Road to Paradise

A Novel

De: Paullina Simons

Narrado por: Em Eldridge

Love, passion, and friendship collide on the road trip of a lifetime in this breathtaking novel from Paullina Simons, internationally bestselling author of The Bronze Horseman and Tully.

There’s no telling where a journey will lead you…

Shelby Sloane has big plans for the summer of 1981. She’ll drive cross country in her graduation present—a classic yellow Mustang. In California, she hopes to find the mother who left her behind long ago, and then return East in time to start college. Her childhood friend Gina is desperate to reunite with her boyfriend in Bakersfield and has convinced Shelby to bring her along.

With Gina on board, Shelby’s carefully mapped-out itinerary is quickly abandoned. Soon, so is their “no hitchhikers” rule when Shelby picks up a mysterious girl named Candy Cane, who sets them all on a new and dangerous course. Streetwise beyond her years and decked out with tattoos, piercings, and spiky hair, Candy is on the run from a past darker than anything the two suburban girls have ever known. Candy draws Shelby and Gina into her terrifying world, where life as they know it is turned upside down and there is no place left to hide.

Compelling but bizarre

This book is a bit slow to start but picks up steam with time. The characters are very rich in that you will either sympathize with them or utterly despise them. The narration was excellent, particularly in fleshing out the characters' personalities (especially Gina who was just an awful person all the way through).
The plot was lurid but strangely prudish as well. It can't seem to decide whether to go for it and show us the dark side or tiptoe around it in a failed attempt at subtlety. It would have been better to either dive into the squalor head first or to avoid unsavory topics all together. The insinuation without consummation made for thin gruel at times. If we're going to do lesbian prostitution and faux snuff bondage, let's not try to pass it off as Little Women meets Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
Overall a good read. Like a mutual fund, its worth doing if you have the time to delay some gratification until later. My two cents...

not sure if I liked it or not

I have listened to every hour of this book and I just can't figure out if I liked it or not.some parts i did enjoy. some of the religious parts seemed to drag on forever. I think it could have been better in some parts. overall I didn't hate it but I didn't totally love it either.

Do not miss this

Get ready to put your heart on the road. Like life this has no end.

Boring...teenager aptitude

This one is sooo boring.. I have loved all her other books... what happened.. to wonderful character development