Taming the Star Runner By S.E. Hinton

I loved S.E. Hinton when I was younger.  I read through The Outsiders, Rumble Fish, That was then, This is Now, Tex in a very short time. I loved them. This book though similar was published well after these and it is the only book of her I had not read. I want to say I enjoyed it and it was a fine book but I did not love it as I did the others.

Travis is a writer and a cool kid from the city. One day he comes home to find his abusive stepfather burning his manuscript. He flies into a range and beats his stepfather very badly. He is sent to live with his uncle on a ranch, extending the pattern his mother and others picking other things over Travis. His uncle is a nice guy but he is so wrapped up in his own life he is even to busy to even buy food for the house. He meets and starts working in the horse barn for a girl renting the barn from Travis' uncle. He falls for her and she likes him but a horse takes front and center in her life. Travis' friend Joe makes his way to the ranch after two of Joe watches two of their friends back home are killed by a local thug. Travis and his uncle help Joe as much as they can but he is sent home for trial. Travis sees quickly where he could have ended up. He has also sent hios book to a publisher and they want to publish it but his stepfather will not allow his mother to sign the contract until he reads it in the end his mother does side with him this one time and says she will sign. The publishers only problem with Travis' book ironically is the language which is why this was a banned book.

I did not even notice the language but in 1988 I guess it was quite a bit of language. The drugs and killings were harsher then the language.

While I was reading this book my brother said something that hit home about this book. My brother said "Sometimes it is the timing of reading those books that leaves that impact. Sometimes the right book comes along at the right time and profoundly effects us." When I was reading her first 4 books I felt like an outsider, I was that struggling angst riddled teenager and these books were golden, perfect for then time and place I was in and while I liked this book, I was just in a different place.

S.E. Hinton is still a solid writer and her books will always hold a special place in my heart.  They are a bit dated though. I still give it a 4 out of 5 and maybe that is part nostalgia but it is a good solid story.

I know it has been awhile since I posted and I really wanted to make something of this blog. I started a new job but hopefully I can still do this t

Publish Post

oo. I am done with the banned stuff for now. I am Reading "Old Man's war" By  John Scalzi and will post a review of that too. And a Review of Stephen Zimmer's "The Exodus Gate" soon too.