Why This Trip

The plot revolves around a Christmas trip to Jamaica from Toronto. Tanesha Hussein goes to see her grandmother for the first time in her life. She is greeted with an endless stream of impediments all along the way: snow storms, flight cancellations, trains breaking down, buses breaking down, a plane not working, personal dangers. When she finally reaches her destination, Tenesha discovers a great deal about her family that she didn’t know, with one overwhelming surprise. Because of the nature of this story there is a certain amount of repetition throughout, and the narrative could perhaps be tightened up a bit, but an enjoyable story. We come away with a better understanding of Jamaica and Jamaican life.

What an adventure of travel mishaps. This was an interesting story built around the main character's adventures to get to her grandmother. The author built a fascinating story around travel disasters with lots of plot twists that kept the story interesting to read. Great story.

From the very start, the book introduces a sense of determination in Tenesha’s character. Despite a crippling snowstorm that shuts down all airports and a series of frustrating, even dangerous events, she refuses to give up on her dream. Whether it’s narrowly avoiding disaster in New York City or dealing with the overwhelming uncertainty of travel delays, Tenesha’s resilience shines through. The obstacles she faces along the way are almost comical in their frequency, but they only seem to fuel her resolve to reach her destination.

This book had an interesting storyline but it was heartbreaking because of Tenesha's constant setbacks on her travel route to get to Jamaica. (One of the reasons why I don't like to travel.) I felt so bad for Tenesha especially because what happens at the end, (I don't want to spoil anything. I just wish there was more dialogue in the book. Instead, the author focused more on action and the character's flashbacks.

What a captivating read! This book is filled with adventure and covers themes such as self-discovery and resilience. There are quite a few intriguing plot twists and the author does a great job at providing vivid descriptions that transport you into the story. The main character learns many valuable life lessons on her journey, which makes it great for young audiences. I highly recommend it!