Looking for Redfeather

Three teens embark on a soul-searching road trip in this introspective coming-of-age story. Fifteen-year-old Ramie Redfeather is looking for the musician father after whom he’s named. Chas Sweeney, 17, is driving the classic Cadillac he swiped from his grandmother, intent on escaping his disastrous life. And 16-year-old Mae B. LaRoux is a singer determined to make her name at a music festival in Austin. Thrown together by the vagaries of the road, they become fast friends and traveling companions. As their journey takes them from one city to another in search of gas money, adventure, and the occasional concert, they share the truths and pains of their respective pasts. Collison (Star-Crossed) has a strong handle on characterization and atmosphere, though the meandering plot suffers from the same indecisive nature as the characters, stalling right around the same time they settle in for a psychedelic, mushroom-fueled trip. A slightly removed tone and some overly poetic language (“They were hobos waiting for an opportunity, a train to hop, a star to fall”) can be distracting, but the story remains an engaging journey of self-discovery. Ages 14–up. (BookLife)