Car Trouble

by Jeanne DuPrau

Planning a great cross-country trip to begin his life anew with a great job in computers on the West Coast, a young boy's adventure takes an unexpected turn when his car breaks down just hours from home and he is forced to rely on the kindness of others to make his goal a reality. Reprint.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Teen, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Road Trip, Coming Of Age

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Jeanne DuPrau is an American writer, best known for The Books of Ember, a series of science fiction novels for young people. She lives in Menlo Park, California.

Reviews

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did this book with a group of 8th graders in book club and it was very successful. They liked it and really got the humor and pathos of the characters and situations. Duff does what every teen seems to want to do - take to the open road for freedom and the fulfillment of dreams of wealth and success - but the events that unfold are more like what each parent fears will happen. However, Duff proves to be more resilient and resourceful than he knew he could be, and in the end it all works out.

[Kip Zinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short and simple story, which I think provides some pros and cons about the book. I enjoyed reading this book because it was a pretty quick read, and the story was pleasing and accurate. It wasn't too complicated or in depth, so it was easy to follow and didn't leave anything unexplained or underdeveloped. However, because it was so simple I found it hard to really get involved with, and some scenes were definitely bland and used for filler. Overall this is a book I'd recommend, but I wouldn't get your hopes up for an exciting, page-turner of a book.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Car Trouble is a work of Young Adult Fiction that seems to suggest that young people might struggle a bit along the way, but they can reject their parents (for the most part) and be whatever they want to be. While some young folks can and do succeed without their parents' assistance, we know that most runaways, etc. wind up on the street rather than succeeding in Hollywood, Nashville, or Silicon Valley.

Our young hero is offered a job right out of high school, buys a junk car and heads across country from Virginia to San Jose. Along the way he experiences a lot of problems, beginning with his car breaking down by throwing a rod. However, our young intrepid hero couragously refuses to call his parents for assistance, even when his wallet is stolen, crooks start chasing him, etc. In other words, he winds up in a world of hurt, but muddles through without his parents, demonstrating a stubborn streak of rebellion that just gets him in deeper.

It is probably a good thing that the book is aimed at a juvenile audience (why did I read it, I got it off the "free" table at the local library and it looked interesting) because it panders to their lack of sense. Even when the hero realizes that the people he has hooked up with are problematic, he refuses to do the smart thing and call for help. Normally, this might make for a fun story, but I guess I'm at a time in my life when I wish my children would stop screwing up and therefore it just cut across the grain of my own current parental experience.

Another issue I had with the book was the cover art. The image on the cover shows a 1960's Mustang and no such car ever appears in the book. Our bumblers drive an Escort, a Chevy and a Toyota, but never a Mustang do they enter. There is a dog along on the road trip, but it never gets to ride in a Mustang. Come on.. can't the artist even be troubled to read the book.

This wasn't a bad book.. but it missed greatness by a good distance to. Instead of a coming of age novel it is a coming apart novel.

[Jett Tolliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duff is a young man that is going to explore the world. He got a big job offer in a big city. He has to take his car all the way their and when Duff's Ford Escort breaks down after barely a hundred miles, he uses his laptop and some quick thinking to piece together a way to continue his trip. What he doesn't plan on are the characters he meets along the road, including a hitchhiker with a secret, an aspiring singer with a con artist for a mother, a couple of thugs, and a carsick terrier. I would recommend this book to someone else because it has suspense, mystery, and questioning why? I think that this book anyone could read it from the grade 5th to 8th. I would keep the title the same because it perfectly suits the book.

[E.a.pischke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should have known from the start I wouldn't like this book, I mean the main character's name was Duff after all. There are just too many problems in this book that weren't believable: the parents that let a 17 year old drive cross country alone; the con-mom and thugs who followed and somehow caught up with the gang; all the gullible and oblivious adults and teens... the only qualm I didn't have was with the actual car trouble- having had my own truck towed twice in one week and too many problems to name, the books title was the only thing believable in this whole story.

I liked the dog.

[Manav Singh]

I liked the book Car Trouble by Jeamme DuPrau because it was a good book and it was adventurous because he had ups and downs during his trip. There was no real main setting it was from his hometown Richmond, Virginia to California. The main character in this story is Duff.
The main conflicts were along his trip. One conflict was that his car broke down but he didn't want his parents to find out so he had to do quick thinking to get his car fixed. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes adventure. I would recommend it to those people because they would be the type of people to like the book as far as I know.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about the insane adventures of one of the biggest technological geeks ever, Duff. Duff has a job, so he has to leave his nice home and travel all the way across the country to california, for the job. Along the way he picks up a hitchhiker named Stu, and this story is about the things that these two do together as they both attempt to get California. This is a absolutely great book and I reccomend it to anyone who reads at all!!

[Ruby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize when I started reading this that is was by the same author as the City of Ember series. The writing style flows better than those books, and it's a really interesting storyline told from the perspective of a 17 year old boy setting out on a road trip to start a pipedream of computer job on the west coast. His car breaks down not two hundred miles from home, but he'll be damned if he calls his parents for help.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

YA novel that I can see being made into a movie of sorts, though with adults not kids. Computer Geek, sleezy guy, wanna be singer whose mother is a fraud artist and a barfy dog travel west with a couple of thugs after them.

[Syam Sudin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enaknya punya montir mobil panggilan Jakarta , Anda tidak perlu repot-repot mengunjungi bengkel. Mereka akan datang langsung ke lokasi Anda, sei itu di rumah, kantor, atau bahkan di pinggir jalan saat Anda mengalami masalah. Fleksibilitas Waktu: Anda dapat mengatur waktu kunjungan sesuai dengan jadwal Anda, tanpa perlu memikirkan jam operasional bengkel ini lokasi montir Syam

[Caleb Guy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this book is very interesting and very thrilling. This book is very exicting aswell. Your reading it and its very peaceful then the next thing you know its either. Personally my favorite parts in this book is when they are on a high speed chase from the two thugs with money in the back of the car and they catch Duff and Bonnie and search the car for it but they cant find it because the dog threw up and it was under the throw up. Then they quickly road away after they searched.

[Laura Larson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, easy, relatively wholesome read aimed at high school age readers. I enjoyed this story even when my mom brain was yelling at the main character for not calling his parents 😂. I liked that there was no sex- in fact, the 17 year old man character Duff gets his first kiss towards the end. I also liked the "think outside the box" message to teens about what career they should consider. That said, while this would be a good class read or for a more sheltered teen, I don't think it has enough drama for most of today's target audience. There is quite a bit of tension and many action packed scenes, but the immediate concerns are sorted out rather quickly and the long-range goals are downplayed so much they never really felt developed to me.

[Nevaeh Wiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think its one of those books that start of well and then go bad and so many random things happen to them and the main person makes new friends and then things get worse and then at the very end it gets so much better and then all good things happen and basically what i'm trying to say is that Things that are will always get better at the very end just gotta give it time

[Aidan Brinks · Rating 5 out of 5]

it is about this boy name Duff who is trying to full fill his dream about a computer expert and got a job interview for a computer programer and he is trying to get there by Monday but faces many challenges along his journey.

[Bryten M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was good because he had trouble and then he found him a ride. Then he met this guy and he got in trouble and he lives in mexico now.

[Truong Tang · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is, indeed, a fun ride. You might need this lighthearted story on one of those rough days.

[Eileen Arbesfeld glick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent coming of age novel of a young boy growing up as part of a dysfunctional family living in Brooklyn and his complicated relationship with his father.

[MaryEllen Holbrook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had tried to read this one years ago but couldn’t get into it. I enjoyed it more this time.

[Chris Kako · Rating 4 out of 5]

SCORE: 78/100

Idk when I started but whatever, peak book frfr

[Lis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story. A quick read. I’m happy to add this one to my school library!

[AllieM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not written very well and kinda predictable but I'll let that slide because DUFF AND BONNIE ARE ADORABLE

[Cam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.Good.

[Shelby Durant]

Duff Pringle is a seventeen-year-old computer genius that lives in Virginia. His father is always getting on his case about how he is always glued to a computer, when he could be like all of the other boys his age in town and play football. Duff had received notice from a company in California that they would like him to travel there and work for their business. This business, of course, was a computer software maintenance company. Duff decided this job would be good for him and he went out and bought a used car. He packed up, said goodbye to his parents, and hit the road. He had about six days before the interview, but he to drive all the way across the country. Duff drove about one hundred miles before his old clunker started to fall apart. Duff did not have the money to repair his car, so he walked to a nearby motel and stayed the night. He found an ad for a car that needed to be delivered to a town that was along his route to California. He went to the auto shop and checked up on his car, but he found another guy working on it. He talked to him and learned that his name was Stu and he needed to get to California also, but he was hitching his way there. Duff, being a nice guy offered to take him to his next destination. When they arrived, there was a sixteen-year-old girl named Bonnie. She was the daughter of the recipient of the car. If was near nightfall, so Bonnie let Duff and Stu stay at their house. The boys severely needed a way to California and Bonnie wanted to leave, so the three of them and Bonnie's dog, loaded back up and headed to California. Stu and Bonnie we gabbing away, while Duff was stuck driving, at least for most of the way. Along their travels, they were suspected burglars, they met new people, got lost, and fought. To find out where Duff, Stu, and Bonnie end up, read Car Trouble by Jeanne DuPrau. Also, find out if Duff Pringle gets his dream job. I enjoyed this book because it put a twist on what our parents told us about talking to strangers. In some points is this book, the action got dull, but soon after there was a high speed chase. I liked how the characters helped each other and formed a friendship. This book is relatable because nothing will ever go as perfect as we plan and this book shows a clear image of how it does happen. I would recommend this book for its comical and personal pieces.

[Arjun · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think car trouble was a unique book that wasn't too exiting but not too boring either. In car trouble the main character: Duff Pringle is on his way straight out of high school (which is sort of unrealistic) to a well paying computer programming job in California. At first Duff plans to fly there but a strange website convinces him that driving there will be more scenic and fun. So duff uses some of his money to buy a Ford Escort from a pizza place for 600$. The only problem with the car is that the indicator lights were broken. Very soon after setting off the car runs out of engine oil and a rod comes flying out. Duff uses his laptop to become a Chauffeur and picks up a hitchiker. Once Duff gets to his destination he finds out that the person who hired him is in jail. They meets her daughter and she lets them use her moms chevy and travels with them. The hitchhikers name is Stu. And the girls name is Bonnie. Bonnie needs to get to her aunts house now that her mom is in jail. Once they get there Bonnie decides to go with them instead. Some people steal the chevy and Stu uses the money that the people who stole the chevy wanted (the money stu found in the Chevy) to buy a new car. At a gas station Stu betrays them and runs away but be's nice and leaves the car for them to keep. Duffs job actually gets cancelled and it hints that he will go to college and Bonnie lives with one of her favorite aunts. I think that this book was an amazing book full of some realistic excitement. The ending of this book wasn't very satisfactory though because it doesn't really tell you what happened to Duff. But the way he lost his job was a real twist.

[Visha' Fon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Car trouble by Jeanne DuPrau is a well written fictional novel that comes from the point of view of Duff, a boy fresh out of high school that is looking for a new hi-tech job to start his career and become wealthy. Duff has six days to drive 3,000 miles across the country from Richmond, Virginia to San Jose, California.
Anybody making the transition from their education to the start of their new career can relate to the many life lessons Duff must learn to become an adult upon his journey through a new chapter is his ever changing life. Along with tis Duff must all so deal with many other hardships along the way as well such as the far from pristine condition of his Ford Escort or even the mystery of near future ahead of him. Many people can relate to the mixed feeling Duff is receiving along his path to new and different life of which he knows nothing about. I admit at times I did find this book to be slow and somewhat hard to read for long periods of time. Overall I found this to be a pretty good book although I would hesitate to recommend this for some people. This book does a good job of teaching growing young adults important life lessons that could be used in all walks of life.
“This seemed like a good number for several reasons. It was composed of ones and zeroes, like machine language. One sound like won, as in “I won!” And one means the beginning, which correlated with the beginning of his new life. Duff liked it when things worked out neatly like that.” (DuPrau 11)

[Thomas Sederquist · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first chapter in car trouble is Duff Departs. It is about this kid who goes to college, and the car that comes to pick him up is a small white Ford Escort that he had bought last week. And right when he got to the curb, his dad comes running out the door holding a cup of coffee in one hand. I like this book so far because he is going to college to work on computers, and his ford escort breaks down after barely a hundred miles, he uses his laptop and some quick thinking to piece together a way to continue his trip. His dad said if you run into problems you know what to do. Duff said kinda snotty yeah I know.

When he got into the car, he put his laptop on the passanger seat and his dufflebag in the backseat. He rolled down the window and his parents were leaning down to say bye. When he took off his parents were still standing on the curb and he turned the corner he went past some of the buildings that he had been familiar with because he had gone to some of them before. When he got on the bridge to get out on the interstate,and just when he was getting up the hill their was a bunch of cars and Duff thought that it might be an accident or some thing like that.

He said he doesn't like to be called a nerd. He preferred computer wizard, techie, or even geek,all of which had an undertoneof admiration that "nerd" lacked.

I would recommend this book because it is serious but sometimes funny. Also, if you like realistic fiction, you may like this as well.

[Kay Mcgriff · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a road trip, look no further than Jeanne du Prau’s Car Trouble. I thoroughly enjoyed going along for the ride with Duff and his unexpected traveling companions. The characters are zany, and the open road leads Duff in unexpected directions.

Duff is a certified nerd, geek, and computer genius. Against his parents’ wishes, he sets off in a used Ford Escort to see the country before settling in to work with a computer company in California. He wants to change the world, but car trouble puts the brakes on his journey after just 100 miles. Determined he can make it in the real world, he turns to his computer to find a solution.

What he finds is Stu, a surfer dude hitchhiking to California. Stu is friendly enough, but can he be trusted? Then he picks up Bonnie, a singer and daughter of a con artist, along with Mooney, her carsick dog. After changing vehicles several times and being chased by thugs, Duff makes it to California as a new and improved person.

First published on my blog at http://kaymcgriff.edublogs.org/2011/1...

[Invalidexcuses · Rating 3 out of 5]

CAR TROUBLE;
Duff,rebelling from his parents about going to college gets a hi-tech job in California,which he hopes will get him wealthy.
Sadly to think that his car broke down before he reached 100 miles;keeping it from his parents,he fixes the problem himself using his quick thinking and his hi-tech skills.He had planed this whole journey like a tech pro but things started to go in the wrong direction.Along the roads,He meets a hitchhiker,stu,who seemed nice and outgoing at first but sooner Duff finds out about the real stu.Bonnie,an aspiring singer who has a con-artist as a mother.Through the ups and downs,Duff realizes what he is interested in other than technology.The pieces finally come together as he reaches California.With the last phone call to his dad's friend,things different are arranged.
"The truth was,Duff wanted to be important.He hadn't done great things in his life so far,but somehow he knew he had the power to do them--he felt it within him,as strong as an oak sprout pushing up through concrete."

This book to me,is rated 3.25 stars.It reveals interesting characters we'll meet along our paths in life.The way they think,the acts.

[Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Novel, "Car Trouble," was a story filled with thrilling moments. I chose this book because it was written by the author of the previous book I read, and it had a catchy title. Car Trouble was about a young man named Duff who had to travel to California by car to start a new job. On the way there, he faced his car breaking down, someone stealing his wallet, being in a convicts house, and meeting new friends. I enjoyed the authors point of view because it was in third person and she made everything seem more important than it already was to make the story more interesting. I would recommend this book to my friend, Alan, because it is a book he would like that consists of cars. A quote which i enjoyed from the book was "He was ready. He stood on the front porch in the first light of dawn." This quote meant that Duff was ready to start his voyage in the beginning of the book to start his new job.

[DJ Hussy]

Car Trouble by Jeanne Duprau is a book filled with mysteries, suspense, and adventure and personally I like some adventure in a book combined with mystery because it gets the story into action and you never know what will happen next because Jeanne Duprau has done a great job by creating some suspense in the story so that leaves the reader unsure of what would happen next but leaves the reader asking questions and finding answers from context clues, sequence of events, etc. Car Trouble is about a computer wiz named Duff who is taking his used Ford Escort to California for his job but he doesn't even make it 100 miles with the rusty car. I would recommend this story to any reader who is looking for a story with mysteries and adventure mixed together to create one amazing novel