Riding the Universe
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Chloé Rodriguez values three things above all else—her family; her best friend, Rock; and Lolita, her Harley-Davidson 1200 Sportster. With a black body, blue airbrushed flames, and perfect sloping ape hangers, Lolita is Chloé's last connection to her beloved uncle, Seth, who left her the bike when he died last summer. So when a failing chemistry grade threatens to separate Chloé from her motorcycle, she vows not to let that happen . . . no matter what.
Enter Gordon. Ridiculously organized, übersmart, and hot in a casual, doesn't-know-it kind of way, Chloé's peer tutor may have a thing or two to teach her besides chemistry. But she has to stop falling for Gordon . . . and get Rock to act mature whenever he's around . . . and pass chemistry so she doesn't lose Lolita forever. Just when Chloé thinks she's got it all figured out, a bump in the road comes out of nowhere and sends her skidding.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The narrator of this uneven novel, 17-year-old Chlo Rodriguez, lives with her supportive adoptive parents, her twin baby brothers and her beloved Harley Davidson, "Lolita"-a gift from her late uncle Seth. At school, she is assigned a peer tutor, the enigmatic Gordon, to avoid failing chemistry. Though she is still reeling from her uncle's death and insists that "keeping safe from any more heartbreak is my main goal," she and Gordon begin dating. Chlo initially finds some happiness with Gordon, but their relationship is volatile. And then there is her best friend, Rock, who is interested in taking their friendship a step further. Triana (The Temptress Four) has created a well-rounded character in Chlo , from her biker chick persona to her tendency to make up portmanteau words (girlgoyle, fathomystic), but she falls short in describing Chlo 's feelings about her adoption and her attempts to find her birth parents. When secrets surrounding her adoption are brought to light, the revelation seems anticlimactic. Nevertheless, the novel is well-paced and themes of family, romance and identity should resonate. Ages 12-up.
