would you go for your family? A smart and funny debut about road trips, music, love, and California for fans of The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Run River and Killing Yourself to Live.
Los Angeles, California: Clem Jasper is a trust fund kid with a world famous rock musician for a father. When he dies suddenly (playing ping pong) she discovers he’s left her a strange legacy—a series of letters that take her on a mysterious road trip around California. Ignoring her aunt’s suggestion that she pitch the trip as a reality show, she embarks on her own—to discover just what it was that her father meant her to find. What secret could be so powerful that he had to die before telling her?
With a voice reminiscent of Rainbow Rowell, Dutton’s Driftwood is a surprising, poignant, and funny debut. Dutton perfectly captures the mythology of California with this bright and unusual take on the freedom of the open road, the power of music, and what it means, even in the midst of grief, to be a family. Fans of The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Run River and Killing Yourself to Live will find much to savor here.
Los Angeles, California: Clem Jasper is a trust fund kid with a world famous rock musician for a father. When he dies suddenly (playing ping pong) she discovers he’s left her a strange legacy—a series of letters that take her on a mysterious road trip around California. Ignoring her aunt’s suggestion that she pitch the trip as a reality show, she embarks on her own—to discover just what it was that her father meant her to find. What secret could be so powerful that he had to die before telling her?
With a voice reminiscent of Rainbow Rowell, Dutton’s Driftwood is a surprising, poignant, and funny debut. Dutton perfectly captures the mythology of California with this bright and unusual take on the freedom of the open road, the power of music, and what it means, even in the midst of grief, to be a family. Fans of The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Run River and Killing Yourself to Live will find much to savor here.
241 pages, Hardcover
First published November 4, 2014
24 people are currently reading
1374 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Dutton
4 books22 followersBorn and raised in California. Novelist and poet. Co-host of Ridiculous Crime podcast. Costco member.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
April 14, 2019
For someone who used to only cry from laughing too hard, I was getting a little tired of my own waterworks.
this is both an arrested coming of age story and a twist on the picaresque novel.
clem jasper is the 27-year old daughter of an insanely well-known rock star. her life is pretty charmed - her parents are still happily married and take her and her siblings on exotic family vacations, she's never had to have a real job, she was given a mercedes as a present, and yet she feels rudderless, unsure of what she wants out of life or relationships. when her beloved father dies suddenly, her feelings of purposelessness are exacerbated by her grief, until she finds that she has been left a bundle of letters in her father's will, with the request that she read them in order - no skipping ahead - and follow their instructions to the letter.
tommy jasper died unexpectedly (playing ping pong, no less), but not unprepared, and he was well aware of clem's helplessness in forging her own path, and indulgent of her stalled development
"You're like driftwood, my baby girl. All that tumbling around in the world makes you feel lost, but it's just polishing you up."
from there, this book becomes a sentimental road trip novel, as clem follows her father's letters, which chronicle his life before she was born, and visits all the places that were meaningful to him; that shaped him into the man she knew and loved.
it's a feel-good little scrap of a novel, despite some unsavory revelations.
i wasn't in love with clem as a character - it's hard to feel sympathetic for a woman who has had every possible opportunity and still can't get her shit together by twenty-freaking-seven. to say i didn't like the character because i couldn't relate to her is too easy, because how many of us are daughters of robert plant-caliber rock gods?? but even though i was mildly resentful of how feckless she was, there were still moments where i could appreciate her position, how it must be to live in the public eye through no choice of her own.
I started wondering why I'd come there. Why couldn't I be allowed to be some girl in a bar? Not some Los Angeles poseur. Not some rock star's kid. Just a girl in a bar.
and
From the outside, everything looks easy. But it never is, no matter who you are.
and this is true, but for all her moaning, it still seems pretty easy to be her. i mean, is it cynical of me to not buy that a rock star of that caliber would have remained so wide-eyed, spiritually pure, married to his first true love, unstintingly generous, loving his three kids unconditionally? there's such an ozzie and harriet wholesomeness to this la rock-glam family that i have never seen in my casual tabloid-grazing. her life is without "real" obstacles and on this road trip, she talks to strangers at every port and every one of them is invariably fascinating and generous and kind and nothing bad ever happens to her.
except, obviously, her father's passing.
which does bring up issues of public death vs. private grief, and how her mourning is more complicated than it seems, even when she goes unrecognized. in a record store, suddenly confronted with a giant picture of her own father as the store pays tribute to a man known only secondhand:
I held the edge of the picture of my dad and thought about how badly I wanted to repair him, me, everything. I wanted him to be back. I wanted him to never have felt so hurt. I could feel the cashier giving me the stink eye for staring soulfully at the cardboard figure of a man old enough to be my dad. I would be a little weirded out by me, too, if I didn't know.
which, yes, it's a weird situation to have strangers sharing your grief, even on a completely different scale, and you feel for her, but it's hard not to feel as insulated from her situation as those people mourning the death of their idea of a man. at one point, clem witnesses a car crash, and it's pretty much a mirroring of her character: she neither caused it to happen nor was injured by it. she was just sitting there at the side of the road, untouched.
this works well as a love letter to california itself, and road trip novels are always fun, but i didn't think there was much tension to it, so it ultimately stayed in "this book is fine" territory. people who like family stories that are on the lighter side of, say, v.c. andrews, or new adult books that aren't all tortured and full of MMA boys should like this.
and for this paragraph alone, which appeals to me on a common-sense level and hopefully takes root in others, it's worth it.:
That's something I don't really like about the chain bookstores. There is something disingenuous about those places where customers were made to feel as if the store just wants you to hang out and read books and drink coffee and be all Seattle, like you are sitting in someone's immense, if rather oddly decorated, living room. This is an annoying kind of bullshit. The stores want -need - customers to buy the books. There is no casual way around that. I just want people to be honest about it. I like to think I want honesty out of people more than anything else. But I hate to admit that the real issue may be that I just don't like weaving my way around people reclined in leather chairs while I try to find a Moroccan cookbook.
come to my blog!
this is both an arrested coming of age story and a twist on the picaresque novel.
clem jasper is the 27-year old daughter of an insanely well-known rock star. her life is pretty charmed - her parents are still happily married and take her and her siblings on exotic family vacations, she's never had to have a real job, she was given a mercedes as a present, and yet she feels rudderless, unsure of what she wants out of life or relationships. when her beloved father dies suddenly, her feelings of purposelessness are exacerbated by her grief, until she finds that she has been left a bundle of letters in her father's will, with the request that she read them in order - no skipping ahead - and follow their instructions to the letter.
tommy jasper died unexpectedly (playing ping pong, no less), but not unprepared, and he was well aware of clem's helplessness in forging her own path, and indulgent of her stalled development
"You're like driftwood, my baby girl. All that tumbling around in the world makes you feel lost, but it's just polishing you up."
from there, this book becomes a sentimental road trip novel, as clem follows her father's letters, which chronicle his life before she was born, and visits all the places that were meaningful to him; that shaped him into the man she knew and loved.
it's a feel-good little scrap of a novel, despite some unsavory revelations.
i wasn't in love with clem as a character - it's hard to feel sympathetic for a woman who has had every possible opportunity and still can't get her shit together by twenty-freaking-seven. to say i didn't like the character because i couldn't relate to her is too easy, because how many of us are daughters of robert plant-caliber rock gods?? but even though i was mildly resentful of how feckless she was, there were still moments where i could appreciate her position, how it must be to live in the public eye through no choice of her own.
I started wondering why I'd come there. Why couldn't I be allowed to be some girl in a bar? Not some Los Angeles poseur. Not some rock star's kid. Just a girl in a bar.
and
From the outside, everything looks easy. But it never is, no matter who you are.
and this is true, but for all her moaning, it still seems pretty easy to be her. i mean, is it cynical of me to not buy that a rock star of that caliber would have remained so wide-eyed, spiritually pure, married to his first true love, unstintingly generous, loving his three kids unconditionally? there's such an ozzie and harriet wholesomeness to this la rock-glam family that i have never seen in my casual tabloid-grazing. her life is without "real" obstacles and on this road trip, she talks to strangers at every port and every one of them is invariably fascinating and generous and kind and nothing bad ever happens to her.
except, obviously, her father's passing.
which does bring up issues of public death vs. private grief, and how her mourning is more complicated than it seems, even when she goes unrecognized. in a record store, suddenly confronted with a giant picture of her own father as the store pays tribute to a man known only secondhand:
I held the edge of the picture of my dad and thought about how badly I wanted to repair him, me, everything. I wanted him to be back. I wanted him to never have felt so hurt. I could feel the cashier giving me the stink eye for staring soulfully at the cardboard figure of a man old enough to be my dad. I would be a little weirded out by me, too, if I didn't know.
which, yes, it's a weird situation to have strangers sharing your grief, even on a completely different scale, and you feel for her, but it's hard not to feel as insulated from her situation as those people mourning the death of their idea of a man. at one point, clem witnesses a car crash, and it's pretty much a mirroring of her character: she neither caused it to happen nor was injured by it. she was just sitting there at the side of the road, untouched.
this works well as a love letter to california itself, and road trip novels are always fun, but i didn't think there was much tension to it, so it ultimately stayed in "this book is fine" territory. people who like family stories that are on the lighter side of, say, v.c. andrews, or new adult books that aren't all tortured and full of MMA boys should like this.
and for this paragraph alone, which appeals to me on a common-sense level and hopefully takes root in others, it's worth it.:
That's something I don't really like about the chain bookstores. There is something disingenuous about those places where customers were made to feel as if the store just wants you to hang out and read books and drink coffee and be all Seattle, like you are sitting in someone's immense, if rather oddly decorated, living room. This is an annoying kind of bullshit. The stores want -need - customers to buy the books. There is no casual way around that. I just want people to be honest about it. I like to think I want honesty out of people more than anything else. But I hate to admit that the real issue may be that I just don't like weaving my way around people reclined in leather chairs while I try to find a Moroccan cookbook.
come to my blog!
March 31, 2014
I’ve been a serial obsessive for most of my life, and many of the things I’ve obsessed over–eating shrimp two meals a day, wearing green sweat pants, and dying of carbon monoxide poisoning, to name but three–I’ve managed to, more or less, move past. But music and California are two obsessions that will always dominate my imagination. And in Driftwood, the debut novel by Elizabeth Dutton, I can indulge in both of those long-standing obsessions.
Here’s the basic set-up: Clem Jasper (great f-ing name!) is an L.A. trust fund kid with a well-known rock musician for a father who dies suddenly while playing ping-pong. Still reeling from the loss and trying to figure out her place in the world, Clem receives a rather strange inheritance: a bundle of letters from her father instructing her to visit several meaningful yet mysterious destinations around California.
Clem’s a quirky and relentlessly self-commenting narrator, but an oddly likeable one. She is one part misanthrope and one part romantic. As a reader, I sympathized with her, gobbled up her irreverent remarks and witticisms and spot-on commentary about, well, everything. In short, Clem is that often-talked-about-but-rarely-realized round character.
The other brilliant aspect of this book is the setting: California. In Dutton’s hands, California comes alive, becomes something more real, more interesting, more quirky than the glittering yet static version of California that’s lived in my imagination for so long. I particularly enjoyed the oddball characters Clem meets in the towns she visits; I relished the descriptions of the landscape, the weather, the vibe of each new place she goes in search of gaining a deeper connection with her father. And, of course, there is the music. Yes, many songs and bands (both real and fictional) are mentioned, discussed, and evaluated, but what struck me the most was the (forgive me) music of the road. Throughout Clem’s journey, she is attempting to find a rhythm for her life, to write her own song, one that redefines who she is and what family means.
Here’s the basic set-up: Clem Jasper (great f-ing name!) is an L.A. trust fund kid with a well-known rock musician for a father who dies suddenly while playing ping-pong. Still reeling from the loss and trying to figure out her place in the world, Clem receives a rather strange inheritance: a bundle of letters from her father instructing her to visit several meaningful yet mysterious destinations around California.
Clem’s a quirky and relentlessly self-commenting narrator, but an oddly likeable one. She is one part misanthrope and one part romantic. As a reader, I sympathized with her, gobbled up her irreverent remarks and witticisms and spot-on commentary about, well, everything. In short, Clem is that often-talked-about-but-rarely-realized round character.
The other brilliant aspect of this book is the setting: California. In Dutton’s hands, California comes alive, becomes something more real, more interesting, more quirky than the glittering yet static version of California that’s lived in my imagination for so long. I particularly enjoyed the oddball characters Clem meets in the towns she visits; I relished the descriptions of the landscape, the weather, the vibe of each new place she goes in search of gaining a deeper connection with her father. And, of course, there is the music. Yes, many songs and bands (both real and fictional) are mentioned, discussed, and evaluated, but what struck me the most was the (forgive me) music of the road. Throughout Clem’s journey, she is attempting to find a rhythm for her life, to write her own song, one that redefines who she is and what family means.
December 21, 2014
Generally, I like a road trip novel, but this one not so much. Clem, a twenty-something daughter of a recently deceased rock star is just drifting through life. Her father has written her a series of letters to be read one at a time, following the instructions within. He takes her on a trip, which highlights key places in his life. He directs her to go to each place and absorb the energy. Part of my problem was that I really didn't like Clem, the poor little rich girl, or her over-the-top father. Here are a few of his words: I love you with all the stars and planets and rainbows and sunshine and flowers and ocean waves in the world. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo He sounds like a twelve-year-old girl! Except he forgot unicorns. Then we have his theory about life, which he calls " The Cosmic Soul Connect": You go through life picking up little pieces of other people. Some of those pieces pass right through your soul, and others stick inside...It's like each of us gives off cosmic soul debris, and we each collect that debris, whether we like it or not. Maybe just a little too Cali earthy crunchy for me.
In spite of not liking the characters, I thought Dutton did a nice job of not hitting us over the head with life changing moments at each stop on Clem's trip. I liked that all the characters were flawed and there was no storybook prince to save the day. There was one scene, a car accident, that was so well written, I felt it in my gut. A powerful scene. It stayed with me, as though I had actually seen the accident myself.
Not surprisingly, the road trip does its job, and Clem comes away from it with clarity and direction. Here are her words of epiphany on life: It's like an oil slick, where every angle and perspective gives you a different color or sheen.Every person sees that slick differently. Why did this sound so familiar to me? Because her father said basically the same thing two hundred pages earlier: But just like that iridescent fabric, those crazy sharkskin suits..., it is essentially always the same color, but looks like different colors to different people, depending on where they are standing.
I know I sound peckish or petty or cynical (okay, all of the above) but I expect more from my road trip novels. Disappointing.
In spite of not liking the characters, I thought Dutton did a nice job of not hitting us over the head with life changing moments at each stop on Clem's trip. I liked that all the characters were flawed and there was no storybook prince to save the day. There was one scene, a car accident, that was so well written, I felt it in my gut. A powerful scene. It stayed with me, as though I had actually seen the accident myself.
Not surprisingly, the road trip does its job, and Clem comes away from it with clarity and direction. Here are her words of epiphany on life: It's like an oil slick, where every angle and perspective gives you a different color or sheen.Every person sees that slick differently. Why did this sound so familiar to me? Because her father said basically the same thing two hundred pages earlier: But just like that iridescent fabric, those crazy sharkskin suits..., it is essentially always the same color, but looks like different colors to different people, depending on where they are standing.
I know I sound peckish or petty or cynical (okay, all of the above) but I expect more from my road trip novels. Disappointing.
February 11, 2020
Well, if those who can do and those who can’t, read about it…than I read this book specifically because I can’t (it seems) go road tripping through California. Clem can, because Clementine Jasper was born with a silver spoon shoved so far up her…ok, ok, let’s just say Clem has a lot of money and no clue. No clue what to do with her life, her education, her money. She just sort of exists. Drifts through life, if you will, she is the eponymous Driftwood. Although she is well past the age when that might be considered cute. The money comes from her father, a famous musician, a seemingly picture perfect family man, who, among other things, has managed to love his daughter into uselessness by constantly validating all her life choices or lack of thereof with some hippieish cosmic fate ramblings. And then, suddenly, papa Jasper dies, leaving his family his wealth and warm fuzzy memories and leaving Clem specifically a bundle of letters. Well, a relatively small bundle of eight long winded rambling letters that she is meant to follow as destinations. In a way she gets to retrace her father’s most significant locales from his life journey, since she has failed to make any of her own, presumably this’ll set her on some course of action personally and/or professionally. So Clem gets into her fancy daddybought Mercedes and drives. In all that California sunshine. The huge mystery reveal is saved until the very end, but this isn’t a sort of novel where it would matter. Clem will always be a daddy’s girl and daddy Jasper will always be that mythical sunbaked slice of Americana and they’ll always have music and, of course, California. And as much as I theoretically love Cali, it’s difficult to extend that love (or even any pale shade of it) to the book. It’s just that…it’s difficult to hate either. The book is very much like Clem herself…a nonentity, pleasant enough, but dimensionless and kind of bland. A vacant vacation. Surely, being pleasant isn’t enough for a book to be good. It’s a love letter to California, certainly, the state much like the protagonist a sort of pretty, sun dappled blonde of relatively good cheer and not much more. Maybe it’s a very young book. Maybe Clem is very young for her age. Maybe she’s just idiot who’s only good at spending her daddy’s cash and crying, oh boy, does she cry a lot for a person who says they normally don’t. All those around her are also very nice and mild and pleasant and not especially interesting or challenging. Daddy Jasper is theoretically the most interesting of the bunch, but he comes across laughable, his cosmic ramblings and hippieish double talk and new age silliness is piled on way, way too thickly to enjoy. In a way, the entire thing is almost comedic, the way there used to be a series of SNL sketches about a fictious soap opera Californians, but you know…this one isn’t actually funny. It’s just all too sunny and all too vapid with a zero for a protagonist. It makes you long for California, sure, but then again most things do, like this sh*tty global warming sponsored days and days of endless winter rain. Other than that, there’s no reason to read this book, although if you do, it’ll at least go by quickly. Even the author must have had an inkling, having put out no books in the 6 years since the publication of this one. Light enough to pass for ephemeral in substance with heavy handed morals and life lessons. The balance is all off. Pass.
August 29, 2014
Clementine (Clem) was a young woman adrift, not really knowing what her real purpose in life was. Her father, a famous singer, died in his late 50s, leaving her and her family distraught. In his will, her father left Clem 8 letters, advising her to open one letter at a time. The letters took her on an adventure of discovering who her father really was and in the end, discovering herself.
It was a very unique story with quite an ending. I'd recommend.
I received an e-copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
It was a very unique story with quite an ending. I'd recommend.
I received an e-copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
March 19, 2017
The protagonist, Clementine, is a twenty-something girl, rich and famous by association, born and raised in LA, and has been floating aimlessly through life.. Unexpectedly, her musician father passes away, and leaves her a set of letters that map out a road trip through California and his past. While driving along dessert highways and Pacific coast lines, she goes through internal and external revelations, in the hope of learning more about her late father, herself, and ultimately finding happiness within. The story is centered around family and father daughter relationships which is a nice change to the common romantic inclinations of chick lit.
The author tackled topics which can be difficult to articulate, like being stuck in a rut and not being excited about life, which are so relatable to a lot of people in this day and age, and that made the protagonist so relatable. I also felt that the trendy Californian themes of the book will resonate with a lot of today's youth..
Quick light read, I enjoyed it
The author tackled topics which can be difficult to articulate, like being stuck in a rut and not being excited about life, which are so relatable to a lot of people in this day and age, and that made the protagonist so relatable. I also felt that the trendy Californian themes of the book will resonate with a lot of today's youth..
Quick light read, I enjoyed it
January 22, 2015
I reviewed Driftwood on WKAR's Current State. You can listen to my review here: http://wkar.org/post/book-review-eliz...
You can also read my review below.
-
Literature has always loved a good road trip.
From Homer’s Odyssey to Tolkien’s adventures in Middle-Earth to Kerouac’s On The Road, the storyline has never left us. These road narratives often follow the same themes. The trip is usually a metaphor for growth and self-discovery. And when the hero returns home, he is a stronger person, more resolute, and ready to take on problems that would have vexed him before the trip.
New author Elizabeth Dutton bravely takes on this literary standard in her new novel Driftwood. Unlike a lot of the classic road novels, though, Dutton’s protagonist is a woman. Los Angeles native Clem Jasper is the youngest child of a 70’s rock god. When her father dies of a heart attack, he leaves her only a series of letters. The letters lead her on a journey around California, with each new envelope giving her directions to her next stop. The trip her father has carefully laid out in his letters takes her through his life story, the good choices and moments, and the bad. Yes, like other road trip tales this is a journey of self-discovery, but what makes it different is that like Clem, we don’t know the end. We share each stop, each letter with her; making everything feel so much more intimate.
Dutton has a real skill for creating realistic characters. From the first chapter, every one of her characters feels alive and dynamic, with their own unique traits and voices. Clem and her two siblings each seem to represent a different stereotype of the millennial generation. There’s the aggressive worker, the naturalist, and the free spirit lacking any aspirations. Clem is the last one, and it’s obvious that her drifting is why her father chooses her to go on this journey.
While this book falls firmly into the road narrative, Dutton is still able to add surprising and modern twists to the familiar plot. One of the things I found interesting in this book is how different this road trip is than the ones in novels like On the Road or The Hobbit. In those classic road trip stories, everything recognizable is left behind. But in Dutton’s novel, Clem really never leaves her family. At every stop, she calls her friends and family to updates them on her journey. You might think that connection would undermine the power of the road trip narrative—which is all about striking out on your own— but it actually doesn’t.
In Driftwood, the road trip story is still strong and full of possibility. The literary standard definitely survives thanks to a playful rock singer and a bundle of letters. So put on your favorite classic rock mix tape and sit back with this book. Driftwood is a journey worth taking.
You can also read my review below.
-
Literature has always loved a good road trip.
From Homer’s Odyssey to Tolkien’s adventures in Middle-Earth to Kerouac’s On The Road, the storyline has never left us. These road narratives often follow the same themes. The trip is usually a metaphor for growth and self-discovery. And when the hero returns home, he is a stronger person, more resolute, and ready to take on problems that would have vexed him before the trip.
New author Elizabeth Dutton bravely takes on this literary standard in her new novel Driftwood. Unlike a lot of the classic road novels, though, Dutton’s protagonist is a woman. Los Angeles native Clem Jasper is the youngest child of a 70’s rock god. When her father dies of a heart attack, he leaves her only a series of letters. The letters lead her on a journey around California, with each new envelope giving her directions to her next stop. The trip her father has carefully laid out in his letters takes her through his life story, the good choices and moments, and the bad. Yes, like other road trip tales this is a journey of self-discovery, but what makes it different is that like Clem, we don’t know the end. We share each stop, each letter with her; making everything feel so much more intimate.
Dutton has a real skill for creating realistic characters. From the first chapter, every one of her characters feels alive and dynamic, with their own unique traits and voices. Clem and her two siblings each seem to represent a different stereotype of the millennial generation. There’s the aggressive worker, the naturalist, and the free spirit lacking any aspirations. Clem is the last one, and it’s obvious that her drifting is why her father chooses her to go on this journey.
While this book falls firmly into the road narrative, Dutton is still able to add surprising and modern twists to the familiar plot. One of the things I found interesting in this book is how different this road trip is than the ones in novels like On the Road or The Hobbit. In those classic road trip stories, everything recognizable is left behind. But in Dutton’s novel, Clem really never leaves her family. At every stop, she calls her friends and family to updates them on her journey. You might think that connection would undermine the power of the road trip narrative—which is all about striking out on your own— but it actually doesn’t.
In Driftwood, the road trip story is still strong and full of possibility. The literary standard definitely survives thanks to a playful rock singer and a bundle of letters. So put on your favorite classic rock mix tape and sit back with this book. Driftwood is a journey worth taking.
January 23, 2015
For me, Driftwood dragged on and on. It was really easy to tap in and out of, because I didn't care enough about the characters.
One of my issues with Clem was how young her behaviour seemed. If she was 17 instead of 27, I might have sympathized with her feelings of being lost and unsure in the world. But come on, she's 27. Everything she has was given to her. She really has the "poor little rich girl" slant down pat, which isn't quite as much fun for the rest of us. Casey summed this up pretty well during one of Clem's bouts of complaints, but I hoped for more to come out of it. Instead, she found mindless work at a quirky bookstore and still got all the luxuries of being wealthy. Isn't that just the American dream?
Have you ever heard of that experiment where people are blindfolded and told they'll be given a chocolate, only to get fed a potato chip instead? Often times, people would spit it out even if they liked chips more, simply because it wasn't what they expected. That's kind of what this book was to me. Based on the cover and blurb, I thought this would be a fun, lighthearted summer road trip book (à la Amy and Roger).Instead, it was really pensive and weighty. Don't get me wrong, the writing itself was nearly immaculate and flowed like a dream. But I wish I had a different mindset going in.
Overall, this book isn't bad. I didn't love it, but it never had me gagging or frustrated. It was pretty self-aware. If only the protagonist was a little more likeable.
One of my issues with Clem was how young her behaviour seemed. If she was 17 instead of 27, I might have sympathized with her feelings of being lost and unsure in the world. But come on, she's 27. Everything she has was given to her. She really has the "poor little rich girl" slant down pat, which isn't quite as much fun for the rest of us. Casey summed this up pretty well during one of Clem's bouts of complaints, but I hoped for more to come out of it. Instead, she found mindless work at a quirky bookstore and still got all the luxuries of being wealthy. Isn't that just the American dream?
Have you ever heard of that experiment where people are blindfolded and told they'll be given a chocolate, only to get fed a potato chip instead? Often times, people would spit it out even if they liked chips more, simply because it wasn't what they expected. That's kind of what this book was to me. Based on the cover and blurb, I thought this would be a fun, lighthearted summer road trip book (à la Amy and Roger).Instead, it was really pensive and weighty. Don't get me wrong, the writing itself was nearly immaculate and flowed like a dream. But I wish I had a different mindset going in.
Overall, this book isn't bad. I didn't love it, but it never had me gagging or frustrated. It was pretty self-aware. If only the protagonist was a little more likeable.
April 29, 2015
I received a free copy of this through Goodreads Firstreads Givaways, and I have to say I was hesitant to enter. I had noticed that copies of this book were constantly gracing the giveaway pickings, and I’ve noticed with books that keep reappearing tend to be lacking good reviews or any reviews at all. I should have stuck with my gut on this one. I read many reviews of readers who really liked this novel, but I can’t say that I was one of those readers. I did not like this book at all. Although the first few chapters of this book started of nicely enough, it quickly began its downhill decent not long afterward. But, before I get into what made it so bad, let me start with a synopsis so you know what it’s all about.
Clem, short for Clementine, has recently lost her father to a heart attack. But, her father was not any normal father; he was the lead singer of the band Condor, Tommy Jasper. Tommy ends up leaving possessions to his son Simon and daughter Dena but leaves only a set of letters to, what has to be his favorite offspring the way he talks about her, Clem that will lead her on a road trip around California to discover more about herself and her father. Clem must take this journey to find out who her father really was and maybe give her a chance to feel the emotions she’s been void of most her life. She is instructed by her father to open his letters one by one after she has completed what the previous letter had commanded her to do, so as not to ruin anything for her. She receives eight letters to lead her on her road trip of discovery.
So, now, before I really start to get into everything I disliked about this book, I’m going to put a big fat warning right here: I WILL RUIN THIS ENTIRE BOOK FOR YOU – MAJOR SPOILER ALERT! Thus, if you want to actually read this novel, then stop reading this review right this second. But, if you want to save yourself the time, boredom and effort of actually reading it but still want to know what happens, please continue my friend.
First things first: character development. There really isn’t any to be found. Clem starts out as an unlikable character and finishes as an unlikeable character. There is nothing about her that I can say encouraged me to like her. She is a Rich California Girl who is unemployed because she just doesn’t know who she is or what she wants to do with her life…Blah Blah Blah…her dad’s money pays for her house and all her expenses…Blah Blah Blah…all she does is go to parties because she has nothing better to do…Blah Blah Blah…and she complains about every, single, little, tiny, miniscule problem she has in her life – literally all she does this entire novel is complain…Blah Blah Blah…and her best friend is just as rich and even more unlikable than she is.
Clem is a girl in her upper twenties that can’t decide anything she would want to do and also is void of all emotions because she’s never really felt unhappiness and sorrow, so, clearly, she’s never felt incandescent happiness or joy either. Because that’s how things work, you know. But, but the end of this novel, Clem can feel emotion and even, maybe, falls in love? It’s not really specified on, just hinted at in the epilogue. But, Clem finds all these emotions she’s never felt because her father sent her on some crazy road trip that really doesn’t turn out to be that crazy at all. Ultimately, she only spends a meager five days travelling to four towns. Not as exciting as the blurb made it sound. And, just to make things a little shorter, every other character is as unlikable as Clem. Every. Single. One. I couldn’t relate or connect to anyone Dutton created.
Next topic, the writing was not necessarily horrible, but it was mediocre at best. I found Dutton’s words lacking on many occasions throughout this entire. Everything that she puts down on paper was over-sentimentalized, not making anything resonate and created no opportunity for shock value. The things that unfolded in this story should have had me floored, but because the writing was so lacking and excessively romanticized, I found nothing that made me stop and think. All I can say is thank god the print is huge because it’s the only reason I was able to finish this book.
The story, like the writing, was mediocre and lacking around every turn. Ideas that Dutton was trying to construe didn’t always line up with the story, and occasionally she would write the same thing that happened twice. She would explain a scene on one page and then explain the same scene ten pages later. This also brought up the problem of repetition. She repeated the ideas and sometimes scenes so frequently that I stopped caring about anything that happened. I can only listen to Clem tell me about her lack of direction and lack of ability to feel emotions so many times.
Some of the other things that happened were hazy at best. For instance, Tommy Jasper’s death. On the blurb, it says that Tommy died playing Ping-Pong with the drummer of his band, but it’s merely alluded to in the book, never outright explained. Dutton spent too much time trying to give Clem a personality and not enough time writing an actual story. The result of this lack of storytelling makes the entire novel not believable. I was so frustrated with so many things that Dutton tried, and failed, to do in this novel.
One major part of this story that Dutton tried to throw in to create shock value and sentimental value was a crazy accident that Clem and Casey (Oh I just noticed the C & C names here – vomit.) witness on their way back to LA. I’m talking this was a brutal, violent, bloody accident, and it absolutely came out of nowhere. I understand that’s how accidents happen, but the whole thing was glossed over after it initially happened, and I can’t honestly tell you what purpose it served to the story. This was the point, for me, that the novel went from a generous two stars to an absolutely 100% one star rating. Dutton tried to throw in some ultimate shock value, but it just came out more twisted and unsettling than a positive to put things in perspective. This scene was horrific and completely unnecessary.
Now, to get to the final point that really, really ruined this story for me. Clem finally reads the last letter from her dad, and, let me tell you, you will not be ready for what she finds in that letter. So, through the course of her letter reading, she finds out how her dad got started singing, his tragic backstory of a motherless, abusive home, and how he met Clem’s mom, but in this final letter, Clem finds out his biggest secret yet. Let me just say before I reveal the big twist at the end, Clem’s dad is as unlikable, if not more so, than Clem. I could not handle his personality and the way he was writing his letters. Dutton tries WAY too hard to make him a “cool guy.” And also, look at the way ends his first letter: “I love you, Clementine. I love you with all the stars and planets and rainbows and sunshine and flowers and ocean waves in the world. Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo Dad” (53). I mean, get real. So anyway, are you ready for the big shocker? The really big one? I don’t know if you are. Here goes anyway. Clem’s father got really drunk one night after he left his abusive home and accidentally killed a man. The cops attributed it to the man who was killed being excessively intoxicated, and they couldn’t find any relatives, so they blew over this murder in the papers and never tried to get any more information. Want to know what this guy’s name was? Tommy Jasper. That sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
Well, let me tell you a little something about Tommy Jasper. Tommy was a great guy. He was a happy guy. He wanted nothing more than to work an honest job and make an honest living. Clem’s dad says he was excited about absolutely everyone, was super friendly, and just wanted to joke and laugh. And Clem’s dad shoved him to the ground causing him to die from hitting his head on the sidewalk. And then he just left him there on the sidewalk dead and went home. He read about it in the paper the next day and never came forward or said anything.
But what was it that Clem’s dad did do? He went to this guy’s room, they were both staying at the YMCA – neighbors actually, and found his birth certificate. He thought that the best thing to do to honor this guy that he killed was to steal his identity and become him. So that’s what the new Tommy Jasper did. He killed this happy-go-lucky guy, stole his identity, and then become famous, travelled the world, and raised a wonderful family. Seems fair, right? But this doesn’t faze Clem at all. She accepts this new information immediately after she reads it. I get that you gloss over things your loved ones have done, but she literally gave it no thought. Clem finds her calling, emotions, and love, so everything literally works out perfectly. Too perfectly, in my opinion.
So, sorry this review was so long; it was a bit of a venting excuse for me. All in all, don’t read this train wreck of a book. It’s not worth the time. Besides, I just told you everything that happens, if you’ve stuck with me this far. If you have, thanks for listening; I needed to let these emotions out, because, unlike Clem, I actually have them.
Okay, one final complaint before I seal this up. This book doesn’t specify what year this novel takes place, but it was published in 2014, so that’s what year I would assume it would take place, or maybe a few prior, but still recent. Well, for this being a modern-day novel, Clem looks up all the directions she needs to get around Cali online, apparently doesn’t own any sort of GPS (even though she’s excessively wealthy), and uses an atlas to navigate while on the road. What? Just what? Also, she communicates with EVERYONE by email. Her mom, her sister, her best friend, everyone, except maybe her brother, who calls her for no purpose every day. Makes sense. But seriously, who communicates to close family and friends by email every day? What even?
My rant is officially over.
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July 11, 2015
When I first looked at this book I figured "well, a book about the sixties, my time, so let's give it a go." The book does highlight the places, times, ideas and feelings. But much more about a father's love for his family. His attempt, in his last words, to share his journey with his oldest daughter Clem. Her father is a rock legend, playing ping pong when he dies. His family and many friends mourn his passing. He was a gentle and loving man. Two of his three children he sees as settled and doing their own thing. Clem seems to have set her live on hold.
Many might say how can anyone be lost when they have a father who is loaded and a huge trust fund? The stuff of dreams, right? The high life in rock n' roll and elite circles of LA. Clem Jasper has few friends (It is hard to be the daughter of a rock legend and not have parasites trying to be your "friend" all the time!). She is just passing time as she watches the world go by around her.
Her father leaves her letters she is to read in sequence as she travels to places he mentions in these letters. Her mother says she must not go, terrified because after all her husband was a rock star and on the road most of his life. Isn't it more than likely the letters contain information about infidelities; perhaps other children. Clem feels this may be her last chance, and it is definitely the last message her father will ever send her. His last, last words.
It is her father's journey through life. But it is not easy to bridge the gap between an old rocker's viewpoint and that of a young woman living in the now. What can he show her that will move her out of her boredom and apathy?
Clem has trouble understanding her father's letters; he speaks a different language, is pretty spacey and out there. But because she loves him she want to hear his message and go to the places he feels will show her how he got to be who he became.
One message throughout the letters is his deep love for her mother. The message we all see from the rock bands in the sixties is Drugs, Sex and Rock n' Roll. This man infuses each letter with the love he feels for her mother and the journey they made together. However, Clem fears each letter and destination will reveal just what her mother fears.
Her travels share with her alone her father's life story. Her love for him lets her release some of the apathy, but it is tough to move on. Each letter reveals more about her father, adds to her awareness of who he was and just how much she misses him and loves him. It helps her to feel emotions again. When we all feel the journey is ended and Clem returns to her home, there are still some real surprises to come.
Liked this book. Great first novel.
Many might say how can anyone be lost when they have a father who is loaded and a huge trust fund? The stuff of dreams, right? The high life in rock n' roll and elite circles of LA. Clem Jasper has few friends (It is hard to be the daughter of a rock legend and not have parasites trying to be your "friend" all the time!). She is just passing time as she watches the world go by around her.
Her father leaves her letters she is to read in sequence as she travels to places he mentions in these letters. Her mother says she must not go, terrified because after all her husband was a rock star and on the road most of his life. Isn't it more than likely the letters contain information about infidelities; perhaps other children. Clem feels this may be her last chance, and it is definitely the last message her father will ever send her. His last, last words.
It is her father's journey through life. But it is not easy to bridge the gap between an old rocker's viewpoint and that of a young woman living in the now. What can he show her that will move her out of her boredom and apathy?
Clem has trouble understanding her father's letters; he speaks a different language, is pretty spacey and out there. But because she loves him she want to hear his message and go to the places he feels will show her how he got to be who he became.
One message throughout the letters is his deep love for her mother. The message we all see from the rock bands in the sixties is Drugs, Sex and Rock n' Roll. This man infuses each letter with the love he feels for her mother and the journey they made together. However, Clem fears each letter and destination will reveal just what her mother fears.
Her travels share with her alone her father's life story. Her love for him lets her release some of the apathy, but it is tough to move on. Each letter reveals more about her father, adds to her awareness of who he was and just how much she misses him and loves him. It helps her to feel emotions again. When we all feel the journey is ended and Clem returns to her home, there are still some real surprises to come.
Liked this book. Great first novel.
May 29, 2014
3.5 Stars!
I am not sure what I was expecting when I began Driftwood, but I think that Lisa’s love for road trip books inspired me to give this one a try. Overall, I liked Driftwood. It was a sweet coming of age story about a girl named Clem (short for Clementine) and how she grew and discovered her identity after the surprising death of her Father.
When her Father passes he leaves her a series of letters that lead her on a road trip through the state of California. I loved this concept and found the letters from her Dad so silly and adorable. I think that Elizabeth Dutton’s descriptions of each town along this journey were perfect! I felt like I was sitting next to Clem soaking up the California sun as we drove along the interstate. My favorite town along this tour was San Fransisco, it is a place I have always wanted to visit.
Clem made it kind of tough to like her, but I think that was the point. She was a spoiled rich girl, with no job and no goals in her life and feeling sorry for herself because of it. While I disliked her for this, I understood that this journey was what she needed to grow up and by the end I was rooting for her. The other characters in this story seemed like such typical LA stereotypes, the hot shot brother too big for his britches. The organic granola eating, politically correct sister and the put together Mom with the giant mansion and rose garden. It is a life I know nothing about, but one that Dutton wrote so well.
I had several emotions while reading this from surprise at the couple of twists that made this story unpredictable (in a good way). Sadness, because of how sentimental and sweet some parts were. Happy at the lesson she learns. And relaxation at the descriptions of the places she visits and the moments she takes to find peace.
The characters she meets along the way are very interesting too and each had a unique part. I liked meeting each one so much and could not wait to see who Clem bumped into next! Each place and character gave the book a Canterbury Tales by Chaucer effect for me. I think that my favorite was the truck driver with the inappropriate car decorations… if you want to know you have to read this!
This book was a little out of the realm of what I usually read, but I am very glad that I read it. It was light hearted and sweet. Thank you to Edelweiss, Elizabeth Dutton and Skyhorse publishing for the copy of this book for review.
Check out my review on our blog
http://www.lostinlit.com/2014/05/revi...
I am not sure what I was expecting when I began Driftwood, but I think that Lisa’s love for road trip books inspired me to give this one a try. Overall, I liked Driftwood. It was a sweet coming of age story about a girl named Clem (short for Clementine) and how she grew and discovered her identity after the surprising death of her Father.
When her Father passes he leaves her a series of letters that lead her on a road trip through the state of California. I loved this concept and found the letters from her Dad so silly and adorable. I think that Elizabeth Dutton’s descriptions of each town along this journey were perfect! I felt like I was sitting next to Clem soaking up the California sun as we drove along the interstate. My favorite town along this tour was San Fransisco, it is a place I have always wanted to visit.
Clem made it kind of tough to like her, but I think that was the point. She was a spoiled rich girl, with no job and no goals in her life and feeling sorry for herself because of it. While I disliked her for this, I understood that this journey was what she needed to grow up and by the end I was rooting for her. The other characters in this story seemed like such typical LA stereotypes, the hot shot brother too big for his britches. The organic granola eating, politically correct sister and the put together Mom with the giant mansion and rose garden. It is a life I know nothing about, but one that Dutton wrote so well.
I had several emotions while reading this from surprise at the couple of twists that made this story unpredictable (in a good way). Sadness, because of how sentimental and sweet some parts were. Happy at the lesson she learns. And relaxation at the descriptions of the places she visits and the moments she takes to find peace.
The characters she meets along the way are very interesting too and each had a unique part. I liked meeting each one so much and could not wait to see who Clem bumped into next! Each place and character gave the book a Canterbury Tales by Chaucer effect for me. I think that my favorite was the truck driver with the inappropriate car decorations… if you want to know you have to read this!
This book was a little out of the realm of what I usually read, but I am very glad that I read it. It was light hearted and sweet. Thank you to Edelweiss, Elizabeth Dutton and Skyhorse publishing for the copy of this book for review.
Check out my review on our blog
http://www.lostinlit.com/2014/05/revi...
January 29, 2019
This one was a mixed bag for me. I never could like Clem. This is the story of a spoiled shallow, directionless woman in her mid 20s who goes on a road trip of discovery and manages to feel and do mostly nothing. In the end she is slightly less shallow and directionless but still unlikable.
She doesn't seem to understand the point of the various stops. Her Dad sends her to those places for reason, they are how he came to be who he was, and she feels and does nothing at each stop. Honestly she could have just read the final letter and had just as much of an ephinany for all the lack of effort she puts into the trip.
I felt like I as a passenger (reader) understood what Clem's father wanted her to get out of the trip more than she did even at the end.
She doesn't seem to understand the point of the various stops. Her Dad sends her to those places for reason, they are how he came to be who he was, and she feels and does nothing at each stop. Honestly she could have just read the final letter and had just as much of an ephinany for all the lack of effort she puts into the trip.
I felt like I as a passenger (reader) understood what Clem's father wanted her to get out of the trip more than she did even at the end.
December 14, 2014
"He liked LA because you got all the drugs and music and the women and the good times without all of the serious shit like politics and social responsibility and whatnot that was all over SF" (89).
"The American Dream is all about becoming whatever you want. But in California, you can remake yourself into whatever you want, you know?" (97).
"It's a brave move to accept your dreams as a map and run with it" (188).
"The American Dream is all about becoming whatever you want. But in California, you can remake yourself into whatever you want, you know?" (97).
"It's a brave move to accept your dreams as a map and run with it" (188).
February 5, 2015
This was a decent, fast read. I found the second half dragged a bit and that Dutton seemed to be trying to make a grand statement about the meaning of life. It was a little on the nose for me, but overall, not bad. I believe this is Dutton's first novel, and I think her writing style, while strong now, will get better in time.
March 18, 2014
an engrossing tale, extra fun if you have lived in the SF Bay Area or have any impressions of what So Cal kids are like.
November 12, 2014
full review to follow soon
April 25, 2024
Is it a bit difficult to like a rich-girl protagonist who's had such a spoiled, cushy life, with so little bad to ever happen to her, that she exists in a state of pleasant neutrality and only a vague idea of what "excitement" feels like? I mean, sure, but I still want to be her and at least she didn't turn to drugs to feel alive, so I'm on board.
While a bit slow to start, this turned out to be the perfect read for a warm and breezy spring day as I traveled vicariously with her along the road north through California, stopping in various small towns (as instructed in her father's letters) along the way. I've never gone anywhere by myself overnight before, but damned if I didn't immediately wish, a little bit, that I could pack a bag and hit the road for a week on a whim.
I thought this was a misplaced YA novel when I started, and honestly it could have been, but I don't mind her being 27 and still acting like the human embodiment of the title. I'd have been a lot more nervous about a recent high school grad alone on the road than someone with a few years of post-college adult life under her belt. I was also pleasantly surprised to discover that this is set in 2003, so while the protagonist has a proto-smartphone in her Blackberry, for the most part, she's a lot more disconnected than she would have been even in 2014, when this was published.
Also, that final letter? SHOCK.
While a bit slow to start, this turned out to be the perfect read for a warm and breezy spring day as I traveled vicariously with her along the road north through California, stopping in various small towns (as instructed in her father's letters) along the way. I've never gone anywhere by myself overnight before, but damned if I didn't immediately wish, a little bit, that I could pack a bag and hit the road for a week on a whim.
I thought this was a misplaced YA novel when I started, and honestly it could have been, but I don't mind her being 27 and still acting like the human embodiment of the title. I'd have been a lot more nervous about a recent high school grad alone on the road than someone with a few years of post-college adult life under her belt. I was also pleasantly surprised to discover that this is set in 2003, so while the protagonist has a proto-smartphone in her Blackberry, for the most part, she's a lot more disconnected than she would have been even in 2014, when this was published.
Also, that final letter? SHOCK.
March 24, 2023
Bookclub review: it was okay but it seemed like it was lacking on build up for for the end bomb drop and there wasn't enough time for her to experience what her dad wanted to experience. She just rushed through it. Casey was also unnecessary and kind of an ass, and her bff was kinda not great. Easy read.
January 5, 2021
The exploration of grief is well-done I think, and I liked the concept of the road trip, but the end goal of the trip winds up being kind of disappointing and the only remotely interesting character is the dead father.
July 20, 2017
Elizabethtown meets PS I Love You. Quick, pleasant read. Sucker for a good road trip/finding yourself story.
March 10, 2019
sweet easy reading compelling book about a young woman whose famous rock star daddy has died too young. he left her some letters taking her on a road trip into his past.
Read
December 19, 2019I DNF about 22% in. I was just bored and trying to avoid reading. Maybe some day...but not today.
December 26, 2020
Enjoyed the style of writing but the ending seemed rushed and also quite bizarre. Also the stops on the road trip seemed pointless apart from the Roses and dad’s old town.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2025
The last 30% of the story were the most interesting. Other than that, yawn.
June 10, 2019
I read this book as a recommendation because I liked The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I don't reccomend it unless you're interested in travel through California or solving a mystery.
July 19, 2021
I really enjoyed this book.
January 16, 2015
***ORIGINALLY POSTED ON HTTP://WHAT-IS-MUCH.TUMBLR.COM***
I wasn’t sure about this book at first. Driftwood started out slow, and really rather boring, I thought. I almost didn’t give it a chance, after the first chapter. But oh, how I am glad I did.
Driftwood is about the adult daughter of a rock star. Clem (short for Clementine) Jasper isn’t sure what she wants out of life. She’s just sort of floating along- like driftwood, perhaps. So when her father, Tommy Jasper, lead singer for the fictional rock band Condor, dies unexpectedly, Clem is understandably shaken up.
Upon the reading of Tommy’s will, Clem receives a set of letters written by her father. These letters instruct her to go on a road trip up and down her home state of California, discovering places and people and things that were important to Tommy, from the time he was young up until he died. Clem sets out on this journey, unsure of what she’ll find, unsure of whether she’ll find anything at all.
I’ve never read a book like this, really. Clem’s voice was so refreshing and honest, a welcome change to the contrived leading ladies of some books I’ve read in the past. The letters from Tommy were hilarious but also poignant, and gave a great glimpse into this man who we never actually met in the novel.
As I was reading, becoming complacent in the happy ending I was sure would occur, a couple intense twists rocked my boat, so to speak, and left me nearly in tears. Of course I won’t say what these were, but man oh man, were they hard-hitting.
Driftwood made me think. It made me laugh, (nearly) cry, and even made me cringe in some spots. It was a very worth-it read, and I look forward to (hopefully) reading more by this wonderful author. I’m rating this book 3.5 stars out of 4, simply for the fact that I personally don’t like epilogues, and this novel has one.
I wasn’t sure about this book at first. Driftwood started out slow, and really rather boring, I thought. I almost didn’t give it a chance, after the first chapter. But oh, how I am glad I did.
Driftwood is about the adult daughter of a rock star. Clem (short for Clementine) Jasper isn’t sure what she wants out of life. She’s just sort of floating along- like driftwood, perhaps. So when her father, Tommy Jasper, lead singer for the fictional rock band Condor, dies unexpectedly, Clem is understandably shaken up.
Upon the reading of Tommy’s will, Clem receives a set of letters written by her father. These letters instruct her to go on a road trip up and down her home state of California, discovering places and people and things that were important to Tommy, from the time he was young up until he died. Clem sets out on this journey, unsure of what she’ll find, unsure of whether she’ll find anything at all.
I’ve never read a book like this, really. Clem’s voice was so refreshing and honest, a welcome change to the contrived leading ladies of some books I’ve read in the past. The letters from Tommy were hilarious but also poignant, and gave a great glimpse into this man who we never actually met in the novel.
As I was reading, becoming complacent in the happy ending I was sure would occur, a couple intense twists rocked my boat, so to speak, and left me nearly in tears. Of course I won’t say what these were, but man oh man, were they hard-hitting.
Driftwood made me think. It made me laugh, (nearly) cry, and even made me cringe in some spots. It was a very worth-it read, and I look forward to (hopefully) reading more by this wonderful author. I’m rating this book 3.5 stars out of 4, simply for the fact that I personally don’t like epilogues, and this novel has one.
September 23, 2016
Thank the Lord and all the angels above that is over. WHY must I be the kind of person who has to finish a book once it's started? This book, Driftwood, made my head HURT. I believe "contrived" was the first word that popped into my head at about page .5, possibly "trite." I kid you not, there are actual sentences that say, "Find out who you are, and then you can start being that person. That's growing up." Ummm.. And these words are supposedly spoken to a 27 year old or so daughter of a rock star who grew up in L.A. I literally smashed my head with this book more than once, mostly trying to dumb myself down enough to make it interesting, but I think that would take more like a time machine traveling back to the ripe age of about 4... okay, okay 5. And the premise sounded so promising! I expected something like one of Steven Tyler's daughters having an "On the Road" experience. Instead we got... I can't even come up with anyone that insipid. Then I thought that perhaps I'd stumbled upon YA without knowing, but there was some naughty words and implied sex so that's a no-no, right? Jesus, even if you were a naive teen feeling lost and alone, you'd probably still think this book was bad. Sorry author lady, but it was painful, just painful.
December 31, 2014
the thing i have always loved most about a good song is when it tells a great story or introduces me to a relatable character. from the melody to the rhythm to the lyrics, all may play an integral part. driftwood reminds me of a song in that the character is so easy to empathize with and that there is an underlying rhythm (and not just in the lyrical passages) that carries you through the book while you are taken along on this small, but influential adventure.
in driftwood, i found passages where something hit me with such poignancy or playfulness - some small reminiscent moment that brought me back to my own lost years. i like to think that we all go through a driftwood age. maybe piaget didn't travel far enough along the lifeline to categorize this developmental stage, but it's there. meeting someone going through that stage of self discovery was such a endearing reminder of just how connected we all are in this human experience.
my favorite line in the entire book: "so we leave this trail of messy victories and defeats, and that trail is just a series of memories."
in driftwood, i found passages where something hit me with such poignancy or playfulness - some small reminiscent moment that brought me back to my own lost years. i like to think that we all go through a driftwood age. maybe piaget didn't travel far enough along the lifeline to categorize this developmental stage, but it's there. meeting someone going through that stage of self discovery was such a endearing reminder of just how connected we all are in this human experience.
my favorite line in the entire book: "so we leave this trail of messy victories and defeats, and that trail is just a series of memories."
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