Scan barcode
A review by leahka89
Joyride by Anna Banks
1.0
Joyride alternates POVs between Carly and Arden. Carly is a Mexican-American who lives with her brother in a trailer park and works the graveyard shift at a gas station so they can save enough money to sneak her parents across the border. Arden is the county sheriff's kid who's only goal in life is to break every rule his father sets for him. Arden was the star of the football team and the golden boy of the high school until his sister died and now he does everything he can to get rid of that image.
During her late night shift one night, Carly is having a conversation with one of her favorite customers, Mr. Shackelford, who drunkenly comes in every night around 1am to buy a new bottle of vodka and discuss the mysteries of life with her. This night in particular, Mr. Shackelford wants to discuss something that touches a nerve for Carly-- why do the poor have it worse than the rich. She dismisses his question and ends their conversation. Next thing you know, she looks up from the counter and sees Mr. Shackelford being held at gun point next to his truck. Going on instinct alone, Carly grabs the shot gun that lives under the counter and goes to confront the robber. She and the robber have a few intense moments of threatening each other to put the gun down or they will shoot. Ultimately the robber takes off (along with Carly's bike) and leaves. Carly and Mr. Shackelford are unharmed except for the fact that Mr. Shackelford nearly had a heart attack and literally pooped his pants in fear.
After speaking with the police and receiving a ride home from one of the deputies, Carly realizes how much danger she really put herself in. She could have been hurt, but she also put her family and their need to stay out of the limelight in danger.
The following day at school, Carly is approached in class by Arden who says he heard about the robbery from his dad. Just from hearing her side of the story, Arden develops respect for the way she handled the situation. Not many high school girls would be able to point a gun in his face and stand their grown. YEAH HIS FACE. HE'S THE ROBBER. His uncle is Mr. Shackelford and he justifies his little prank by saying that he was trying to scare Mr. Shackelford into not driving home drunk anymore. BECAUSE JUST TALKING TO HIM PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN A GOOD PLACE TO START. Arden decides that Carly would be the perfect sidekick for his life of pranks.
The next day at lunch, Arden approaches Carly and offers to give her a ride home from school since he knows her bike got stolen during the robbery. The only problem is that Carly didn't report her bike stolen so she immediately figures out that he was the guy. Cue awkward scene of her dumping his lunch of his lap. This only warms Arden's jollies even more and now he is CONVINCED! that he must have Carly as an accomplish. Only now he is facing another problem- now that golden boy Arden has paid quiet little Carly some attention all of the other bros in the school are sizing her up. Arden has to pretend that he is trying to sup her in order to call off the wolves.
Arden follows Carly home that day from school and when she turns off the main road onto a dirt beaten path, he decides to reveal himself. She is pissed when she sees him (shocker, stalker), but softens up when he shows that he has her bike and offers to give it back to her. SUCH A GENTLEMAN. They have a little spat about how he could have done such a thing and that's whenhe reveals everything about Mr. Shackelford being his uncle blah blah blah. The chapter ends with them agreeing that they should be friends.
ANNNNND that's where I called it. NOPE not for me. The book was painful to read at only 16% so I just can't do any further. There are so many cliches and stereotypes that my eyeballs almost fell out of my head rolling. This book is just one big bag of NOPE NOPE NOPE.
During her late night shift one night, Carly is having a conversation with one of her favorite customers, Mr. Shackelford, who drunkenly comes in every night around 1am to buy a new bottle of vodka and discuss the mysteries of life with her. This night in particular, Mr. Shackelford wants to discuss something that touches a nerve for Carly-- why do the poor have it worse than the rich. She dismisses his question and ends their conversation. Next thing you know, she looks up from the counter and sees Mr. Shackelford being held at gun point next to his truck. Going on instinct alone, Carly grabs the shot gun that lives under the counter and goes to confront the robber. She and the robber have a few intense moments of threatening each other to put the gun down or they will shoot. Ultimately the robber takes off (along with Carly's bike) and leaves. Carly and Mr. Shackelford are unharmed except for the fact that Mr. Shackelford nearly had a heart attack and literally pooped his pants in fear.
After speaking with the police and receiving a ride home from one of the deputies, Carly realizes how much danger she really put herself in. She could have been hurt, but she also put her family and their need to stay out of the limelight in danger.
The following day at school, Carly is approached in class by Arden who says he heard about the robbery from his dad. Just from hearing her side of the story, Arden develops respect for the way she handled the situation. Not many high school girls would be able to point a gun in his face and stand their grown. YEAH HIS FACE. HE'S THE ROBBER. His uncle is Mr. Shackelford and he justifies his little prank by saying that he was trying to scare Mr. Shackelford into not driving home drunk anymore. BECAUSE JUST TALKING TO HIM PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN A GOOD PLACE TO START. Arden decides that Carly would be the perfect sidekick for his life of pranks.
The next day at lunch, Arden approaches Carly and offers to give her a ride home from school since he knows her bike got stolen during the robbery. The only problem is that Carly didn't report her bike stolen so she immediately figures out that he was the guy. Cue awkward scene of her dumping his lunch of his lap. This only warms Arden's jollies even more and now he is CONVINCED! that he must have Carly as an accomplish. Only now he is facing another problem- now that golden boy Arden has paid quiet little Carly some attention all of the other bros in the school are sizing her up. Arden has to pretend that he is trying to sup her in order to call off the wolves.
Arden follows Carly home that day from school and when she turns off the main road onto a dirt beaten path, he decides to reveal himself. She is pissed when she sees him (shocker, stalker), but softens up when he shows that he has her bike and offers to give it back to her. SUCH A GENTLEMAN. They have a little spat about how he could have done such a thing and that's whenhe reveals everything about Mr. Shackelford being his uncle blah blah blah. The chapter ends with them agreeing that they should be friends.
ANNNNND that's where I called it. NOPE not for me. The book was painful to read at only 16% so I just can't do any further. There are so many cliches and stereotypes that my eyeballs almost fell out of my head rolling. This book is just one big bag of NOPE NOPE NOPE.