MAKING THE RUN

Despite being emotionally intense and morally vacuous, there is still a soft-focus lens in this recounting of events in the spring of Lulu’s senior year. In a small Kentucky town, Lulu and Ginny are best friends and regularly make the run via Dead Man’s curve to nearby Huntsville to illegally buy the booze that along with their stash gets them through their days. Lulu’s mother died when she was young and so did Ginny’s brother, creating a bond between them despite their vastly different looks and preferences for poison. Ginny drinks while Lulu prefers smoking, but the petite, dark looks of Lulu and the tall, blonde gorgeousness of Ginny both spell trouble. Lulu’s constant use of the camera to capture pieces of her life balances with her otherwise almost total lack of control. Life is made more complicated as Ginny’s flair for melodrama involves her with a nearby college boy as well as the high-school football star. When brother Danny’s old pal Jay resurfaces to rejoin his band, Lulu is drawn to Jay—his music, motorcycle, and memories of the past. Wanting to show she is no longer a child, leads Lulu into a sexual relationship with Jay. A spot of blood appears but little pain in this poetically romantic portrayal of the loss of virginity. Drink, drugs, and sex seem to be taken for granted throughout. Being “careful” is referred to afterwards, but is not shown. A bland, loving grandmother and stock characters from high school are background for the hot and heavy romance that serves as the main thread. Astute readers will expect consequences, but surprisingly, it is Ginny’s fate with its impact on Lulu that’s at the center of the plot. Henson has a way with thoughts and dialogue that rings true, conveying that longing for experience and adulthood that is so effectively portrayed here. With all the bad behavior, it’s clear these are innocents at play. (Fiction. YA)