Greyhound

Written by Steffan Piper

Narrated by Nick Podehl

Ushered out from his Stockton, California home by his emotionally detached mother and her latest boyfriend, twelve-year-old Sebastien Ranes must fend for himself and travel two thousand miles across the country. He is on his way to live with his grandmother and sister in Pennsylvania. Along the way, he will learn that sometimes caring, guidance and understanding can come from some unlikely people.

Marcus, a fellow bus passenger, is a man who has been neglected more by society than his family. As a young black ex-con, he is not the epitome of the person most would pick as a chaperone for their child’s cross-country trip. Yet rather than be held apart by their differences, Marcus and Sebastien are drawn together by the things that make us all alike.

Along the way, he acts as both guide and protector, as Virgil was to Dante and Jim to Huck Finn. Imparting his own style of wisdom, he shows Sebastien that, despite the darker parts of the human condition, people can and do care for one another. This is a modern-day journey not just from one house to another. This is a journey taken by a young boy into manhood, and by the reader into his world. Like every trip, there are many stops along the way. But this journey differs in the way young Sebastien arrives at his destination. Greyhound is the story of this journey.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Nov 27, 2012
• ISBN: 9781469243245

Steffan Piper

Steffan Piper was born in Pennsylvania and raised in England and various parts of Alaska. During his time in Alaska, the mayor of Nome asked him to “leave and never return,” due to a minor misunderstanding. His previous books include Greyhound, Electronic Butterflies, During the Apocalypse, Yellow Fever, and Observations of a Dead Man. Steffan currently lives in Palm Desert, on the outskirts of Los Angeles with his family.

Reviews for Greyhound

[karconner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a sad tale of a neglected kid and his journey on a Greyhound bus. The main character meets all sorts of people and experiences quite a bit on his journey. It is both sad and hopeful. You can't help but root for happiness for the young man.

[rdra1962 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this book - easy read but a real feel good. Great for YA and book clubs. A coming of age story that shows how one person can make a huge difference in the life of another. Don't want to give too much away!

NWE!! Our book club selected this book to read. Two of our members, Melanie and Cheryl were posting about the book, and all of a sudden the author chimed in! He left a detailed message about the story that was very enlightening. The story is very autobiographical, and he did have a Greyhound experience, complete with a "Marcus". He is now raising his son in California. It was wonderful to hear his story, and it makes the book even more heartbreaking!

[adonisguilfoyle · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The quirky cover and noting that magic era - the 1980s - in the blurb persuaded me to take a chance on Steffan Piper's novel (well, that and the bargain basement price). Overall, the story didn't disappoint, either - Sebastien's cross-country adventure with Marcus on a series of Greyhound buses is well paced and quaintly nostalgic (Hall and Oates, though?) The only part of the novel which didn't quite work for me is ironically the greater part of any work of fiction - the narrative voice. 'Sebastien Ranes' just does not sound like an eleven year old boy, especially one with a fractured education, raised by disinterested parents. Harper Lee made Scout's first person narration work in To Kill A Mockingbird by telling a child's story through the reminiscences of a grown woman, but Piper can't even claim to be attempting that gimmick with Sebastien, who charts his journey from California to Pennsylvania using mature words and phrases that just don't gel with a child's perspective. I managed to 'read past' Sebastien's unnerving narration, but feel that the story suffered without the charming naivete of a youthful 'voice'.

[selinalynn69 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. I once took this exact route on a Greyhound so it was neat to relive some of the stations and stops along the way.
The book starts out with an 11 yr old boy being ditched by his not so great mother to ride across the country alone to live with his grandma. He has many adventures along the way and makes a good friend, Marcus. Marcus helps him with little thoughts and lessons that help him put his life into perspective. I found this book to be sweet and full of good advice for life.It takes place over a period of 3-4 days so you get pretty good descriptions of the people, places and thoughts that happen throughout the book. I look forward to any more books this author may put out

[johnluiz-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A contemporary Huck Finn with a trip on a Greyhound Bus from California to Pennsylvania taking the place of the raft ride down the Mississippi. Sebastian Raines is a 12-year-old boy whose mother dumps him on the bus to go live with his grandparents back East while she runs off to wed her latest boyfriend and get him out of her life. On the way Sebastian encounters all kinds of adventures - including crazy drivers and a would-be child molester. He's protected from these dangers by Marcus, a wise black man, who is fresh out of prison but who has lots of worldly wisdom to impact to young Sebastian Raines. Anyone who's taken a long bus ride knows how boring they can be, but it's amazing how interesting and insightful the journey with Sebastian proves to be.

[elpaca · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Easily one of the best books I've read for awhile. I fell in love with so many characters, hated a few. Was totally absorbed in the storyline and wish for more. Hope Sebby is OK now. Recommended for everyone.

[presto_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

At eleven years going on twelve, Sebastian is put on a Greyhound bus in Stockton California, the start of a three day two thousand mile journey to his grandparents in Altoona, Pennsylvania, by his self-interested mother; she no longer has time for him now that she is about to marry - again. Sebastian is, not surprisingly, somewhat apprehensive as he embarks on his solo expedition, bewildered not just by what the next three days might have in store for him, but also as to why he is yet again being deserted by his mother. But all is not bleak, at least he feels secure in knowing that his grandparents will welcome him; and in addition to charming all the ladies en-route with his cute good looks and polite manners, Sebastian soon teams up with a the most unlikely travelling companion, the young and black Marcus, just released from an eight year jail term. This unusual alliance will prove to be Sebastian's salvation in more ways than one on this marathon journey that crams in more action and disasters than any youngster should have to endure in his entire childhood, let alone in just three days. Marcus proves to be a wise and loyal friend, helping Sebastian with more than just the journey, but helping him understand himself and his plight, and equipping him as best he can for the future. Sebastian learns a great deal about human nature both in its darker and in its more positive forms. Sebastian narrates the events of his epic journey, and if there is a criticism of the book it is that this is not the narration of an eleven year old boy, but that aside the story is told with a keen sense of observation and often with a little humour. It reveals humanity in all its forms, and provides a fascinating picture of what was once the Americans' preferred means of distance travelling. Sebastian comes across as a likeable and very natural boy. I found this a most enjoyable and compelling read.

[lkopetsky_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I did receive this book as an early review copy...and I loved it! It was an easy read, and you really felt as if setting it down was interrupting the "trip". I would recommend this book!

[books_n_tea · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Synopsis:Sebastien Ranes’s mother is no good; she chain smokes cigarettes, smells like a soggy ash tray, and cares more about her pretty dresses and shoes than she does for her own son. Oh, and she is getting remarried to some deadbeat who doesn’t want Sebastien around anymore. So, at the age of 12, Sebastien is placed on a Greyhound bus in California by his mother, and he is headed to live with his grandparents in Pennsylvania. He has to make this three-day trip alone. Just when Sebastien thinks his life will only be filled with disappointment, he meets Marcus, a black, ex-convict who becomes his guide and protector. Along the way, Sebastien learns that while there are some totally appalling creepers out in the world—pedophiles, racists, everyday impatient jerks, there are also some unlikely folks in the world who have guidance and understanding to offer.My Thoughts:I liked Sebastien, but I didn’t sympathize with him as much as I thought I would; he did have such a terrible childhood, after all. I felt like more could have been done to develop his character. I understand he’s a boy of few words (he has a stuttering problem which began shortly after a traumatic event that happened two years prior) which is why getting into his thoughts is so important. Unfortunately, half the time he seemed to be more concerned with the taste of the air from sitting so close to the bathroom than anything else. Readers finally catch a different facet of Sebastien towards the end of the book when he’s two bus stops away from his destination. I absolutely loved Marcus though. He’s just one cool dude. He’s wise. His life experiences cause him to “be real” with Sebastien. He never sugar coats things. But, there is another side of him that surfaces every now and then that fills Sebastien and the reader with hope that not all things in the world are bad. I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between the two. While there were many serious conversations, there were also a few conversations that made me chuckle.My favorite by far:“Well, I guess there’s no harm. Yes, I’m from L.A.” He was leaning in close now. “A place most people call the ghetto.” His voice had dropped to almost a whisper. “Really?” I replied, wide-eyed. “I once lived in a place with my mom and one of her boyfriends called The Grotto.”A lot of “Holy Crap!” events occur throughout this book which helped break up what could have been an otherwise incredibly boring bus trip. That’s not to say these events were just thrown into the book just for the heck of it; I thought they were relevant to the storyline. I just wish these events had been fleshed out a little bit more. In parts of the book when not much is going on, Piper takes the time to draw the reader in with passages that appeal to the senses. But it seems like the same consideration isn’t taken during all the commotion.Overall, I really did enjoy the book. I appreciated the premise of the story. Having it take place during a three-day bus trip cross-country was pretty neat; surprisingly, a lot can happen in three days (and in such a confined space too). Many of the characters introduced to Sebastien’s life (regardless of how briefly) were heartwarming, ensuring that the 12-year-old got to his destination safe and sound. Also worth noting: while Greyhound is “adult fiction” I think many young adults can enjoy this book too.* I won this book from the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.

[foreigncircus · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From the moment I started reading Greyhound, I was hooked by the main character, a 12 year old boy about to board a bus across America alone so that his mother's new husband won't have to raise a child that isn't his own. Sebastian is a wonderful character- naive and sensitive and astonishingly open-minded given his situation. It is so telling that is he surprised every time an adult reacts take-aback by his mother's decision to pack him off to PA on a bus; he apparently expects nothing better.The characters Sebastian meets along the way are extremely colorful, but not outside the realm of possibility, especially on such a long bus ride. I know some reviewers have taken issue with the series of dramatic events on the journey, but I've known Greyhound bus trips involving a police reception, shootout and subsequent arrest, followed by bus breakdown due to engine fire (and that was just on a 5 hour ride!) In fact, for anyone who has ever ridden Greyhound for anything other than a DC-NY-Boston run, this story will bring a smile and a shudder for its accuracy.There were some places where the prose was awkward, and some grammar errors that grated (not sure how the editor missed them) but these were niggling irritations that did not detract from the strength of the story. Sebastian is a wonderful character- flawed and vulnerable and oh-so-appealing. This book was an impressive debut effort; I hope we see more from this author.