The Last Exit to Normal [Hardcover]

Life was going along just fine for Ben Campbell until he hit fourteen. That was the year his father announced that he was gay and his mother left. His dad's boyfriend moved in, and Ben started counseling -- and also misbehaving.

Now, after three years of run-ins with the law, Ben's dad has decided the only way to save Ben is to leave Spokane. At age seventeen, city boy Ben finds himself living in Rough Butte, Montana. Edward, who Ben calls Momdad, has agreed to take them back to the hometown he left when he was Ben's age. In Rough Butte, Ben is surrounded by homophobic cowboys, Edward's acid-tongued mother, Miss Mae, and an abusive neighbor with a strange young son.

Used to doing whatever he wants, whenever he wants, quickly ends for Ben as Miss Mae schools him in acceptable country behavior. She expects respect and hard work, and she doesn't hesitate to use her wooden spoon as a weapon to encourage it. Ben reluctantly falls in line and even finds it rewarding at times. His father and Edward seem pleased for the most part, and his improved attitude and behavior are useful in his quest to attract the attention of the beautiful girl living just four doors down the street.

There are still frustrations for Ben. Completely forgiving his father for trashing his life back in Spokane is proving harder than he expected. Rough patches between father and son keep tensions high, and to complicate matters, Ben becomes convinced that the young neighbor boy is the victim of dangerous abuse. Ben's efforts to seek justice for the boy create a whole new set of problems.

It is almost impossible to turn the pages fast enough in THE LAST EXIT TO NORMAL. Michael Harmon's protagonist is one-of-a-kind. Readers will root for him one minute and against him the next as they experience his struggle to accept what life has dealt him. Harmon has truly captured the torrent of emotions raging along that divide between boyhood and manhood. Don't miss this one!

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

I am a high school librarian, and I am constantly looking for good YA books to recommend to my students. This books fits the bill and more!

Before the story begins, we find out that Ben's father came home and announced that he was gay; Ben's mother flew the coop; Ben's father's friend Edward moved in, and Ben went wild and did terrible things in a three-year rebellion period. When the story opens, Ben's wild period has ended, albeit with a police record, and, desperate to help their son, Ben's dad and "momdad" have moved kit and caboodle back to Edward's hometown of Rough Butte, Montana, to live with Edward's ancient mother, Miss Mae.

While the story is filled with typical city-boy-moves-to-country gaffes and humor, it is also a poignant story of seventeen-year-old Ben's getting to know not only himself, but also his dad and Edward. Under Miss Mae's hawk-like eyes, Ben learns about hard work and the value of money. The humorous episodes, i.e., his first shopping trip to buy Wranglers and a Stetson, his first bird hunting outing, and his first experience of baling hay, are interspersed just enough to lighten the mood and keep the serious stuff from getting too heavy.

And there is some really heavy stuff going on in Rough Butte. Between the redneck neighbor who beats his son and locks him in the closet, the psycho who does not like Ben coming along and dating his former girlfriend and vows to stop it in any way possible, and an overturned tractor which lands on it driver, Ben finds plenty of drama in Rough Butte.

I read this book very quickly because I wanted to know what happened. I enjoyed it a lot, and I know that the kids will also. I highly recommend it not only for teenagers, but also for adults!

I opted to fetch this book from the library, not certain if I'd enjoy it enough to own it, but I'm now planning to purchase a copy as I intend to re-read this in my spare time (whenever that comes to pass). Last Exit is one of those gems of a novel I want to push out into the world and have others enjoy and since I lend a lot of books, it's one that will go into my permanent collection.

Benjamin is a troubled seventeen year old. That kind of character seems all too familiar, right? But the how and why of Benjamin's angst is far from normal. After his father comes out and reveals his true sexual orientation, thus destroying his marriage and sending his former wife running for the hills, Ben sets out on a course of self-destructive behavior. The formerly "good kid" takes up smoking pot, petty crimes and slacking at school. When a bad decision leads Ben on a high speed chase with the cops, ending in a car accident, his dad finally has enough of Ben's acting out.

After packing up the minivan, Ben's dad and his partner, Edward, leave their home in Spokane, Washington and head off to Rough Butte, Montana, where Edward grew up. The already tense family dynamic is pushed to the breaking point in this new fishbowl environment, where everyone knows everybody else's business and homosexuality is not a welcome lifestyle. Coupling that with Miss Mae's (Edward's mom) acidic personality, things reach a boiling point fairly quickly.

But sometimes we need that kick in the butt wake-up call to get us moving in the right direction and, though fraught with a myriad of complications, Rough Butte seems just what the doctor ordered for this ailing family. Ben finds himself constantly tested by the next door neighbor, Mr. Hinks, who regularly beats his son, Billy, with whom Ben develops an unlikely friendship. In the midst of this drama, Ben finds an unlikely ally in the local Sheriff and a budding relationship with Kimberly Johan, a neighbor from just down the street. Through all the peaks and valleys, Miss Mae and her unwavering demand for respect and hard work constantly needles Ben to the point of madness, but there are many lessons to be learned from her once he succumbs to their battle of wills. Ben begins to take stock in the things that are important and is forced to make decisions based on integrity, honor and loyalty. As the story progresses and deepens, Ben discovers the importance of relationships and learns the value of personal integrity.

Ben is a character that will resonate with a lot of teens. He's headstrong and willful, at times downright selfish and vindictive, but he knows right from wrong, and even when he knowingly makes bad or hurtful choices he understands and accepts the consequences. His anger, though at times a tad over the top, is warranted and steeped in hurt. The relationship with his father is tense and combustible, leading to several heated moments as these characters naturally clash.

The supporting cast of characters deftly aid in the telling of this tale, adding the appropriate dynamics to make this a fully fleshed out story. Edward is kind and giving but a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is kind of character that provides Ben some much needed insight into Ben's father's life. Miss Mae is a tough as nails matriarch, who won't accept disrespect or selfish behavior, oftentimes whacking Ben with a wooden spoon when he gets mouthy, but it's clear that she has a good heart and wants to see him succeed. Kim is down to earth and straightforward and brings out the best in Ben, making him strive to be a better person. Billy, like Ben himself, is suffering the devastation of a broken home, though his father's physical and psychological abuse have caused the eleven year old to shut down emotionally. This relationship allows Ben to examine his own loss more closely and provides him the opportunity to intervene, hence facing his own demons.

As challenges present themselves, Ben finds himself growing and maturing and coming to terms with his longstanding issues with his dad. This is a wonderful story about learning to accept the things in life one cannot change and embracing those we love. It tells the story of an unconventional family struggling to find common ground and facing challenges together. The foundational elements of this book deal with the aftermath of divorce, from Ben's perspective, and having a gay parent, but I think any teen going through a life altering situation can relate to his frustration, hurt and anger.

Though there's some rather frank sexual dialogue in the book, it's appropriate given the subject matter and tastefully handled as far as I'm concerned.