Perfect Escape
By Jennifer Brown
(Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Hardcover, 9780316185578, 368pp.)
Publication Date: July 2012
Other Editions of This Title: Paperback
Categories: Family - Siblings, Social Issues - Adolescence, Social Issues - Depression & Mental Illness
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Kendra has always felt overshadowed by her older brother, Grayson, whose OCD forces him to live a life of carefully coordinated routines. The only way Kendra can stand out next to Grayson is to be perfect, and she has perfection down to an art -- until a cheating scandal threatens her flawless reputation.
Behind the wheel of her car, with Grayson asleep beside her, Kendra decides to drive away from it all -- with enough distance, maybe she'll be able to figure everything out. But even in the midst of the road trip's flat tires, gas-station food stops, and detours to quirky roadside attractions, eventually Kendra must stop running and come to terms with herself, her brother, and her past.
With undeniable grace and humor, acclaimed author Jennifer Brown explores OCD, the pressure for perfection, and the emotional highs and lows of a complex sibling relationship.
Jennifer Brown writes and lives in the Kansas City, Missouri, area with her husband and three children. She is the author of Thousand Words; Perfect Escape; Bitter End, which received two starred reviews and was named an ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults title; and Hate List, which received three starred reviews and was selected as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a VOYA Perfect Ten, and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year.
* "Brown skillfully navigates the emotional complexities and psychological minefields of her characters and their relationship, treating OCD with delicacy without losing sight of the big picture."
-Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Brown paints an unflinching, nuanced portrait of siblings in a family overwhelmed by serious illness....Readers will enjoy the trip."
-VOYA
"[A] road-trip novel with momentum and realistic characters that will have many teen readers hitching a ride."
-School Library Journal
"Kendra's struggle to face her mistakes will resonate with many young adult readers...intelligent and compassionate."
-Library Media Connection
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