Finn's Car--a kart racer spies a chance

Finn's Fast Books #2

by Serena Schreiber

From soccer field to race track, from video games to driver’s seat, from Palm Beach to Monte Carlo, Finn competes to win—the race, the fame and the girl.

Like most teenagers, Finn doesn't always feel like a winner. He fails his driving test. He fails to impress the pretty girl in engineering class, Parminder. Finn and best friend Burrito play for a so-so soccer team but Finn wants to shine.

His shot at victory arrives when his teacher announces, “Our semester project will be to take a gas powered kart and combine it with an electric motor to build the fastest possible, fuel efficient, hybrid go-kart in the world.”

Burning rubber at 60 mph is the thrill of a lifetime. Parminder shares the need for speed and both join the hybrid karting team. Perfecting the design and building the kart take months of work. When the German and Japanese teams arrive for the Palm Beach Grand Prix, the local team must be ready to roll.

Finn and his team are invited to race at the Karting Monaco Grand Prix. The pressure to compete at the international event is intense. While the teams are plagued by sabotage, Finn gets recruited into corporate espionage. He must ask himself, how far will he go to win?

Genres: Middle Grade

123 pages, Paperback

First published August 9, 2013

About the author

Serena writes fantasy and books for young people:

Author of action-adventure STEM stories (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) for middle grade readers in the Finn's Fast Books series including Finn's Ship, Finn's Car, and Finn's Rocket. The high octane books are good, clean fun for younger readers but also contain enough realistic, fast-paced action to entertain the reluctant eighth-grade reader. Coming soon, look for Finn's Copter. When not writing for kids, you'll find Serena writing with friends on the mythical island of False Key, Florida--the fantasy setting for her series of speculative fiction which includes Somewhere South of Normal, Somewhere South of Sane, Somewhere South of Reason, Somewhere South of Sundown, and Somewhere South of Cinco.
In the real world, Serena writes about urban planning and environmental solutions. Since 2011, the group she co-founded hosts a monthly, open mic, coffeehouse event for authors and songwriters to read and perform original work "Howl at the Moon Writers Jam.".

Reviews

[Amber Garr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finn's Car is the sequel to Finn's ship, but it certainly works as a stand alone novel as well. Finn's back in the States and is busy playing soccer, learning how to drive, and building hybrid racing carts. Aside from the great teen characters and eloquent writing, I really enjoyed learning about hybrid engines and the mechanics behind them. Serena does an excellent job at not only pulling the reader into the story but also teaching us something in the process. It was also great to see Finn handle his new crush and navigate through the daily drama associated with being in high school. This is a great read and I highly recommend it for middle graders, young adults, and especially boy readers.

[Gayle Swift · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visit Finn's World: Intrigue, Betrayal and International Competition,

Readers who loved "Finn's Ship"and have been waiting for the sequel, will find the amazing teen again embarking on adventures most people only dream about. In "Finn's Car" along with typical teen-age goals, Finn yearns for his driver's license, falls for a gorgeous and popular girl, and drives go-karts competitively. His passion and skill bring Finn from Florida to Monte Carlo, playground of the rich and famous where he faces the race of his life. His competitors are not only on the track but behind the scenes as well. A dose of sabotage and espionage create a high stakes story that will leave you speeding through the pages until you learn: who wins, who survives, who's trustworthy, and who's the enemy? Treat yourself to your copy of "Finn's Car" to find out for yourself.

[Bree Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

By Bree Wolf, author of Fireflies

‘Finn’s Car’ as the title says is about cars, no surprise there, namely go-karts, and although for me cars are on my top ten list of boring topics, I loved this story! And I was amazed I did! Even the more technical explanations are well-integrated into the plot that you hardly even notice someone’s trying to teach you about cars.
Oh, and hooray for Parminder! Finally, a beautiful heroine who knows her way around the technical side of things (in this case, as you might have guessed, cars) and even teaches the boys a thing or two! Plus, I liked Finn even more because he didn’t see her as a threat but felt drawn to her even more because of it.
A well-paced, funny and highly infectious read!

[Valerie Strand · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads. I quickly glanced through this book before sending it to my grandson. I've since gotten a thumbs up from him. He is 12 and into everything car related. The fact that this involves a go cart is what really got him interested in reading this. I can say that he enjoyed it and said, "I wish I could hang out with Finn". Needless to say he now wants to build a go cart with his buddies. I'd say the book was a success for this 12 year old.

[Angela Kitchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this is a very good book for children aged 7+. It starts about this person called Finn. He is building a hybrid car for a race with his class. It was very exciting book, especially towards the end. I couldn't put it down. review by my son, age 9.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book I now want to read the other two!!! I really liked the part where Finn was racing on the F1 track and the part where he was... actually don't want to give too much away. Lets just say I loved it.

[Serena Schreiber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope readers will enjoy my newest middle grade novel, FINN'S CAR. In this standalone sequel to the adventure story, FINN'S SHIP, Finn and friends attempt to build and race the fastest hybrid technology go-kart in the world. Facing stiff international competition at the Grand Prix of Palm Beach, the team goes on to race the Karting Monaco Grand Prix. Finn hopes his fellow designer and karting enthusiast, Parminder, the pretty girl from engineering class, will think of him as more than a friend. But before they go to Monaco, the kids must face sabotage, pressure of corporate espionage, and the need to fit in.

Great for kids who like racing, building things and fast paced adventure stories.