The Last True Love Story

July 11, 2016
Teddy Hendrix’s grandfather, “Gpa,” raised him but now has early-stage Alzheimer’s; his greatest fear is forgetting his late wife. Teddy writes down Gpa’s stories, but what his grandfather really wants is to see the church he was married in one more time. It means a cross-country trip, and although Teddy doesn’t drive, there’s a girl from school who’s looking to leave town. Singer-songwriter Corrina bonds with Gpa over music, and she and Teddy (an aspiring poet) move slowly toward romance as they cope with Gpa’s mood swings and the inevitable delays, detours, and revelations of a road trip. Their destination is Ithaca, N.Y., with its echoes of the Odyssey, and if Kiely (All American Boys) leans a bit hard on Teddy’s poetic sensibilities and the sheer American weirdness they pass through, he wisely splits the bard and quester roles across his characters (Corrina dreams of a career in music; Teddy wants to know more about his long-dead father). As Gpa tells Teddy, you have to “respect the road trip,” and Kiely does in a quirky, romantic, and satisfying story. Ages 14–up. Agent: Rob Weisbach, Rob Weisbach Creative Management.

Starred review from July 1, 2016
Teddy, 17, makes a promise to his Alzheimer's-stricken grandfather, Gpa, to bring him home from assisted living before he forgets Teddy's deceased grandmother.An evening on the beach listening to his talented friend Corrina, adopted from Guatemala, sing and play guitar gives Teddy a rash idea for the three of them (and Gpa's aptly named dog, Old Humper) to drive from LA to Ithaca, New York. Although Teddy is the one telling the story, the three main characters and their individual needs for the road trip are equally well fleshed out. Corrina needs to get away from her adoptive parents and try to break into the music scene. She shares a love of '60s rock with Gpa, creating a bond that helps keep his memories alive. Gpa, a Vietnam vet who has demons of his own to put to rest, is trying to hold onto his faculties against overwhelming odds. Teddy's voice is humorous and sincere. He flirts with Corrina and remains optimistic that things will work out despite the obstacles they encounter. At a Mexican-themed restaurant, Teddy realizes how ignorant he is of the everyday racism that Corrina encounters: "It was like my whiteness just put pirate patches over my eyes and I was blind to all the pain." Readers will be swept up in Kiely's musical prose as Teddy learns about love, romance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. (Fiction. 13-17)

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Starred review from September 1, 2016

Gr 10 Up-Teddy Hendrix is a typical teenage boy dealing with hormones, girls who won't give him the time of day, and family issues. His grandfather, Gpa, is in the throes of Alzheimer's, and his memories are quickly fading away. After getting into a fight with a popular boy at his school, Hendrix joins up with Corrina, who is equally adrift and on whom he's been crushing. She is adopted from Guatemala and finds an outlet for her loneliness and pain through music. After an emotional visit at Gpa's retirement home, Hendrix and Corrina decide to fire up his mom's car and take Gpa on one last road trip, from Los Angeles to Ithaca, NY. Along the way, the teens learn more about each other and the world and realize that sometimes the past is better left in the past and that the future is bright and vast if you have the right person on the journey. Kiely has constructed a sophisticated story about the power of love, music, and making amends. All three of the main characters are fully fleshed out and leap off the page. Corrina's struggles will resonate with many teens who are grappling with who they are in society, especially teens of color adopted into white families and those who strive to achieve their dreams. Gpa's disease is handled in a humane, nonexploitative way. The Odyssey-inspired plot evolves at a leisurely pace, yet it never drags, giving readers a chance to savor this special book. VERDICT Deeply personal and universal at the same time, Kiely's truly lovely tale should find a home in every YA collection.-Christopher Lassen, BookOps: The New York Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library

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