Photo from www.christianbook.com
Genre: Fiction
My rating: ♥♥♥♥ four out of four hearts= good
About:
Peyton's life has been good, for the most part. He's never lacked for anything, his parents love him and each other dearly, and at fifteen he's pretty sure he's met the girl for him. But every life has its shadows, and Peyton's world is about to be overturned. His father came back from the war battling inner demons, his big, prominent family is unstable at its core, and his sweetheart's parents feel that a separation would be good for them.
Peyton's got to get away, so he decides to copy what his father did many years ago- he will ride his bicycle down the Florida coast to the Key West. This trying journey will turn Peyton from boy to man, introduce himself to many different people and cultures, and change his life forever.
My Review:
Valerie Fraser Luesse's novel is a refreshing change from the usual romance fare (true, Peyton+Lisa is a big aspect of the story, but the central focus was on Peyton and the changes in his life). It's a sweet, nostalgic tale, all about family and how the events in life change us (sometimes for good... and sometimes not).
The romance, however, is sweet and innocent. Peyton and Lisa are young, but they're both mature. I love how Peyton's story reflects his father's in so many ways, yet the two were also so very different.
The best stories have a thread (or several!) of real-life in them, and I love how The Key to Everything was inspired by someone in the author's life. It was really cool to read and know that some of that stuff actually happened, that Peyton's character was inspired by a real person.
Some of the events and happenings in the story seemed a bit far-fetched or over-exaggerated, but since the rest of the story was good, I just tried to ignore those few times. I also tried to keep in mind that some crazy stuff happen in real life, and since this was inspired by a true story, some of it might have actually happened, so I couldn't complain too much.
The author has produced a sweet, nostalgic story about growing up and finding your way. I loved my visit back into the 1940's south, and I'm sure I'll be picking the book back up to revisit often. (And as a side note, this story would make such a cute movie! Just saying).
I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.
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