Lost Exit by Kevin Michaels

Title: Lost Exit
Author: Kevin Michaels
Release Date: January 14th, 2011
Publisher: Self-Published ebook
Pages: 265
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: For Review by Author
Age Group: Young Adult

It has been a long summer of violence, turmoil, and change in Atlantic City as the city continues its transformation from faded seaside resort to vibrant, entertainment, gambling Mecca. Life styles clash on the Boardwalk, in the casinos, and in gang controlled neighborhoods while a bloody territorial war between rival families has left a trail of bodies scattered throughout the town. LOST EXIT revolves around Timmy Davenport, a self-destructive college basketball player home for the summer, searching for the answers in life that have so far escaped him. The heart of the story is about Timmy and his relationships with his family and friends, as well as the city he grew up in, and the love of a game that was once his salvation. As he prepares for a basketball tournament that can define his future, Timmy, like Atlantic City itself, has to confront the ghosts of his past before he can move forward.

More than a coming of age novel, LOST EXIT looks at a character haunted by his own poor choices and addictions in a harsh, brutal world where he has struggled to find himself. The story is about a last chance opportunity for Timmy to prove himself while battling his inner demons on and off the courts as he pieces his life back together. Timely and intense, LOST EXIT blends the pain and angst of youth with the emotional struggle of characters coming to grips with their own identities.

When I first got this I wasn't sure what to expect. I had said yes when the author first sent the request because of how interesting the book sounded, and I was right.

Timmy is a basketball player who is on the road to self-destruction trying to escape a past that haunts him. Reading this I thought this would be about basketball, but as the story develops and the reader gets deeper into the story, you will find that it goes deeper than basketball.

In some level I could connect with Timmy, because when I was younger I was on my own path of self-destruction, but at another level I was really annoyed with him. I felt like he was letting things happen to him and he seemed really detached from his world. Like really, really detached and within the first few pages someone can see that. Friends are becoming strangers and his home is not a place he wants to be, and it's like he doesn't want to do anything about that.

Well, things get a little complicated for Timmy. Drugs, alcohol, gangs, and rivals surround Timmy's life sending the reader spiraling into a wild ride for Timmy as he grows and develops in the complicated world that Timmy has formed for himself.

This is a book I highly recommend.