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If I Ever Get Out of Here

Eric Gansworth

3.94 · Rating details · 2,595 ratings · 524 reviews

Lewis "Shoe" Blake is used to the joys and difficulties of life on the Tuscarora Indian reservation in 1975: the joking, the Fireball games, the snow blowing through his roof. What he's not used to is white people being nice to him -- people like George Haddonfield, whose family recently moved to town with the Air Force. As the boys connect through their mutual passion for ...more

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Hardcover, 368 pages

Published July 30th 2013 by Arthur A. Levine Books

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Lists with This Book

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie

Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King

Best Native American/First Nations Fiction

473 books — 382 voters

YA Books - Publishing July 2013

71 books — 113 voters

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· 2,595 ratings · 524 reviews

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Jul 22, 2013 jv poore rated it really liked it

Shelves: middle-grade, friendship, donated, realistic-fiction, buried-under-books, homelessness-poverty, student_appropriate, folklore, family, prejudice-racism

This book begins with an “Indian” (Native American) entering Jr. High. While, on the surface, his trials and tribulations appear to be based on ethnicity and, in turn, poverty. The facts are that many students entering Jr. High (or Middle School) this year will experience the same taunting, teasing and bullying that Lewis tolerates. Maybe a student will be singled out due to ethnicity, body shape, hair color, name or wardrobe. The results are the same, which is why I strongly recommend this book This book begins with an “Indian” (Native American) entering Jr. High. While, on the surface, his trials and tribulations appear to be based on ethnicity and, in turn, poverty. The facts are that many students entering Jr. High (or Middle School) this year will experience the same taunting, teasing and bullying that Lewis tolerates. Maybe a student will be singled out due to ethnicity, body shape, hair color, name or wardrobe. The results are the same, which is why I strongly recommend this book. Although a work of fiction, the core issues are very, very real and kids need to know that they are not alone.

It is so easy to recognize exclusion and to immediately attribute it to race, ethnicity, size or social class, when maybe that is not exactly the case. The old chicken or egg. Yes, maybe Lewis was ostracized, at first, because of his red skin and low socioeconomic standing. Maybe, that initial reaction caused him to be defensive and to toughen up. But, what about the next year? Is it possible that he carries the defensiveness with him? If so, maybe people are turned off, not by the color of his skin, but by the prickliness in his personality.

Another aspect of this book that I truly love: friendship. As Lewis leaves behind the kids he has grown up with to attend a “White” school, he begins to learn the difference between true friendship and friendship by default. He sees that although he has grown up with and hung out with someone almost every day of his life, that person may not actually be a true friend; whereas a new guy, free with unsolicited advice, may turn out to be the best friend he’s ever had. This is the most realistic portrayal of a true friendship between boys that I have ever seen. The strength and loyalty become clear based on actions and secrets kept hidden, rather than articulated enthusiastically as tends to be the case with girls.

This story, set in 1977 and filled with Beatles and Paul McCartney references, is remarkably well-written. The prose is not flowery or lyrical; rather, it is a bit raw---exactly as it should be for the subject matter. The simplicity is deceiving. Mr. Gansworth manages to say more, with fewer words. I experienced many emotions while reading this book. I felt sad for the nastiness Lewis is constantly faced with, I felt frustrated with him for not trying a bit harder---for seeming to be too stubborn. The random acts of kindness filled me with joy, and the show of true friendship renewed my hope.

This Review originally written for Buried Under Books Blog. ...more

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May 16, 2013 Debbie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: recommended, 1-recommended

There are LOT of reasons I love Eric Gansworth's debut novel, and there's lot of entrance points for a broad range of readers, too.

If you're looking for a book with any of these, IF I EVER GET OUT OF HERE delivers.

Native characters
Kids with parents in the Air Force
Books in which Beatles/Queen figure prominently
Single mom
Viet Nam vet
Cross cultural friendships

My full review is at American Indians in Children's Literature
"What I like about Eric Gansworth's IF I EVER GET OUT OF HERE" - http://ameri ...more

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Jul 13, 2013 Cassi aka Snow White Haggard rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2013, galleys

Review is below PSA that everyone should know about.

When I first started If I Ever Get Out of Here I immediately wanted to compare it to Sherman Alexie's amazing The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian. Which is absolutely terrible of me. If I Ever Get Out of Here is a good book in it's own right. It doesn't need to be compared to Alexie's work. There is room for more than one YA book about the American Indian experience growing up on a reservation.

First I want to address the similarities because I know everyone's curious. Yes the books have a few things in common. The main characters are students of above-average intelligence that are surrounded by white classmates who don't always understand them. They're poor and live on a reservations. That's pretty much it. Let's not talk about how many white YA main characters are written as smart misunderstood kids because I'm pretty sure that's a commonality among most heroes and heroines. As for the rest, I think that's just a realistic portrayal of the American Indian experience. (Being white and from Kentucky it's hard to actually know that though).

So now that I've gotten that out of the way let's talk about the book (And FYI that was not to criticize anyone else. That was 100% to criticize the way I originally approached reading this book). Lewis is a poor boy, like pretty much everyone on the rez, but unlike all of his Indian friends he was placed in a higher level class by the guidance counselor. Intelligence-wise, Lewis belongs in that class but socially he has trouble fitting in. He doesn't have the money to buy nice clothes, doesn't know how to dress and doesn't hang out where all of the white kids do.

When Lewis finds out there's going to be a new kid in his class he hopes for another Indian. What he gets instead is George, a military brat who's just moved to rural New York from Guam. Against the odds, George and Lewis become best friends. They're both big fans of the Beatles, Wings and Queen. Even though they are friends, it's painfully obvious at times that they don't understand each other's lives.

While on one-hand this book is about growing up on a reservation, it's also about growing up in poverty. To me that's where this book really struck a chord. After seeing George's nice clean house, Lewis's makes up lie after lie to avoid inviting George to his home. It's not because he doesn't like George or doesn't trust him. It's because he's ashamed. Lewis lives with his single-mother and disabled uncle and it's hard to keep the house clean and pay the bills. His house is falling apart and he doesn't want George to see how he really lives. Reading the sections about poverty and Lewis's shame was painful, but in absolutely the best way because those sections rang heartbreakingly true.

This book deals with friendship realistically, with all it's embarrassments, pitfalls and awkward moments but also how friends overcome obstacles, arguments and ultimately forgive. In some ways this book is very sad and bittersweet, but mostly because it chooses to be realistic. And I like that. It doesn't beat around the bush or give you a neatly-wrapped-box ending. Instead it just tells you a story, gives you a window into someone else's life experience and hopefully increases your understanding and empathy because of it.

I received an advance reading e-book in exchange for an honest review.

For this review and more check out my blog Galavanting Girl Books ...more

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May 05, 2019 Cheryl rated it liked it

I have to be honest. The narrator's voice sometimes sounds unnatural as he educates his friends (and the reader). The book is very educational, and earnest. The bits of actual adventure are relatively brief. And there's hardly any humor to leaven the message.

Otoh, it's fascinating, and important, and will definitely make all the difference to the right boys, and fill appalling empty gaps in collections. Just, teachers, tread lightly, and please don't spoil it for your students by telling them ho ...more

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Oct 29, 2017 mindful.librarian ☀️ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult

An AMAZING book - can't wait for his next title to come out in May 2018! This book gave me so much to think about, and I'm very happy that 1) I read this for a Librarian Battle of the Books and 2) I already had it in my MSHS library. Should be required reading in all schools in the US. ...more

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Nov 16, 2020 Nella ☾ rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult

National American Indian Heritage Month 2020 Read #3 🍂

4.5 stars

This book was honestly so amazing and insightful. I didn’t realize how much it got to me until I was done, at which point I realized my eyes were watering.

Our story follows 13-year old Lewis “Shoe” Blake, a Native American boy living on the Tuscarora reservation in New York in 1975. We go on this journey with Lewis as he deals with life on the reservation, his struggle with identity, his friendships, and his transition i ...more

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Sep 22, 2020 Jill rated it liked it

Read for my YA lit class !! Overall this was pretty good and I enjoyed the class discussions we had (: it just wasn’t my absolute fav

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Nov 20, 2017 Jennifer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Another shout out to Powell’s Daily Dose for alerting me to this YA novel about Lewis Blake, a middle-school boy growing up in the Tuscarora Reservation in upstate New York in the 1970’s. Like Junior in Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Lewis moves between two different worlds—the mostly white world of his junior high, where he gets tracked into the “smart section” but he is the only reservation kid—and his home on the Tuscarora reservation—where he lives with his ...more

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Jun 23, 2014 Nina O'Daniels rated it really liked it

Shelves: bullying, music, poverty, coming-of-age

Yes, yes, this book can absolutely be compared to Sherman Alexie’s novel The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian BUT there are some major differences between the two main characters (both of whom I love) that make each story separate.

Lewis attends school off the reservation and has been placed with the smart kids almost since kindergarten. That part is great, because he likes school. What he doesn’t like is being completely invisible due to him being a res kid- an Indian. He has tried to m ...more

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Nov 10, 2017 Wendy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: family-issues, friendship, middle-grade, recommended-for-middle-schoolers, we-need-diverse-books, bullying-unit-2014, in-my-classroom-library, historical-fiction

I stayed up until 2 am finishing this. When I started, I was all, "Oh, Part-Time Indian in upstate New York." But no. I still love Alexie's book, but this is no imitation or little brother. If I Ever Get Out of Here stands firmly on its own feet. It is a story of friendship, first and foremost. It's a story of family, school, poverty, standing up for yourself in the face of intense prejudice--but mostly it's about the power of friendship. And music.

Grittier than many MG novels, but solidly PG, ...more

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Apr 05, 2020 Robyn rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-april-challenge, ya-ya-ya-ya

This is probably the most relateable book for middle school students and either side. Just below and just above grades. The book supplies more than just an attempt to entertain its readers. It is about alienation, resiliency, intelligence and grit.

The main character in the book is a Native American Indian in the late 70s just after the Vietnam War. Not only is Lewis an Indian in a White middle school, he is poor and smart, thus the perfect target for taunting, teasing and bullying. These childh ...more

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Nov 05, 2017 Lulu (the library leopard) added it

Shelves: native-or-author-of-color, no-romance, standalones, rep-native-or-mc-of-color, div-bingo-2017, male-narrator, ownvoices, setting-north-america, genre-historical, rep-indigenous

Read for the 2017 Diversity Bingo: indigenous main character (#ownvoices).

I think it's really a testament to how good this was that I managed to enjoy it despite the dangerous combination of many, many Beatles references and my own passive-aggressive attitude towards the Beatles! (That was a compliment, if it wasn't clear.) ...more

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Feb 04, 2018 Alicia rated it it was ok

Shelves: historical, amexperience, artsy, male, family, voices

I picked it up after recognizing that we had the title in our library and it had been featured on a list of books with Native American main characters. But I didn’t connect and it likely had more to do with the incongruous way that it was supposed to be set in 1975 but the book itself looks and reads contemporary. It did not compute and then add the musical elements that was supposed to place it in history and I just because disinterested.

Reading fail unfortunately.

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Nov 05, 2017 Laura (bbliophile) rated it really liked it

Shelves: diversity

I have a feeling that parts of this book are going to stay with me for a long time. I loved the friendship, the family relationship, and a lot more. I would definitely recommend this.

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Jul 29, 2015 Trami rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

*11/5 stars

{seriously it deserves a million stars}

description

^ my reaction after finishing this book

conclusion: I freaking loved everything about this book I need to reread it about twenty times over.

This book broke my heart. Its story rang so true to me, and after closing the book, I almost felt like crying in memory of all the amazing characters I had been taken on a journey with. It's not easy to create characters that readers will love, but it's a true talent to be able to write a story where every ...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Crystal rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, history, best-multicultural-books-of-2013, highly-recommended, indigenous-native, made-me-cry, 2013-favorites, favorite-diverse-kidlit, american-indian-youth-lit-award, aisi-2019-ya

Review copy from Netgalley

I had really been looking forward to reading this book after reading the review from Debbie Reese at American Indians in Children's Literature. Whenever she raves about a book, I know I will love it or at the very least find something that makes me think. I was not disappointed. It was everything I had hoped it would be and more. If I Ever Get Out of Here is a look into the life of a boy as he's coming of age. Like many young people, Lewis is searching for his identity. Review copy from Netgalley

I had really been looking forward to reading this book after reading the review from Debbie Reese at American Indians in Children's Literature. Whenever she raves about a book, I know I will love it or at the very least find something that makes me think. I was not disappointed. It was everything I had hoped it would be and more. If I Ever Get Out of Here is a look into the life of a boy as he's coming of age. Like many young people, Lewis is searching for his identity. He thought he knew who he was, but as he comes into more contact and closer relationships with people outside his reservation, he questions himself. He straddles that line of embracing his home culture and feeling the need to distance himself from it so he can fit in with the mainstream culture of his classmates.

Gansworth has crafted an intriguing story that will appeal to a wide variety of young people with music, humor, fights, friendship, and romance. He wove the music of the Beatles and Paul McCartney throughout using songs as chapter titles and within the storyline too. Music is something that can connect people across age, gender, and even culture lines. We don't have to share the same background to share an enjoyment of music.

I loved the subtle and not so subtle moments of humor in the story. Lewis and his friends and relatives hassle each other as part of their way of bonding with rather rude nicknames like Stinkpot. Often though, the humor is just his matter of fact rather deadpan style like the exchange with his mother after he had someone cut off his braid.
"You look like a Welfare Indian."
"I am a Welfare Indian," I said.
"You don't need to look the part," she said.
Another example is way back in the acknowledgments. Even there Gansworth is still cracking jokes. He begins, "If you're reading this book for class, you can skip this page. There will surely not be a quiz on any of this information."

Along with humor, Gansworth has included quite a few heavy topics. Bullying and how to fight or not fight takes up a good deal of the book. More importantly, friendship is examined. Friendship across cultural lines can be an amazing thing, but it can also be difficult and Gansworth reveals this over and over again.

Another aspect of this book mentioned within the first five pages is the history of the Indian boarding schools and the long-term damage that they caused. The effect of the Indian boarding schools is far reaching and is being brought to light in more and more works of children's literature (there are a few titles for older readers in this list also).

The boys start navigating the waters of dating before too long. This brings up the complications of dating and marrying non-Indians. If a man married a non-Indian, their children wouldn't have legal status as an Indian. That is some heavy stuff to think about as a middle-schooler and being the kid that he is, Lewis is thinking about it.

I would highly recommend this book to any young adult. Lewis and George come alive in the book and there are so many fabulous personalities. Lewis's Uncle Albert and George's father add great voices to the story. I am going to be sharing this title with many people because these characters should not be missed.

This review was originally posted at http://readingtl.blogspot.com/2013/11... ...more

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Aug 20, 2015 Aurora Dimitre rated it it was amazing

Shelves: yes, august-2015

I don't want to compare this to The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, because every single review compares the two. I'm pretty sure this is because that book is just about the only book with a Native American protagonist that almost anyone has ever read, but you know - there we go.

All of that aside, I did really enjoy this book. Part of it was the fact that this book takes place in the '70's - that not-quite-historical-fiction-yet is one of my favorite time periods for books to be set ...more

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Feb 21, 2014 grieshaber.reads rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical, race-relations, music, bullying, friendship, multi-cultural, what-s-new-ya-2014, poverty, gateway-prelim-2014

Actual rating: 4.5 stars. It's 1975 and Lewis is a Tuscarora Indian living in poverty on the reservation. Being the only Indian on the "smart kids" track at the white school, Lewis is friendless and feels invisible. At the beginning of 8th grade, he vows to fit in and make a friend. Luckily for Lewis, this is the year George's Air Force officer father is transferred to the base in Lewis' town. George and Lewis become friends mainly due to their shared love of music - especially the Beatles and P Actual rating: 4.5 stars. It's 1975 and Lewis is a Tuscarora Indian living in poverty on the reservation. Being the only Indian on the "smart kids" track at the white school, Lewis is friendless and feels invisible. At the beginning of 8th grade, he vows to fit in and make a friend. Luckily for Lewis, this is the year George's Air Force officer father is transferred to the base in Lewis' town. George and Lewis become friends mainly due to their shared love of music - especially the Beatles and Paul McCartney & Wings. Their friendship is not an easy one; however. Lewis feels he must hide his poverty and keep his Indian life separate from his white life. The beauty of this book is how Lewis slowly learns to trust George and his family through all of the adversity Lewis faces, including bullying and prejudice.

Oh, how I loved, loved, loved this book! Although I wouldn't categorize it as a page turner, I could not put it down because I was so in love with the story and the characters. I read it in one day. I was in awe of the way Gansworth wrote this story. It was set in 1975, but the time period was not jammed down the readers' throats. One way the time period does stand out is that Lewis and George (and George's dad who is the best YA Dad I've read since Eleanor & Park and TFIOS) listen to records. And the main records they listen to are by PM & Wings. By the time these three go to the Wings concert, I couldn't stand it anymore. And by "couldn't stand it anymore" I mean I finally had to click on the iTunes store and purchase Wings' Greatest Hits and listen to it on loop the rest of the day/evening as I read/finished this book. BTW, I highly recommend you do that, too :). Another cool thing Gansworth did in the way he told the story was include his original artwork (just a bit, but it was awesome) and use Beatles/Wings songs as chapter titles. Very cool playlist and discography included. I would really love to see this book make the Gateway list and I plan to fight to get it there! ...more

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Aug 13, 2018 Beth rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 8th-grade, 7th-grade, high-school

I purchased this book for my library because I feel like there is a serious lack of Native American characters in YA books. Being a kid of the 70's who enjoys the Beatles and Queen, made this an easy pick for me. I liked the book. It was very informative and the character development is fantastic. I really felt like I knew all of the characters in the book very well. The only problem I have with the book is that I think it is too long and the pacing is fairly slow for a teen. The teens at my lib ...more

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Jan 05, 2014 Skip rated it liked it

Lewis Blake is a Tuscarora Indian living on a reservation near Buffalo, New York, in 1976. His family is very poor and he is the only Native kid in the advanced class at school, making him friendless and the target of a vicious bully. Things can for the better when a military kid, George, becomes his best friend. Music plays a big role in their lives, especially the Beatles and Queen, and the chapters are lyrics from their songs. Lewis fears George and his family will reject him and tells variou ...more

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Apr 24, 2015 Sarah Mae rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-for-hugo

Lewis has a hard time making friends. It doesn't help that he's the only American Indian in the "smart kids" track. But that all changes when a new Air Force kid, George, shows up. They bond over The Beatles and other music but Lewis keeps him at arm's length. Can he really trust a white kid to be his friend?

Recommended for people who love Sherman Alexie. ...more

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Sep 08, 2014 Yodamom rated it really liked it

Shelves: yummy-men, native-american

A very good read, realistic in it's peek at Rez life. I found it sometimes funny sometimes sweet, sometimes heartbreaking and more often then not I found it bittersweet. I great look at the other side of the coin from the other side's viewpoint ...more

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Nov 22, 2018 Jerry Jennings rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, youth-9-12-novels, historical-fiction, middle-grade-fiction, realistic-fiction, novels

I especially recommend the book: If I Ever Get Out of Here by Eric Gansworth for teachers, parents and young adults (12 to 17), and especially boys.

If I Ever Get Out of Here is a novel about Lewis, who is a Native American seventh grader who lives on a Native American reservation in New York state. The story takes place in the 1970s Lewis loves the Beatles and Paul McCarthy and he doesn't have any friends. He is in the academic advanced track at school and there are no other Indians in his clas I especially recommend the book: If I Ever Get Out of Here by Eric Gansworth for teachers, parents and young adults (12 to 17), and especially boys.

If I Ever Get Out of Here is a novel about Lewis, who is a Native American seventh grader who lives on a Native American reservation in New York state. The story takes place in the 1970s Lewis loves the Beatles and Paul McCarthy and he doesn't have any friends. He is in the academic advanced track at school and there are no other Indians in his class. Being in this Middle School is the first time he is experiencing a non-reservation school. It is not easy to get used to the social isolation he experiences from his classmates.

A new boy, George, who lives on the military base, shows up in his class. They have similar interests and over time become friends. It is a realistic story filled with strong characters. The serious issues of bullying and cultural difference are a big part of this story. Lewis does not let George learn about his life on the reservation. On the other hand, George invites Lewis to his house and Lewis begins to learn about George’s family, their life and some of what it means to be a transient family due to the reality that George’s father can be reassigned to a new location at any time.

The bullying Lewis experiences leads to Lewis and, as time goes on, George responding. The tension and drama are real and the stakes are important. The story is straight forward and not sanitized to down play or remove the realities of life.

I recommend this book because it is a good story for middle or high schoolers. And I see it as being a great catalyst for family discussions. This is the kind of novel that both the parent and the teen might want to read at the same time and discuss together.

The potential discussion topics might include: reservation life, Indian boarding schools, bullying, the Beatles, children with a career military parent, friendship, parenting, the varying status of students within a school and so many more possibilities.

The author, Gansworth, is an enrolled citizen of the Onondaga Nation; however, he grew up in the Tuscarora Nation as a descendant of one of two Onondaga women present among the Tuscarora at the foundation of the nation in the 18th century.
...more

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Apr 23, 2017 Sisi rated it really liked it

Shelves: diverse, digital-texts

If I Ever Get Out of Here is a book club book. I listened to this book on audiobook, which made my two-hour daily commute more interesting. The audiobook is a little over 10 hours long given the length of the book. I appreciate the fact that this book is read and recorded by the author. He is able to read aloud the words in a fashion that is aligned to how he intended them to be read. The true emotions of the characters came out through Eric Gansworth’s reading. The author read with voice, which If I Ever Get Out of Here is a book club book. I listened to this book on audiobook, which made my two-hour daily commute more interesting. The audiobook is a little over 10 hours long given the length of the book. I appreciate the fact that this book is read and recorded by the author. He is able to read aloud the words in a fashion that is aligned to how he intended them to be read. The true emotions of the characters came out through Eric Gansworth’s reading. The author read with voice, which kept me engaged throughout the text.

The book is set in the 1970’s Tuscarora Indian reservation. The story is about a 7th grade boy named Lewis who is Indian and lives on the reservation with his mom and uncle. Lewis attends a local school with mostly kids who don’t live on the reservation and a few who do. Lewis struggles with making friends and fitting in at his school. In his opinion, being Indian does not make the friend-making process easier. At the start of a new school year, Lewis is hopeful that he will make a new friend. On the first day of school, he meets George, who is new to town and lives in an area for families in the Air Force. To Lewis’ surprise, the two become friends and, eventually, best friends. The two share their interest and passion in music and the Beatles. The two grow closer through sleepovers at George’s house. Lewis visits George more frequently. Although George wants to visit Lewis’ house ever since the beginning, Lewis keeps making up excuses and lies to prevent George from visiting his home; reason being Lewis feels his family’s poverty and way of life is too different from George’s “normal” life. There are too many differences between the two boys. Throughout the story, Lewis struggles with having to choose between two worlds, one being his life on the reservation and the other being his life with George’s family. Along with the other regular struggles a middle school student goes through, Lewis is in a tough situation.

This book touches on the themes of friendship, belonging, differences and changes. It is told in a first person point of view of Lewis, who is the main character. The plot of the story is relatable to students in middle or high school. This text can be used with middle or high school students during literacy to have discussions regarding any of the themes. Diversity is present in the book because the main character is Indian and lives on the Tuscarora Indian reservation. The story discusses stereotypes that Lewis experiences throughout the story due to his cultural background. The stereotypes placed on him influence his view about being different and belonging to a group. The text addresses the stereotypes through the lens of Lewis and causes the reader to rethink the stereotypes while reading. ...more

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Jan 31, 2019 Laura La Rosa rated it really liked it

Shelves: diverse-literature

This book follows a year and a half long journey of a seventh grader Lewis Blake as he navigates life at a predominately white school and life on the Tuscarora Native American Reservation in New York. Lewis is an avid Beatles fan, and the novel chapters and sections are all include titles from either Beatles songs or Paul McCartney songs which alternate for each chapter. Lewis' first person narration engulfs readers in his various challenges of living in poverty with a single mom, and Uncle Albe This book follows a year and a half long journey of a seventh grader Lewis Blake as he navigates life at a predominately white school and life on the Tuscarora Native American Reservation in New York. Lewis is an avid Beatles fan, and the novel chapters and sections are all include titles from either Beatles songs or Paul McCartney songs which alternate for each chapter. Lewis' first person narration engulfs readers in his various challenges of living in poverty with a single mom, and Uncle Albert, navigating his first friendship with a new white boy, George, whose father is in the Air Force and confronting a racist bully at his school. It is clear that the author offers an insider perspective into Native American life because of the intricate details he weaves seamlessly into the story and the many different perspectives and Native American characters he includes throughout the novel.
One of the strengths of the novel is the beautifully interwoven themes and motifs the author includes throughout the story. The main theme of the novel is the idea of friendship and navigating cultures as an insider and outsider. Both themes are often referenced in the reoccuring image of “Venus and Mars,” which symbolize the two different planets the boys come from, one being the Native American Reservation and one being the white world outside. Their friendship attempts to find that place “between the two planets, maybe building the rez rocket Albert said didn’t exist.” (p.331) As both boys attempt to navigate their insider and outsider status in the world around them, readers are taken through a relatable and powerful coming of age story where issues of race are not only challenged, but issues of masculinity and pride are also explored.
Due to the mature themes and occasional swear words, this book is definitely suited for sixth grade and up. It is longer YA book which might be too long to sustain a class’s attention as read aloud but it would work well as a book club choice for smaller group reading. It is also a historical period piece, set in 1975, so it could offer the platform for rich discussions about the time period as well as issues of race and gender as they were presented during this time period. The novel also offers several “round characters” including the protagonist Lewis, George, his father, Mr. Haddonfield, his mother. Teachers could have students complete a character study of Lewis or George and examine the way their friendship causes the characters to change throughout the story.
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Apr 24, 2017 Katie F rated it really liked it

Shelves: diverse

This story showed the foundations of friendship as the main character Lewis struggles to balance his home life on the Tuscarora American Indian reservation with his school life. While a bright and gifted student, Lewis struggles to make friends. He forms a friendship with a new student- George- based on their common interest in music. “We started hanging out because he was friendly to me first. Living in the military, you don’t have time to fart around, spending years making friends” (pg. 33). T ...more

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Feb 13, 2018 Kirby rated it it was amazing

This book had a lot of stuff you don't see a lot in YA Fiction:
-It occurs in the 70's
-Native American characters
-Details about life on a reservation
-Characters in an active military family
-Friendships between cultures
-Lots of Beatles and Queen references
-Vietnam veterans

It was all great! There were parts that totally broke my heart and others made me laugh. I really appreciated seeing a window into life for an American Indian living on a reservation in this time period. It was so eye-opening to ...more

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Sep 21, 2019 Joyce Yattoni rated it it was amazing

Shelves: novels-diverse-cultures, novel-sport-themed

Wow! There is so much packed into this story. Thoroughly enjoyed this one as it takes place 1976-1977 and the main character is the same age as I was in those years, so I can totally relate to the time period. My life was pretty “narrow” and at the time I was growing up I never knew of the continued mistreatment of Native Americans who were integrated into local schools if the schools were close to their reservations. Along with this integration came some pretty extreme hatred and bigotry from a ...more

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Mar 11, 2020 Claire rated it it was amazing

Shelves: digital-texts, historical-fiction

If I Ever Get Out of Here is the ode to late 70s rock music that I did not expect to love. It features a young middle school Native American student named Lewis, as he navigates his new middle school world, where for the first time there are no other kids from the rez on his advanced track. He deals with all the typical middle school struggles, making new friends, avoiding the local bullies, dealing with his family, all while struggling to maintain his identity and deal with the prejudice and di If I Ever Get Out of Here is the ode to late 70s rock music that I did not expect to love. It features a young middle school Native American student named Lewis, as he navigates his new middle school world, where for the first time there are no other kids from the rez on his advanced track. He deals with all the typical middle school struggles, making new friends, avoiding the local bullies, dealing with his family, all while struggling to maintain his identity and deal with the prejudice and discrimination he faces based on his heritage. George, a new student who lives on a nearby military base, becomes his best friend and they share countless memories playing old Beatles records, discovering Derek and the Dominoes, Paul McCartney and Wings, Queen, and so much more. He grows a terrific relationship with his uncle Albert, a disabled Vietnam vet. The classic music backdrop made this book an absolute jam to read. The description of Lewis’ first concert experience brought back vivid memories of my own first concert. I read this book in conjunction with its audiobook, and while I often find audio narration to be slow, I enjoyed the author’s interpretation of the inner voice of the characters. Lewis is a human being any middle or high school student could relate to, and the description of the harsh realities of the history of Indian boarding schools and the lasting impacts of the U.S. government systems meant to “preserve” but also degrade Native Americans is an excellent window for students who are only familiar with the cookie cutter colonialist perspectives and Thanksgiving parties. This would be an excellent lit circle book in conjunction with other stories about important musical periods, like jazz, blues, country, or punk, as well as would be an excellent thematic study on the 70s in conjunction with U.S. history, and a study of the Vietnam war nonviolent movements, etc. It would also be an excellent thematic study on growing up, on the ever growing nature of friendship, on family, on the impact of poverty. It is already a book I recommended to one of my students who loves 70s rock, and one I would recommend to anyone. ...more

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Jan 20, 2020 Lori rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book began a bit clumsily and I wasn't sure if I'd actually enjoy it, but all of a sudden I felt like it hit its stride and I couldn't put it down. I ended up loving the main character, Shoe (Lewis), and couldn't stop rooting for him. It dealt with bullying (and how both kids and adults deal with it) in one of the most authentic and true ways I've ever read in a book. The friendship between Shoe and George was incredibly uplifting and it was really fantastic to see a teen male friendship pr ...more

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About Eric Gansworth

Eric Gansworth

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Gansworth is an enrolled citizen of the Onondaga Nation; however, he grew up in the Tuscarora Nation as a descendant of one of two Onondaga women present among the Tuscarora at the foundation of the nation in the 18th century. Gansworth originally qualified in electroencephalography, considered a profession useful to his nation; however, he went on to study literature and to continue a lifelong in ...more