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Cruise Control
Cruise Control
Cruise Control
Ebook121 pages1 hour

Cruise Control

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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How sick is this: I'm the major jock-stud in high school, but my brother has the brain of a badminton birdie and a body to match. I've got everything and he's got nothing. I'm a three-year, three-sport letterman and Shawn can't even stand up! Like I said, sick, huh?

It's hard to be a brother to someone who doesn't even know you're there. How can you talk to him when he can't understand a thing you say? How can you listen to him when he can't speak a word? How can you love him when he's so messed up, he can't love you back? And how can you have a life of your own when your father bailed on the family, leaving you to be the "man of the house"?

Fueled by rage at what has happened to his family, Paul is ready to explode. And he is haunted by something even worse—something he can never tell anyone. It is something he will have to face if he is to have any hope of a future at all. While Cruise Control is a companion to Terry Trueman's Printz Honor book, Stuck in Neutral, it is the completely independent story of a family's "other" son—the one who is healthy, gifted, normal. It is a courageously hopeful story told with power, compassion, and humor.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperTeen
Release dateJul 24, 2012
ISBN9780062216953
Cruise Control
Author

Terry Trueman

Terry Trueman grew up in the northern suburbs of Seattle, Washington. He attended the University of Washington, where he received his BA in creative writing. He also has an MS in applied psychology and an MFA in creative writing, both from Eastern Washington University. Terry is also the author of Stuck in Neutral and its companion novel, Cruise Control; Hurricane; 7 Days at the Hot Corner; No Right Turn; and Inside Out.

Read more from Terry Trueman

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Reviews for Cruise Control

Rating: 3.7578124578125003 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Not-very-compelling companion to Stuck in Neutral, from the brother's POV. Paul's voice isn't as powerful and we get no real character from him besides "anger issues," which isn't a trait, really.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    "Cruise Control" is a book about Paul, a boy who is full of anger and rage and has to deal with the repercussions of his dad leaving his family. Paul also has to deal with his brother, Shawn, who has cerebral palsy. Paul can't understand how he is suppose to love his brother when he can't show love and emotion, much less know what it is. As the story develops, Paul learns that it is okay to love his brother and how he needs to be there for him.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Paul is an all american kid, he plays sports, he loves basketball and he is a straight A student. But Paul has some anger issues both on and off the court. Paul's brother Shawn is severly disabled and Paul has taken on the role of Shawn's protector. This book, a follow up to "Stuck in Neutral" is the story of Paul dealing with his anger toward his father and his brother and who is is alone.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The reader is immediately engaged in this story by having the main character narrate the events. There is some use of profane language that reflects the realistic manner in which teens talk today. The story touches upon many topics teenagers may find relevant in their own lives: ability to forgive and be forgiven; coping with a family member with special needs; family dynamics including sibling relationships; anger/rage; sacrifice; and compassion. Overall, this story can be recommended to illustrate many powerful themes.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    As a companion to "Stuck in Neutral", this short novel looks at the life of Shawn's brother, Paul. He does not have the advantage the reader has -- he has no idea that his brother actually is of normal intelligence and knows exactly what is going on. Paul is not as interesting as Shawn, but it is a good read for fans of the first book. It doesn't stand alone well. Paul is a very talented athelete, who has a problem with violence and hatred of his father, who abandoned the family. He wants to leave town for college, and is talented enough for a sports scholorship, but he feels that he can't because his family needs him to help take care of his brother. One nice touch to the book, is that the two books can almost be read side by side. Little details the story are in both of the books. Shawn describes eating a potato chip in the first, and Paul describes sneaking him the same chip in the second book. Also, we get to see what happens while Shawn has his seizures in the first book

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Cruise Control - Terry Trueman

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