The Tribulations of August Barton

by Jennifer LeBlanc

Augie Barton's first day of college isn't going so great. His step-father is divorcing his mother, his roommate thinks he's a nerd, and he inadvertently ends up showing up at a dorm party with his grandmother, a former prostitute who has run away from her nursing home. As he navigates his first semester at college, Augie must learn how to cope with his ever-mounting anxiety in order to have a shot at his dream girl.

The fact that this book was divided into parts instead of chapters was a little off-putting and it took me a while to really get into the story. However, by the end of September, I was intrigued by Augie and wanted to know what happened to him. And I absolutely loved Grandma Gertie.

By the end of the book, I felt there were a few stories I wanted to know more about. Without giving too much away, it felt like Grandma Gertie and Mom had a secret they were keeping from Augie that is never addressed. I also felt that I didn't really get to know Isaac. He had some major growth to his character, but we missed the transformation. I hope to find the answer to these questions when I read the next book in the series.

Overall, I would rate this story four quills and place it on my middle shelf.

Ashleigh's Bookshelf