Jace Anotakis is leaving snowy Nova Scotia for a break in Mexico with his mum, aunt and little brother. It’s his eighteenth birthday and he’s determined to lose his virginity, a birthday present to himself. But things don’t work out as planned. Instead, Jace develops a surprise friendship with a macho hockey player, something which leads him to finally acknowledge and accept truths about the death of his brother, who killed himself one year ago. Jace’s grief is palpable but lightened by the sardonic teen humour that runs through the book. It’s a profound and moving story, and, given the depth of the subjects covered, a surprisingly easy read.
“I am going to Mexico to get laid.” That’s what Jace Anotakis is planning for this big trip: to lose his virginity before he turns eighteen. Which is only two days away. Of course, the fact that he’s flying to Mexico with his mother, aunt and younger brother might suggest the likelihood of that ever happening is slim. But he’s a person with a purpose. And he thinks he’s met just the girl for this, a fellow traveler from Halifax. However, getting to know her may be a little harder than he expects. Especially when the loud, obnoxious Dalhousie hockey star from the plane starts hanging around, who inexplicably seems to prefer being with Jace than with his big, drunken teammates. Almost against his will, Jace gets to know Connor MacPherson - even better than MacPherson’s teammates will ever know. As he learns Connor’s secrets, he must come to terms with his own family secrets and sorrows from the past.
Outstanding and unforgettable with its realistic dialogue and undeniably authentic characterization, this book will have a wide-ranging appeal and will leave a lasting impression on its readers. --Atlantic Books Today (Canada)
Author
About Don Aker
Don Aker’s acclaimed backlist includes The Space Between, winner of the Canadian Library Association’s Young Adult Honour Book Award; One on One, winner of the Canadian Authors Association Lilla Stirling Award and nominated for the Hackmatack Award and the Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Award; and The First Stone, winner of the Ann Connor Brimer Award and the White Pine Award. Having worked as a teacher for more than twenty years, Don Aker now lives and writes by Nova Scotia’s Bay of Fundy. Visit him online at www.donaker.com.
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