Review: Recovery Road by Blake Nelson

Title: Recovery Road
Author: Blake Nelson
Pages: 310 (ARC copy)
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: March 8, 2011

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....

My Thoughts: Recovery Road is the story of Madeline, who is recovering from heavy drinking and partying and anger issues. The story takes place over the course of about three to four years, and through the book we get glimpses of how she is dealing with her issues and what she is doing to improve her life. Recovery is not always easy though, and we see that with Madeline and with the people she befriends at the rehab in Spring Meadows.

From the cover and the summary, I thought Recovery Road was going to be a love story, and while there is some romance here and there, it's not the main focus. It's about Madeline first and foremost. Her life and her recovery. If you're wondering about the romance, I will say that it's NOT all sunshine and rainbows. But, and although I felt Madeline fell in love with Stewart (the boy she met at rehab) rather quickly, my favorite parts in the book would have to be when Madeline was at Spring Meadows with Stewart.

As I mentioned, the book goes through a couple of years of Madeline's life. Because of this we're not always given the full details. Such as Madeline's life before and when she came to Spring Meadows or the story behind Stewart's situation and his problems. It's not hard to imagine, especially with what is revealed in the book; however, I wouldn't have minded more details about the characters' situations and explanations for their behaviors.

The ending of the book isn't want I expected or wanted, but there is some hope. For Madeline, at least. Recovery Road gives us a look into the life of Madeline during her gradual recovery, and I would recommend it to those looking for a fast-paced read about real issues that aren't solved simply and easily.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

ARC provided by Scholastic Press through GoodReads.