The Prince of Venice Beach by Blake Nelson

The Prince of Venice Beach by Blake Nelson
Published: June 3, 2014 by Little Brown Books
Source: Purchased from bookstore

Robert "'Cali" Callahan is a teen runaway, living on the streets of Venice Beach, California. He's got a pretty sweet life: a treehouse to sleep in, a gang of surf bros, a regular basketball game...even a girl who's maybe-sorta interested in him.

What he doesn't have is a plan.

All that changes when a local cop recommends Cali to a private investigator who is looking for a missing teenager. After all, Cali knows everyone in Venice. But the streets are filled with people who don't want to be found, and when he's hired to find the beautiful Reese Abernathy, who would do anything to stay hidden, Cali must decide where his loyalties truly lie. [goodreads]

If time had allowed me to, I would have easily finished this book sitting poolside on a hot summer day.  The Prince of Venice Beach is the perfect enjoyable escape to lose a few hours to as you read about the adventures this runaway teen boy, turn private investigator, finds himself in.  I liked the straight forward approach of Blake Nelson's writing.  It's basic and to the point, yet paints a vivid image at the same time.  The voice of his main character, Cali, is hard to resist.  He becomes a person you want to know, a friend you must see through to the end.  For fans of contemporary YA that are looking for a refreshing story told through the eyes of a young male's point of view, I definitely recommend The Prince of Venice Beach.

Cali ran away from home a few years ago and has been living on the streets of Venice Beach ever since.  He's made friends with the others who inhabit the streets as well, forming relationships through a common understanding of looking out for one another.  Cali's situation is a bit different though, even though he doesn't have a physical address to call home, he does take up residency in a tree house of a friend's backyard.  It's here that he meets and befriends Ailis, a girl who carries around her own baggage, and together they lay the foundations of future plans of starting their own private investigator business.

Since Cali knows his way around Venice Beach, others who are looking for runaways come to him and seek his help.  It's through these little jobs that Cali gets the idea to become a private investigator.  What starts out as a means to make some decent money, and also ignites a spark of interest in something he may want to do as a career some day, quickly lands him in trouble causing him to rethink his professional plans.

The story picked up at a steady pace, focusing on the disappearance of a particular girl that Cali is hired to look for.  It held my interest as the story began to shift, turning the tables on Cali's plans, all while focusing on the relationships with his friends and how those relationships continued to build.  Is this a story that will linger with me long after I've finished it?  Not quite.  Is it entertaining and capturing my interest while reading it?  Absolutely.  The Prince of Venice Beach is a solid afternoon read, one that fulfills this reader's craving for a fun, enjoyable, and entertaining novel.

Waiting On: The Prince of Venice Beach by Blake Nelson

The Prince of Venice Beach by Blake Nelson
To be published: June 3, 2014 by Little Brown Books

Robert "'Cali" Callahan is a teen runaway, living on the streets of Venice Beach, California. He's got a pretty sweet life: a treehouse to sleep in, a gang of surf bros, a regular basketball game...even a girl who's maybe-sorta interested in him.

What he doesn't have is a plan.

All that changes when a local cop refers Cali to a private investigator who is looking for a missing teenager. After all, Cali knows everyone in Venice. But the streets are filled with people who don't want to be found, and when he's hired to find the beautiful Reese Abernathy, who would do anything to stay hidden, Cali must decide where his loyalties truly lie. [goodreads]

If someone were to find themselves in this predicament, Venice Beach is definitely the place to do so. I think the concept for this story sounds so interesting.  It's not often we see things through the eyes of a teen living on the streets.  As a fan of Recovery Road, this new YA from Blake Nelson is definitely towards the top of my list for 2014 releases.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Recovery Road by Blake Nelson

Published: March 1, 2011 by Scholastic Press
Received: Good Golly Miss Holly (ARC) Tour

From acclaimed author Blake Nelson, the story of girl meets boy...in rehab.

Madeline is sent away to Spring Meadows to help with a drinking and rage problem she has. It's a pretty intense place, but there is the weekly movie night in town--where Madeline meets Stewart, who's at another rehab place nearby. They fall for each other during a really crazy time in their lives. Madeline gets out and tries to get back on her feet, waiting for Stewart to join her. When he does, though, it's not the ideal recovery world Madeline dreamed of. Both of them still have serious problems. And Stewart's are only getting worse....

Recovery Road is not your typical YA fiction.  The subject matter at hand is written in a way that leaves the reader feeling very raw & exposed.  Blake Nelson went above & beyond, in my opinion.  The reality of teenager Maddie admitting to her addiction, then telling her story of going through rehab, & coming out the other side is very compelling.  The flow of this book was very fast passed, but I felt that it moved along at just the right speed.  Blake Nelson gives just enough detail to put you inside the mind of Maddie, & her struggles of life as a teenage addict.

The story begins with Maddie in rehab.  She has just been dropped off by her parents at Spring Meadows, where she is to undergo detox & counseling.  Even through these first dark days, the reader is able to connect with Maddie.  I felt myself becoming fearful & sad for Maddie's life.  What could have possibly went wrong in this 16 year old girl's life to put her in such a lonely, empty place.  It is here, in this lonely place that Maddie meets Stewart, another addict who is attempting to get help and make his life better.  Instantly the two of them bond because they share the same understanding of what the other is going through.  Stewart becomes Maddie's hope.  Once she is released from rehab & dumped back in to the reality of her life, it is Stewart & the thought of being in love & being loved in return, that propels her to stay clean.  However, once Stewart is released from rehab just a short time after Maddie, they both realize that life is scary out in the real world.  They are both plagued with the desire to use again.

As the story progresses, Maddie's character begins to evolve.  As the reader, you understand her want to find purpose in something.  She begins focusing on her grades & making up for the time lost in school while she was in rehab.  It's a step in the right direction for her & I found myself cheering her on.  Then there are the moments with Stewart.  Their relationship is strained.  As much as Maddie wants to help Stewart, she also understands that he has to be willing to help himself first.  There were certain moments in the story when one would come to the aid of the other when they felt as though they were relapsing.  The bond they formed in rehab shown through in shattered pieces.  My heart broke for the two of them.  As much as I love a love story, I knew the relationship between Maddie & Stewart was greater than that.  They had the world stacked against them.  It was going to take so much more than an AA meeting to get them to the other side, together.

The rawness of Blake Nelson's writing & the quickness for which he carried the story appealed to me.  Addiction, at any age, is very scary & can control one's life so easily.  It's hard to sit back & watch someone you love destroy their life because of a pill or a bottle of alcohol.  However, it's very rewarding to see someone over come that addiction & move forward as a better person because of it.  I recommend this book to anyone who has been there, in those dark days.  I also recommend it to anyone who has been that helping hand for someone else during those dark days.  This compelling story is told with ease & grace, yet it is also gripping & brutally honest.  Make sure your kleenex box is near by!