Off Route

by Rick Levin

228 pages, Paperback

Published February 9, 2026

Reviews

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is written with a notable passion and raw emotion. With his advanced wordsmithing, I assume came from his journalism work, Rick's descriptions of events, and even of his own feelings at different challenging times in his life, make it easy to imagine how he forms his own perceptions, based on how he described the thought processes of his mind.

This is not simply a book about being a bus driver. It is a fearless unveiling of a single human being, the good, and the bad. None of us are perfect, and most of us take solace in keeping secret the parts of ourselves we don't want others to know. Rick has taken a great risk in sharing more than almost any author I can think of. I started reading with the assumption of what the book was about, and found that I was compelled to continue reading out of a morbid curiosity, but was feeling a bit like a voyeur, do to the personal nature of this book.

There was also stories of daily happenings on the buses that I know were not made up, in fact I am sure you would find it harder to make up stories of things that happen on the bus, that could surpass the real life drama that happens almost daily.

This book expressed in so many ways what being overworked as an employee can feel like, the oppression accumulates, till you reach that proverbial straw that breaks the camels back.

This book is a Good Read

[Sarah Decker · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Off Route, Rick Levin takes the mundane and makes it quietly profound. He gives voice to the insecurities most of us carry but rarely articulate, rendering them with startling clarity and tenderness.
His prose feels lived-in, attuned to the humdrum rhythms of daily life, yet sensitive to the small, almost microscopic moments of beauty and connection that flicker beneath the surface. There’s a weariness in the voice, a sense of being worn thin by the world, and yet he remains beautifully, achingly present in even the most ordinary encounters.
For readers who long for the wry humanity of Vonnegut paired with the expansive lyricism of Whitman, all reimagined in a distinctly modern landscape, Off Route will feel like a familiar and welcome companion.

[Bill Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Off Route” is a stunning debut, bold, vulnerable, intellectually sharp, and deeply human. Rick Levin writes with a rare combination of emotional honesty and fierce intelligence, and he has a gift for articulating the thoughts and contradictions many of us carry but struggle to name. There is outrage and tenderness, nihilism and hope, humor and heartbreak, often in the same breath. His voice feels fearless, reflective, and completely authentic.
This is the kind of book that lingers. I found myself wanting to reread it even before I finished, which is my highest recommendation . A powerful, memorable read.

[Rose Boyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little book about real life, love, dealing with personal and societal emotions and the fears of capitalism, fascism, and the machine. The author shows his emotional nature, demonstrating the rigors of the working class survival. Alas! there is a language/profanity warning that is at times visceral and occasionally unwarranted or unnecessary. But, hey, who am I to be judge and jury. Overall, I laughed, I found myself engrossed, I was surprised, even shocked, and I felt the emotions of his ongoing life struggles and desire and appreciation for love.

[Libby Farley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rick Levin has a unique way of bringing hope and levity to the often overwhelmingly crushing reality we all navigate day to day. This novel is a refreshingly realistic slap in the face that will make you want to simultaneously break down in tears and cackle maniacally at the absurdity of the world in which we reluctantly continue to exist. This is an absolute masterpiece, and the only regret I have is the inability to experience it again for the first time.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little bit Bukowski’s Post Office, a little Vonnegut, a whole lot of Melville’s Bartleby, the Scrivener. Rick Levin’s debut novel captures a fish out of water in the world of bus driving (or the bus operating, if you prefer the humanity stripped term that bus agencies push for). Levin’s novel is a blurring snapshot of working in the trenches alongside blue collar coworkers with a view of a decaying and rotting civilization.

[Angela L · Rating 5 out of 5]

As real as it gets. If you are or know a transit driver you will understand exactly how it is day in and day out. Excellent read.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have so enjoyed Off Route. Rick is such an engaging writer.

[Elizabeth L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both outrageously funny and heartbreaking, Off Route pull you along into the world of the narrator, an average working class American. I did not want to put this book down.