Last Ride (Orca Soundings) - Softcover

Langston, Laura

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1554694167 ISBN 13: 9781554694167

Publisher: Orca Book Publishers, 2011

Synopsis

He killed his best friend, Logan, in a street-racing accident a year ago. As he tries to make amends to Logan's girlfriend and keep his promise to never race again, Tom is haunted by his dead friend. He thinks Logan is trying to tell him something. Not only that, since he faces huge medical bills from the accident and may have to give up his car, the pressure to race is almost unbearable.

About this title

About the Author

Laura Langston is the award–winning author of over fifteen books for children and young adults. A former journalist with the CBC, Laura also writes non-fiction for such publications as Canadian Gardening magazine. Follow her on Twitter @LauraLangston.

From the Back Cover

I killed my best friend. Thirteen months and six days ago. Not on purpose. It was an accident.Sixteen-year-old Tom Shields is struggling with guilt and a ghost. He killed his best friend, Logan, in a street-racing accident a year ago. As he tries to make amends to Logan's girlfriend and keep his promise to never race again, Tom is haunted by his dead friend. He thinks Logan is trying to tell him something. Not only that, since he faces huge medical bills from the accident and may have to give up his car, the pressure to race is almost unbearable.

From the Inside Flap

responsibility, street racing, ghosts

Reviews

Street racing used to be 16-year-old Tom�s passion�until the night his best friend, Logan, was killed in a friendly race turned deadly. Now Tom�s navigating a life lived at regular speeds, forced to endure being called a wuss and taunted by his repair-shop boss, who�s going to possess Tom�s beloved ride unless Tom pays for fixing up the car�the kind of money he can only make by racing. Langston has a good feel for the adrenaline rush of being behind the wheel of a souped-up racer, and she indulges in showier prose than most titles in the Orca Soundings series: �I�m in the zone. At one with my steel shell.� She also piles on the narrative stresses with chapter-by-chapter efficiency: the medical bills from Tom�s accident are crushing his family; the girl Tom likes will hate him if he races again; Logan�s little sister wants Tom to attend a memorial; and Logan�s ghost might just be haunting Tom. There�s never much doubt where this is heading, but it is nevertheless a satisfying ride. Grades 5-8. --Daniel Kraus

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

I killed my best friend. Thirteen months and six days ago.
Not on purpose. It was an accident. Even the cops wrote it up that way. But if I hadn't dared Logan to race he'd still be alive.
Sometimes I swear I see him. Out of the corner of my eye. Just a glimpse. Like he's haunting me.

That accident…I think about it every day. And most nights too.

Edition details

• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1554694167
• ISBN 13: 9781554694167
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 136