Rules of the Road

I nearly didn't read Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer. It immediately gave me a negative vibe. Regardless, I did finish it and it wasn't so bad.

Newly licensed driver Jenna works at a shoe store and is very good at her job. The owner of the shoe store company asks Jenna to drive her to all of her stores as she travels back to her home in Texas for a stock holders meeting. After some convincing, Jenna's mother allows her to go. Along the way, Jenna matures and learns more about herself and how to deal with her difficult life.

I was originally concerned this book would have a feminazi point of view because most of the male characters were painted so negatively. For example, Jenna's father is an alcoholic and the shoe store owner's son is trying to take over the company. Thankfully, there were some male characters that end up helping Jenna. There was still a us versus them conflict throughout the book but it shifted between generalized groups. I guess there is a sense of empowerment and self confidence that encourages it's readers.

You also have to set aside reality a little bit. A 70 year old store owner with a bad hip asks a teenager to drive her across several states? Not so sure about that. The story was good enough to finish even if it will never be a favorite.

Book Rating: 3 stars