This Last Adventure

This Last Adventure
Ryan Dalton
Our Price:
NZ$ 35.99
Hardback
h193 x 135mm - 304pg
1 Feb 2022 US
International import eta 7-19 days
9781541599284
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
When Archie' s beloved grandpa is diagnosed with Alzheimer' s disease, Archie desperately wants to slow the progression of his grandpa' s memory loss. Using Grandpa' s old journal entries as inspiration, he creates shared role-playing fantasies with epic quests for them to tackle together--allowing Grandpa to live in the present and stay in touch with his fading memories. But as Grandpa' s condition gradually worsens, Archie must come to terms with what' s happening to his hero. The limits of the fantasies, revelations about Grandpa' s past, and a school project about the future force Archie to grapple with what it truly means to live a life worth remembering.
Eighth grader Archie and his grandfather have an exceptionally close relationship. Archie and his mother have lived at his grandfather' s house his whole life, and the older man is the closest thing to a father Archie has ever known. He' s shocked when his grandfather does not recognize him one morning, and the family is devastated by his ultimate Alzheimer' s diagnosis. Archie and his mother have very different ways of coping with his Grandpa' s memory loss; his mother avoids thinking about it, dating so often Archie can' t keep track of her dates' names. Archie is frequently left alone ' in charge' of his grandfather. On bad days, when his grandfather is disoriented, Archie revives an old game the two used to play of reenacting adventures, sometimes using his grandfather' s journal entries for prompts. This tactic ultimately backfires, and makes Archie realize there is little he can do to help slow the disease. Balancing a complex home life with school is sometimes challenging for Archie; he is navigating typical 13-year-old challenges around crushes and identity while carrying a larger burden. His supportive friend group helps ground Archie, keeping him a relatable character learning to navigate his feelings and relationships. This poignant novel explores complex and difficult issues with hope and humor. Characters' evolving feelings and self-realization are realistically portrayed, as are conflict and resolutions between characters. The fantasy sections of the book, where Archie and his grandfather reenact adventures, are imaginatively written and provide readers, along with Archie and his grandfather, a respite from the heartbreak of watching Grandpa deteriorate. Archie and his family are white. Archie' s best friend is Japanese and Hawaiian, his friend Desta' s parents immigrated from Ethiopia, and his friend Kamiko is Japanese American. VERDICT This novel sensitively explores difficult issues with hope and warmth, creating believable characters readers will care about. --School Library Journal-- "Journal" (3/3/2022 12:00:00 AM) ' Grandpa didn' t recognize me today. ' This heartbreaking statement opens Dalton' s tale of 13-year-old Archie, whose beloved grandfather has been diagnosed with Alzheimer' s. No longer able to ignore the symptoms, Archie is desperate to retard Grandpa' s memory loss. That' s when he remembers the fantasy adventures they used to share and decides to revive them. Soon the two are battling dragons, but the success of this strategy only temporary. In the meantime, Archie and his friends are given a major school assignment: write an essay and mount a display about their future. Archie secretly hopes that his future might involve lovely Desta, on whom he has a major crush, but he is afraid to make a move. As for the assignment, he hasn' t a clue what topic to choose. What does he want to make of his life? And what to make of this book? Its first half is rather tepid, but it is redeemed by a dramatic second half that will deeply involve--and move--its readers. An important subject and one that, altogether, is well-handled. --Booklist-- "Journal" (2/15/2022 12:00:00 AM)
Ryan Dalton spends his time thinking up stories when he' s not wearing a cape and fighting crime. He' s a singer, a voiceover artist, a pretty decent amateur chef, and a lover of all things geek. Ryan lives in an invisible spaceship that' s currently hovering over St. Louis, Missouri. He is also the author of the Time Shift Trilogy.
Status: Active
ISBN-13: 9781541599284
Published: 1 Feb 2022
Published In: United States
Imprint: Carolrhoda
Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group
Format: Hardback
Height: 193mm
Width: 135mm
Spine: 30mm
Weight: 386g
Pages: 304

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