Farewell Tour of a Terminal Optimist (KelpiesEdge)

Product Information

A fresh and bold debut novel full of heart, guts and raw emotion. Farewell Tour of a Terminal Optimist is a brilliantly funny, thrilling exploration of friendship, identity and mortality populated with witty, sharply drawn characters. path.clippath-edit [d="M187.5,58.16512107880641C214.4945046332268,59.30276163829959,240.41535832379228,68.72236200134503,261.78778803761725,85.2516316332289C282.6963949126211,101.42218431683145,296.2754933156812,124.37907582369479,305.2578826140189,149.23814455202273C314.5057597154312,174.83195982984464,320.0838754322527,202.03724793161848,313.5298613798452,228.44958427581457C306.6583326902681,256.1414881223187,290.83098734814035,281.1988876688588,268.20101111928966,298.5754126683334C245.16831466772666,316.2611681304027,216.53668119789893,325.62489475112585,187.50000000000003,325.2221577332822C158.73449362423528,324.82318189387473,130.91057796810622,314.28402967263787,108.40922684047621,296.3591102528553C86.58905693366876,278.9768301805616,70.90812686232724,254.59777998884854,64.70208061110648,227.39946266587222C58.8416634254869,201.71588252365981,67.79730141430146,176.29522490265987,75.24770143191402,151.027017247812C82.93310142028363,124.96180164091662,87.58075225990811,96.11399681754017,108.51928649173257,78.7923738613074C130.0109766221446,61.01314686243889,159.6321989020446,56.990676825663876,187.5,58.16512107880641" style="transform: scaleX(1) scaleY(1) translateX(0px) translateY(0px) rotate(0deg);"] I normally dislike books about dying teens, but this one had me feeling all the feels. I laughed (often), my heart raced during the get-aways, and yes, I even cried. Real tears! The last time a book made me cry was . . . well, I can’t exactly remember, but it was a long time ago. The real beauty of this book is that it’s about two boys on an adventure who form an unlikely alliance and “never give up.” But when things turn really weird, it is Skeates he ends up running away with – although not in a romantic way. Connor’s father is in jail, his mum temporarily ill, and his sister died years ago. And he has cancer. Skeates decides they should try and visit Connor’s dad in jail, so they embark on a truly crazy, but also inspirational, trip across the Scottish Highlands towards Glasgow. This isn’t the only thing that Connor has going on with his life. His father is in prison and no one will tell him why. His mum works all the hours of the day and his younger sister was killed when he was younger. Basically, his family life is in a mess.

I love Skeates and Connors friendship and I also love Skeates character development , under the surface he’s very kind and caring and just really really nice. Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing -Fast-paced, full of action, humor, suspense (What happened to his sister, Erica? Why is his dad in prison? What is the big secret Connor's mom is keeping from him? Will he get to Shotts Prison before being caught or hospitalized for being without his meds? Will his dad even see him once he gets to Shotts Prison? How will Skeates get them out of this mess?), and heartwarming emotions.

Armistice Day: A Collection of Remembrance - Spark Interest and Educate Children about Historical Moments OMG this book was a major tearjerker for me. Connor and Skeates have an unusual friendship but aren’t all friendships? The fact that Connor has terminal cancer but is trying to live his life to the fullest is heart-warming. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this!'I did initially think it was a little unrealistic that Connors sister died AND his dad was in prison AND his mum was having a nervous breakdown AND he had cancer . This is completely made up for by the ending though which was unexpected and ties Connor and Skeates together in a really interesting way . I thought it was amazing . If I could've held my eyes open for 20 more minutes, I would've finished this book in one sitting. It is really that good! I particularly enjoy books with quirky characters that make me laugh, and this one certainly does not disappoint. I really liked this book , it was funny and heartwarming and while I occasionally found it a little unrealistic I don’t think this caused any huge issues. Some of the Scottish slang was unclear (mostly because I don’t hail from Scotland), but I was able to figure it out with context clues. Don’t let the Scottish slang or occasional Gaelic phrases deter you from reading this book. Farewell Tour long-listed as one of 20 finalists for the Brandford Boase Award Review from netgallery – Cindy H, Librarian:

Forming an unlikely friendship with fellow juvenile delinquent Skeates, the pair stage a break out and set off on a crazy tour across Scotland — dodging the police, joy riding and extreme partying — to find Connor’s dad, an inmate at Shotts prison. I enjoyed the writing a lot. I also loved the unique voice the main character has. His life is very tragic but he's just so inspiring. I can't wait to hold the physical copy in my hands.'Fast-paced, full of action, humor, suspense (What happened to his sister, Erica? Why is his dad in prison? What is the big secret Connor’s mom is keeping from him? Will he get to Shotts Prison before being caught or hospitalized for being without his meds? Will his dad even see him once he gets to Shotts Prison? How will Skeates get them out of this mess?), and heartwarming emotions. Review of the Farewell Tour of a Terminal Optimist by Books Over Humans - "Books Over Humans Review" After a particularly painful bout of bullying in physics lab, Connor and Skeates both end up in the hospital. Connor’s mom is out of the picture, and without anyone to care for him, he ends up in Dachaigh House – an institution for violent youths – with Skeates. Dun, dun, dun!