It’s true: After 17-year-old Ben’s father announces he’s gay and the family splits apart, Ben does everything he can to tick him ...
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Aug 21, 2011
Thomas
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In his old life, Ben did drugs and hung out with the wrong crowd. He was never afraid of getting caught. In fact, he wanted to get caught - just to spite his gay father, Paul. Paul came out to their family about thirteen years too late, and after his announcement Ben's mother moved away. After seeing various therapists and attending numerous counseling sessions, Ben is forced to move to Montana with Paul, and Paul's boyfriend Edward. But it takes time for a city boy to adapt to a country setting
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Jan 16, 2009
Jan
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A very funny and wise book about a teen named Ben whose father comes out of the closet, breaking up his marriage in the process. Ben is not happy and acts out in an effort to give Dad a little payback. But the tables are turned when Ben's Dad decides to move to a small town in Montana, with his new boyfriend, Edward. Edward grew up in this town and the family moves in with his elderly mother, who is a tart tongued tough old bird, not averse to handing out whacks for bad behavior. But despite
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Dec 11, 2008
Becky
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Harmon, Michael. 2008. The Last Exit to Normal.
The decoder card to the universe wasn't included in the box of cereal God gave humanity. At the ripe old age of seventeen, I'd at least figured out that no matter how hard you try to guess what happens next, you can't. Life wasn't set up that way and we don't like it, so we spend most of our time running around like a bunch of dimwits.
Ben Campbell, our narrator, I must admit, is one of my favorite characters of the year. He m More...
The decoder card to the universe wasn't included in the box of cereal God gave humanity. At the ripe old age of seventeen, I'd at least figured out that no matter how hard you try to guess what happens next, you can't. Life wasn't set up that way and we don't like it, so we spend most of our time running around like a bunch of dimwits.
Ben Campbell, our narrator, I must admit, is one of my favorite characters of the year. He m More...
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Dec 15, 2008
Dee
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Ben Campbell, resident of Spokane,Washington, has a lot to deal with as a teen. His dad has come out of the closet and his mom left. He is left with his dad and his new momdad. Ben rebels with drugs and other various acts until his dad and momdad decide that relocation to Rough Butte, Montana might help straighten Ben out. In Rough Butte, they move in with momdad's mom, Miss Mae. Miss Mae makes the story. She is a terrific character and I hated saying goodbye to her @ the end of the story.
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Oct 29, 2008
Betsy
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I really enjoyed Last Exit to Normal. The characters were well drawn. I didn't always like the main character, Ben, but I understood his anger and his motivation to do some of the crazy/angry things he did. The story arc was satisfying because there are unexpected moments, a real plot and character development. Ben's anger at his father for coming out as a gay man when Ben was 14, seems very realistic as does his acting out in the subsequent years, the motivating factor for his dad and his "
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Nov 28, 2008
Abby
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When Ben's father announces that he's gay, his mom takes off and his dad shoves Ben into all the therapy money can buy. After several years of abusing various drugs and getting into trouble, Ben's dad relocates the family (Ben, his dad, and his dad's husband Edward) to Rough Butte, Montana. They move in with Edward's mother, a no-nonsense country widow, and Ben has to toughed up quick. He also has to deal with the lingering issues he has with his dad.
An ambitious novel and one I reall More...
An ambitious novel and one I reall More...
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Jul 19, 2008
Heather
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This book was not easy to read. But the narrator is real, and smart, and has a very interesting view of the world. Ben's dad is gay, and upon this announcement his mother leaves. Fast forward a few years, Ben and his dad live with his dad's boyfriend. Ben has been through some stuff and gets into some trouble so they move out of the city and into some supertiny town in Montana. Ben, a skateboarding former pothead, feels more than a little out of place.
But I liked Ben, and I tho More...
But I liked Ben, and I tho More...
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Jun 17, 2011
April
rated it:
Ok, I was really surprised. I'm always looking for family books because it is hard to find one that is not about some horrible event or situation and how the family breaks up...yada yada. So when I picked this book up, I was .... well... ok it can't be that bad, I probably not like it. But (I'm saying this outloud-I was wrong!) I laughed out loud (my family wondered what was going on!) several times in this book.
Ben, the main character in the book, was dealt a rough hand of card More...
Ben, the main character in the book, was dealt a rough hand of card More...
Oct 28, 2010
Fans of John Green and Jake Wizner will likely enjoy Michael Harmon’s witty male protagonist in The Last Exit to Normal. A troubled boy with a smart mouth, Ben is forced to move to middle of nowhere Montana where he is taken down a few notches by Miss Mae, a strict lady who expects respect and hard work. As Ben begins to shape up and learn the value of honest work, he also reveals his good heart, helping neighbors and saving the life of a local farmer who gets trapped under a tractor in a storm.
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Aug 01, 2010
Cee1994
rated it: 
When I first picked up The Last Exit to normal I was extremely hopeful. The narration was funny and at times I even caught myself laughing out loud. The idea of the plot was enough to spark interest in me and I loved it... for a while.
I would love to say it was one of those books that just pleased me more and more with every page, but it really didn’t. I found myself hating the main character. Ben is always whining and unhappy. Whether it’s because he is upset at his father, R More...
I would love to say it was one of those books that just pleased me more and more with every page, but it really didn’t. I found myself hating the main character. Ben is always whining and unhappy. Whether it’s because he is upset at his father, R More...
Jun 08, 2010
Diane
rated it:
What would you expect a 14 year old boy to do? When Ben's father decides to "come out" and move in with his boyfriend, Ben's mother takes off and Ben begins a downward spiral -- drugs, fights, poor grades in school. Counseling doesn't help, so after 3 long years, Dad and "MomDad" decide to move to eastern Montana, back to the small town where Ben's stepdad grew up. Ben's spiked hair, pierced lip, punk clothes, and skateboard don't really fit in -- not to mention his TWO Da
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Feb 17, 2010
Kelly
rated it:
Full review at http://yannabe.com/2010/02/17/review-las...
Summary: After 17-year-old Ben’s dad announces that he’s gay, Ben rebels by skipping school and doing drugs. Then his dad decides they’re moving from the city to a small town in Montana. Trying to fit in while sporting a mohawk turns out to be the least of Ben’s problems.
Review: I wanted to love this book. I did love several aspects of it, and I am glad I read it. But it wasn’t one of my favorites.
What I More...
Summary: After 17-year-old Ben’s dad announces that he’s gay, Ben rebels by skipping school and doing drugs. Then his dad decides they’re moving from the city to a small town in Montana. Trying to fit in while sporting a mohawk turns out to be the least of Ben’s problems.
Review: I wanted to love this book. I did love several aspects of it, and I am glad I read it. But it wasn’t one of my favorites.
What I More...
Sep 17, 2011
Johanna
rated it:
Being surprised in a good way is one of my favorite things! I hadn't intended on reading this book when I started it the other day, but I inadvertently left my intended "next read" at home so went to plan B. Now don't get me wrong... when this book first came out I was intrigued enough to put it on my "I'll read it someday" list ...but publishers keep coming out with enticing stories that also caught my attention...so the day for reading The last Exit to Normal kept gettin
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Jun 16, 2009
Mk
rated it:
The protagonists sense of humor is amazing.
The teaser I wrote for school:
When Ben’s father came out as gay, his mom immediately split. Ben was left with his dad and his dad’s boyfriend Edward. Angry at his father for ruining his life, he starts doing drugs just to spite him. In response, his father decides it’s time to get him out of the city. Wayyyyy out of the city. Montana. His spiky haired skateboarder style and his gay dads don’t inspire a lot of hope that he’ll blen More...
The teaser I wrote for school:
When Ben’s father came out as gay, his mom immediately split. Ben was left with his dad and his dad’s boyfriend Edward. Angry at his father for ruining his life, he starts doing drugs just to spite him. In response, his father decides it’s time to get him out of the city. Wayyyyy out of the city. Montana. His spiky haired skateboarder style and his gay dads don’t inspire a lot of hope that he’ll blen More...
May 28, 2011
Lauren
rated it:
Whenever I saw this book at the library, I would always get it mixed up with Nick Burd's The Vast Fields of Ordinary. I did finally get around to reading both this book and Burd's book this year, and while they do have some surface similarities (small towns, gay characters), they're quite different in tone.
Main character Ben is a difficult one to like -- an opinion shared by his immediate and extended family, it seems -- but he's an effective narrator for this story. Both the first c More...
Main character Ben is a difficult one to like -- an opinion shared by his immediate and extended family, it seems -- but he's an effective narrator for this story. Both the first c More...
Nov 24, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
I had to read it as soon as I heard that it was banned from a number of libraries. As usual, there must be something wrong with me because I don't get all the fuss. In fact, it's really, really good. OK, there is a passing reference to what gay men actually do together, so don't put this in the hands of kids who haven't had the talk from the school nurse yet. In short, this is a very thoughtful and enjoyable YA novel about how to be a decent person. Ben, a 17-year-old, has been acting out for
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Apr 14, 2009
Coffeeboss
rated it:
Ben's dad came out to the family when Ben was 14, and as a result, Ben's mom left, and he suddenly found himself living with Dad and his boyfriend Edward. Ben's a troublemaker, making the whole household's life hell in his teens, rebelling not necessarily because who his dad is, but how his dad's decision to come out has affected Ben's life. The family up and moves to small town Montana when Ben is 17, hoping to keep him out of trouble and straighten him out (so to speak). The book is written fr
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Mar 26, 2011
Elizabeth
rated it:
I opted to fetch this book from the library, not certain if I'd enjoy it enough to own it, but I'm now planning to purchase a copy as I intend to re-read this in my spare time (whenever that comes to pass). Last Exit is one of those gems of a novel I want to push out into the world and have others enjoy and since I lend a lot of books, it's one that will go into my permanent collection.
Benjamin is a troubled seventeen year old. That kind of character seems all too familiar, right? But More...
Benjamin is a troubled seventeen year old. That kind of character seems all too familiar, right? But More...
Dec 05, 2009
Terry
rated it:
As fish-out-of water stories go, this is one of the good ones. Harmon keeps Ben sympathetic as he adjusts to the Simple Life, sans money and glamor. Even though the city-mouse/country-mouse story is familiar, it is done well, with plenty of side plots to stir things up. Will the country change this skate rat? Will he ever find welcome in a community as stagnant as Rough Butte? Will he get the girl and solve the mystery and topple the bully? A lot to tackle, but done with aplomb.
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Jul 29, 2009
Heather
rated it:
Three years ago, Ben Campbell’s was as normal as could be. Then his dad suddenly announced he was gay. Now Ben has no mother, she walked out the door and never looked back. He’s doing every drug he can get his hands on. Then a year ago Ben cleaned himself up. For almost an entire year he hasn’t gotten into trouble, he’s done well in school, and he’s sort of civil with everyone. But then he goes and gets arrested and that’s that. His dad, and his “Momdad” Edward, take Ben and move him to
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Jun 15, 2009
Erica
rated it:
When Ben Campbell’s father came out to his family, Ben went off the deep end. As his parent’s marriage dissolved, he lost himself in clouds of marijuana smoke, partying, skateboarding and brushes with the law.
Now 17, his father and momdad, Edward, decide to take Ben and move back to the Eastern Montana town of Tough Butte where Edward grew up. Will this smart-mouthed skate punk be able to adjust to farm life? Will he trade in his spiky hair for a cowboy hat?
This is a quick read More...
Now 17, his father and momdad, Edward, decide to take Ben and move back to the Eastern Montana town of Tough Butte where Edward grew up. Will this smart-mouthed skate punk be able to adjust to farm life? Will he trade in his spiky hair for a cowboy hat?
This is a quick read More...
Aug 29, 2010
Tina
rated it:
This was a great book. Ben Campbell was forced to face the facts and deal with his father's reality of being gay. He is a teenager and going through the toughest time in his life. He is forced to move to Montana with his dad and his dad's boyfriend Edward. Although he was reluctant about the move, he finds himself falling in love and helping his neighbor Billy who was physically abused by his father. It is truly a great book that's hard to put down and despite everything Ben survives it all.
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Oct 31, 2011
Penny
rated it:
Fell far short of potential unfortunately. Miss Mae and Dirk are vividly drawn and complex characters, yet the 2 most primary characters (Ben and his father) are flat and unlikeable for the most part. The twists and turns in Ben's relationship with his father were overall very dissatisfying. I also question the stated motivation for Ben's mother's abandonment of him (while I could somewhat understand the reasons why Billy's mother left him without a word and no follow-up, it was far less easy
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Nov 02, 2009
Karen
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I loved this book. I learned that NORMAL is a nugatory word. Normal is only relevant to each person's experience. Is it normal for someone to hit you over the head with a wooden spoon when you make a mistake? Not likely, but it is for Ben's mom-dad's tough old mother who doesn't hesitate to use her mixing spoon on him, even dripping with batter. Normalcy doesn't give people a common ground to share, but there IS something that connects all of us. It's just love. Ben discovers this in the end. R
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Feb 06, 2009
Deb
rated it:
I didn't know what to expect when i picked this up but wow...what a good book. Ben's father announces he's gay when Ben is 14 and his mom walks out. Three years and a whole lot of trouble later, after the last incident, Dad and his partner Edward take Ben to Rough Butte, Montana so Ben can grow up in a different environment. The next door neighbor abuses his kid and there's a bully looking to hurt Ben, but there's also a girl whom Ben adores at first sight. Ben learns a lot about life, love, loy
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Dec 22, 2011
Jennie
rated it:
I bought this at a library used book sale because the title caught my eye. I really didn’t pay attention to what the story was about so when I picked it up to read months later I was going in blind. The story was at first pretty anti-climatic – teenager acting out against his dad in typical manors. His dad announcing he was gay was the thing that set this whole story in motion. I wasn’t sure how this was going to be handled, especially after they moved to the small town the dad’s boyfriend grew
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Jun 27, 2010
This book was recommended to me by a fifteen-year-old boy at our public library. He said that he's read it numerous times, and I had to read it. So, I did. Wow, this isn't for the faint of heart. There's homosexuality and child abuse (separate story lines). I was deeply impressed with the main YA character, Ben. He's thrown some really tough curve balls, but manages to dig out of the muck and dig deep inside to find inner strength, strength that he has to rely on to not only survive, but fi
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Jul 01, 2010
Aik Chien
rated it:
Great book! What else can I say? I was hooked from the very beginning. This novel has an unusual theme that allows readers to delve into the story right from the first page.
Everything was fine for fourteen-year-old Ben Campbell until his dad stepped out of the closet and announced that he is a gay. Ben's peaceful world was ripped apart and his mom left. Ben got some counseling, but he misbehaved and rebelled, and after a few times, his dad decided to move to a small town in the middl More...
Everything was fine for fourteen-year-old Ben Campbell until his dad stepped out of the closet and announced that he is a gay. Ben's peaceful world was ripped apart and his mom left. Ben got some counseling, but he misbehaved and rebelled, and after a few times, his dad decided to move to a small town in the middl More...
Feb 14, 2010
Tamara
rated it:
Never really thought about all of the complex emotions that a kid would have if his dad came out as gay and his mom up and left. I think this book did an amazing job of presenting this dynamic to the reader without being preachy or sensational.
Favorite Quotes:
Old people make me nervous because you can never tell what they're thinking and it looks like their skin is going to slide right off their bones...I half expected [Bonnie Mae:] to morph into some sort of countrifie More...
Favorite Quotes:
Old people make me nervous because you can never tell what they're thinking and it looks like their skin is going to slide right off their bones...I half expected [Bonnie Mae:] to morph into some sort of countrifie More...
