This book is also incredibly emotionally resonant. Stone manages to build the tension over the course of Clean Getaway while also cleverly deepening the mystery of G’ma’s behavior and her past. While Scoob’s unease continues to rise, G’ma also seems to be dodging calls from his father, leading Scoob to wonder what is really happening, what G’ma might be hiding, and how this suddenly dramatic road trip might end. She seems both forgetful and suspect – sometimes calling Scoob by the wrong name or forgetting to pay for meals, other times doing things like furtively switching the license plate on her RV. As they delve deeper into G’ma’s memories, Scoob also becomes alarmed by G’ma’s behavior. This is the same route that she took with her husband, Scoob’s grandfather, shortly before he was arrested and sent to the prison where he would eventually pass away. Over time G’ma reveals that their path, which takes them from Atlanta into Alabama and across the deep south, is also a journey into her own past. G’ma won’t tell Scoob where they are headed and he is surprised when he learns that she sold her house to buy an RV, but the open road feels like freedom. Scoob has always been close to his grandmother, who is often his main refuge from his disciplinarian father, so a trip with her seems like a great distraction from the looming troubles in his life.

Scoob is desperate to escape his father’s disappointment after a string of poor choices and misunderstandings lead to serious trouble at school. When his grandmother swings by and asks eleven-year-old William “Scoob” Lamar if he’d like to join her for a little adventure, he doesn’t think twice. I am pleased that, as is often the case, my apprehension was unfounded and unnecessary! Clean Getaway is a sharply written pleasure to read and I have been delighted to put it in the hands of young readers. Several authors whose work I’ve loved have tried and, in my eye, failed to find a believable voice when making such a switch. I’ve loved all of Stone’s previous novels but working with a new age group is sometimes a precarious journey for writers. The truth, however, was slightly more complicated. I mentioned in a post a few months ago that I was eagerly awaiting Nic Stone’s new book, her first foray into middle grade fiction.

Clean Getaway by Nic Stone