100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith

Frankly, Andrew Smith can do no wrong in my book.  From Winger to Grasshopper Jungle, The Marbury Lense and Stick, he writes characters that are both quirky and believable.  He weaves a wonderful story full of heart, history and of course teenage angst.  But it's not your normal teenage angst, well maybe it is, "normal."  It is not cliche, too over the top, too whiny, too unrealistic.  It's perfect, and sad, true and funny.  I loved the main character Finn, and I loved the analogy that he was was quite literally and possibly figuratively stuck inside a book (don't we all feel that way sometimes).  The only qualm I had with this book was that I felt that it ended too soon.

Final Recommendations: if you like contemporary YA, quirky characters, angsty teenage boys, awkward situations, real-life magic