Break Away
Jessie on my mind
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- USD 13.99
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- USD 13.99
Descripción editorial
Alexandre McKenzie lives in a town on the North Shore of the St. Lawrence River. Summer finds him riding through the bush on his quad or fishing in an inland lake. In winter he is a promising midget hockey star who often takes refuge at his camp in the woods. But one fall, his stature and talent take a turn for the worse as he plunges into a relationship with a girl whose future appears plagued by tragedy. Alex has to fight his own demons. Like the moose that haunts him from the moment he meets Jessica—and that sheds its antlers with the first snow only to grow bigger ones the next season—Alex has to learn to hold his head high and become a frontrunner once again. Break Away deals with friendship, family, and love and could take place anywhere in Canada where there is winter, hockey, and young people.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In the first book in a trilogy, Hotte, making his English-language debut, offers a window into the mind of 15-year-old Alexandre McKenzie, who lives with his father and aunt in the remote woods of C te-Nord, Canada. Alexandre is wise yet conflicted, caring but reckless. His pertinent observations lead readers through his bleak, intriguing life. "One thing I've known since I was a kid is how it works around here: in less than twelve hours, everybody knows what you were up to the day before; who you were with, what you did, why." He loves hockey, nature, and riding his ATV, but is pressured by his coach and father to make hockey a career. When his vehicle breaks down, Alexandre visits the Pinchaults for help and falls in love with Jessie. But when her drunk father drives Alexandre home and gets in an accident, tensions rise between their families. Nevertheless, Alexandre is determined to win Jessie's heart, even as her brother St phane's disturbing actions lead Jessie to self-destructive behavior. Themes of indigence, mental illness, and nature conservation are richly conveyed in this atmospheric and delicately balanced story. Ages 12 up.
