LitPick Review
Penny Hike is a book about teenager Fin O’Connell and his unfortunate life. Fin is verbally abused multiple times by his mother’s brother, Uncle Steve. He decides that it's going to stop today when his mom comes home, but when she gets home, his mom tells Fin that she has terminal cancer. Fin doesn't get a chance to tell her about the abuse. Fin is not going to let that ruin his life. During his school year, Fin makes new enemies and friends. With his friends, he takes ‘penny hikes,’ where the penny decides the characters' fate on the treks; for example, on one hike, heads means they go straight and tails means they turn. As they take these 'hikes of fate,' they talk about what is happening in their lives. Can they find a cure for his mother’s terminal cancer? Can Fin find hope for a better future? Find out in this spirited book.
Opinion:
Penny Hike was a sad story with funny parts mixed in. One thing I liked was how the author described the characters, making them feel very real to the reader. One thing I did not like was the spelling of words like "doctah" for doctor and "yahd" for yard, but it was understandable. Bobby S. Richardson fashioned a sad, but exciting story. I would recommend this book for ages 12 and up because of the nature of the story, with violence and bad words included.
