Why We Took The Car 12+

About this book

Mike Klingenberg doesn't get why people think he's boring. Sure, he doesn't have many friends. (Okay, zero friends.) And everyone laughs at him when he reads his essays out loud in class. And he's never invited to parties - including the gorgeous Tatiana's party of the year.

Andre Tschichatschow, aka Tschick (not even the teachers can pronounce his name), is new in school, and a whole different kind of unpopular. He always looks like he's just been in a fight, his clothes are tragic, and he never talks to anyone.

But one day Tschick shows up at Mike's house out of the blue. Turns out he wasn't invited to Tatiana's party either, and he's ready to do something about it. Forget the popular kids: Together, Mike and Tschick are heading out on a road trip. No parents, no map, no destination. Will they get hopelessly lost in the middle of nowhere? Probably. Will they meet crazy people and get into serious trouble? Definitely. But will they ever be called boring again?

Not a chance.

Reviews

Praise for Why We Took the Car:

* ""[An] action- and emotion-packed story of surprise summer adventure . . . this alternately wild, sad, hilarious, and tender tale chronicles the development of a strange and beautiful friendship." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

* ""In his first novel translated into English, Herrndorf sits squarely and triumphantly at the intersection of literary tall tale and coming-of-age picaresque." —Kirkus, starred review

"Surprising, tender and deliciously absurd . . . [A] funny, poignant, and intermittently profane and raunchy novel." —The Wall Street Journal

"Buckle your seat belt. You're in for a bumpy, exhilarating ride . . . in this lively bildungsroman, rich with funny, poignant riffs on nicknames, boomerangs, Beyoncé, aging and the possibility of life on other planets." —The Washington Post

"A sharp coming-of-age journey, hilarious and heartrending in equal measure." —Horn Book

"[A] compelling coming-of-age tale. [Herrndorf's] authentic voice will resonate universally with teens and will draw some comparisons to Holden Caulfield and Huck Finn." —VOYA