First published 2005
Duff Pringle owns his first car, a used Ford Escort that needs to carry him 3,000 miles to California in six days. His new tech job waits for him there, along with the promise of real money. He wants to drive cross country to see America properly. His plan falls apart after just one hundred miles when the Escort dies. Duff refuses to give up on his road trip dream. He uses his laptop and quick thinking to patch together a way forward. The journey throws unexpected companions at him. Stu the hitchhiker hides something important. Bonnie dreams of singing stardom while her con artist mother schemes nearby. Two dangerous men hunt for a trunk full of stolen money. Even Moony the terrier joins the chaos, though the little dog gets carsick at every turn. Duff discovers that the people you meet can matter more than the destination you planned.
Genres: fiction, adventure, contemporary, road-trip
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: California
Period: 21st-century
274 pages · Hardcover · HarperTeen