TeenLit Book Reviews


October 2000

The Car

Gary Paulsen

The book The Car by Gary Pulsen is about a teenage boy who was abandoned by his parents and goes on a journey to reach his uncle. When Terry finds out that he is alone, he decides to build a car out of his dad’s old car kit. When it is finished, Terry goes from Cleveland, Ohio to Port land, Oregon to find his distant uncle. He had never driven before and ends up having to teach himself. Along the way he meets an extraordinary man named Waylon. Waylon ends up helping Terry to “learn about life”. “’The quality of mercy is not strain’d; it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed. It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.’ And Terry opened his eyes for the first view of Waylon Jackson.” That quote is about the first time that Terry met Waylon. The scripture that Waylon is quoting is by Shakspere. I thought that the author did a good job of describing things but I didn't like how the book just left you hanging. If you like cars or working on cars, this book is for you. It describes a lot in detail about how cars work and how to fix them.
Reviewed by Greg. Grade: 7th Grade in Worthington, -