Tripping to Somewhere

by Kristopher Reisz

Life is going nowhere fast...until the night some freak wanders into the convenience store where Sam and Gilly are hanging out. He lets them in on a secret: The Witches' Carnival is nearby. If they travel fast, they might catch it.

It's everyone's glittery fantasy turned real: to follow the Carnival's mystic band of beautiful people as they defy every limit and dance through history — all in search of a good time.

Sam wants to go for it, to cut ties with home and reach for the dream. But on the road, it's Gilly who becomes enchanted.

The girls leave everything behind. So in pursuit, they'll have nothing left to lose...except each other.

Genres: Fantasy, LGBT, Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Queer, Fiction, Paranormal

384 pages, Paperback

First published September 26, 2006

About the author

Kristopher Reisz writes books about witches' carnivals, heart-broken werewolves, and mushroom gods.

He fancies himself a gentleman of leisure, just minus the 'gentleman' part.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book--you don't see a lot of stories about gay teenaged girls at all, let alone gay teenaged girls bad-assing their way around the world in pursuit of a group of immortal mystical beings. (There should definitely be more of these.) This is a quick read--it ate up a single day for me--and after some hinky pacing at the outset, it settles into a good adventure story. The two main characters, Gilly and Sam, are well-drawn and complex, and they face down very real challenges. There's some sex, minimally described but emotionally complicated, and loads of drugs. Also plenty of bad language. I'm not actually sure this is a YA novel, although I think it's marketed as one. I give this one points for verve and originality, for breaking a little more ground for LBGT stories, and for casting Christopher Marlowe as a kind of immortal pirate king, forever crossing the globe in search of a good, or at least interesting, time.

[adie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars !!!!
read this on holiday 2 years ago and it was magical and cool and it had lesbians and drugs and beautiful feelings <3

[Sarahharper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was visually stunning, for starters. You can really imagine each of the locations the Carnival and the girls visited and (though I've never done drugs) the author really shoves the reader into a drug trip experience. I love how the author only just barely hints at the mythology underlying the story and how you have to actually think about the motivations of the characters in order to get why they would say some of the things they do. The fact that the two main characters are bisexual girls is also just amazing. You hardly ever get to see that in mainstream fiction and I was so thrilled to find a book that doesn't apologize for the sexuality of the teenage characters. They know who they are (sort of) and they try to roll with it. Well, one of them does. The other one is a user. You'll have to read "Tripping to Somewhere" to find out which is which!

In general I would totally read this book again.

[Teddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

dnf @ p189

Not bad for a YA novel from the early 2000s. I read the first half in one sitting while I was sick & in a miserable reading slump, & while I didn't LOVE it, I enjoyed it enough to keep me reading. But after that, I kinda lost interest. At the very least though, it got me out of my reading slump & back in my usual momentum.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for TeensReadToo.com

Gilly just wants to be beautiful, and Samantha just wants to go home. At least, that's what the resident crazy homeless guy in their town tells them late one night. The strange part is when he whispers about the Witches Carnival, and tells Gilly that if she hurries, she can catch it. Everyone knows the Witches Carnival is just a myth, something to dream about when you wish you could escape your life. Funny thing is, both of them want just that. The next day at school Samantha convinces Gilly to run away and search for the Witches Carnival.

The adventures begin. From Alabama, to Georgia, to Florida, to Rhode Island, to London, they chase the Carnival, and the idea of escape. They do and see things and people they could never have imagined. When Gilly hesitates Samantha pushes; when Samantha pauses Gilly convinces. Without each other they wouldn't keep going.

In the end they find out that home isn't always where you'd expect, and beauty is something you have to find in yourself. And that crazy old man might not be so crazy after all, or he just might be...

I feel like I have to add a few notes as to the nature of this book, and some of the things that happen. There is a fair amount of sex in this book. Not just discussions about sex, but actual sex. There's also some drug use. In defense of the drug use, the bad side of both the use and the lifestyle are realistic and somewhat graphic. I would say that both sex and drugs aren't encouraged or discouraged, merely treated as a reality. Overall, though, TRIPPING TO SOMEWHERE is a good, entertaining read.

[Tez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Money and beauty go to the characters' heads in Kristopher Reisz's decadent and drug-filled début, Tripping to Somewhere.

Gilly's father is a crooked cop, and Sam's stepfather has a taste for teen porn. We've all heard of running away to join the circus, and that's what the girls do: track down the Witches' Carnival. With fifty thousand dollars of dirty stolen from Gilly's dad, the friends head to Atlanta.

When they catch up with the Carnival, they find the witches' lives are magical, beautiful and fuelled with mescaline. From Atlanta to Florida, Rhode Island and England, Sam's high on mescaline and Xanax, whilst Gilly is intoxicated with lust for Maggie, one of the witches.

I blasted through this book pretty quickly, and I don't really know if I liked it or not. The writing is breezy and pretty enough; keeps the story unfolding. But the content itself...well, it's kind of hard to respect characters that drink, smoke and use drugs so often. They don't have the balls to face life sober. I'd have liked them more if they didn't run away from their problems, though Gilly does realise this, but far too late.

The title is kind of right: Gilly and Sam are definitely tripping, but to anywhere but home. Finishing this novel is like waking up wondering what you did the night before, and if it was worth it.

[Joshua · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read this book twice. Once because I had added it to my reading list, the second time because I had forgotten I'd already read it.. Obviously I clued in within the first few pages. I could remember certain events, but not clearly enough, and I definitely didn't remember the end. I'm pretty sure that says more about me than about the book though.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Some aspects of the characters' personalities I could have done without (mostly the way Sam treats Gilly at times), but perhaps that's what makes the girls so believable. Among the ridiculous situations and antics the girls get up to, their personalities keep the story in check rather than forcing it into some unnecessary sub-genre.

It is magic and friendship and fun, and though the conclusion isn't my favourite, it's definitely the only one that makes sense, and I applaud Reisz for realizing that, and sticking to it. I also appreciate that the story gets wrapped up; you're not left hanging at the "conclusion" with unanswered questions.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

An off-the shelf accidental read proved to be a book that I will continue to keep promptly on my bookshelf for years to come in case I need a good read. Gilly and Sam run away on the adventure many teenagers only wish they had the guts to fulfill with a bag full of money and two souls filled with lust, nihilism, and the need to find the infamous Witches Carnival. The book starts out with a bang of attitude, something each character so strongly possesses. If you're looking for a book that is extremely blatant and has characters who aren't afraid to speak their mind, this is a book that you should be reading. The quality of sentence structure and promptness of personality add on to the books credentials. Not only do you feel like you know the characters early on, but you're drawn into their winding funnel of turmoil, emotion, and lust for something better.

[Brandon Moreno · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that this book was good for the most part. However some parts did drag on and I thought they could have more interesting. After reading this book I feel that it can relate to many young people such as teenagers or even older or younger. This book talks about Gilly finding herself and finding who she really is as a person. This book takes her to some crazy places and puts her in some strange situations, but in the end it helps her realize who she really is and where she really should be, with her family. This helps people realize that you dont need to be like everybody else, you just have to be you and nothing more. I also liked how in the end even after everything she did, after all the crimes she committed, Gilly's parents still loved her and accepted her for who she is. I thought that these messages were very good and could really help others.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm amazed with this, read the whole story in one go.
At first it was weird getting into it but after the first few chapters I couldn't have stopped reading if I wanted to. Gilly & Sam kept me hooked, their characters were so very real and human. Vulnerable and at the same time strong and just perfect. I loved to delve deeper and deeper into the dynamic between them as the story unfolded.
It's a shame this isn't being printed anymore. I'd love to own a copy to put onto my bookshelf and read whenever I feel like it. Hopefully it goes to print again.

[stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh, i was not expecting to love this book as much as i did. dear heavens, it was genius. i don't know why exactly - maybe the freshness of a young teen who is comfortable with her gayness, the crazy magic of the witches' carnival, the sparse but precise prose.

i would recommend this to anyone who liked Uglies, but i would also recommend this to anyone in general. i couldn't put this book down.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that you look back on and wonder if it was all a dream. Amazing magic realism, fascinating developments between characters, and no wanky adult moralising. A very dark read I would have loved to have read in middle school or high school.

Recommended for disaffected teens who are still determined to find the magical portals in this place.

[Clairysse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. I actually speed read through this before an examinations back when I was about 13. It's only now, a few years later, that I actually understand this book (better.) Imagine just running off to the Witches Carnival!

I really admire Sam's and Gilly's friendship. Not the perfect kind of friendship but, hey, isn't that how some of the friendships are now a days?

[Theshaneshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great YA book not only for teens themselves but for readers of other ages as well. I think everyone's had the dream of doing something unbelievably crazy once in their life and what happens in this book is nothing short of insane.

[Elena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea. All of the non-magical plot seemed seriously unlikely and strained, and the magical plot was flat and dull. I skimmed a good chunk of the middle of the book, and I don't think I missed much.

[Punk]

Five stars from furies.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazy plot that was full of odd happenings as the character goes on the hunt for the Witches' Carnival.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different take on leaving everything behind to find yourself. I enjoyed it immensely.

[Galadriel. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a strange book, and not in a bad way. My favorite thing was how we were able to see things about the events and the people who crossed paths with the main characters.

[Louisa]

written by a man, would be spoonboy related only

[michelle]

12/14/07

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

FANTASTIC!