Book Review: No Right Turn by Terry Trueman

Title: No Right Turn

Author: Terry Trueman

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Number of Pages: 176

Rating: B

Recommended?: Yes

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Wow, this was my second book in a row about suicide. Cheerful, huh? I’ve read multiple books by Terry Trueman and even though I don’t think he’s an amazing writer I like his straightforward style and Stuck in Neutral was very influential for me when I was younger. Anyway, No Right Turn is about a boy named Jordan whose father killed himself several years ago. Jordan was the one who found the body and he is dealing with all kinds of severe trauma that he refuses to acknowledge. Jordan’s mom starts dating a new guy and he becomes obsessed with his Corvette.

The older man takes him in a ride in it to help win him over but Jordan starts taking the car out without his permission. He loves the way driving the car makes him feel, like everything isn’t complete garbage for a short while. The Corvette also gets the attention of a pretty and popular girl, but how long can Jordan keep the lie under wraps? I never really warmed up to Jordan’s character that much, but I liked that he was believably flawed and he had a satisfying character arc.

I also really liked how his mom was so supportive. She wasn’t the typical absent/negligent YA parent and the warm relationship they had was touching. The girl Jordan fell for was kind of a drop-dead gorgeous cool girl character but once you got past her beauty and popularity she was a very down-to-earth person, which was kind of refreshing. I found all the characters to be believable and even though the story itself was pretty simple, the themes of mental illness and guilt resonated with me.