There Is No Map for This

by Tom Birdseye

A high-adrenaline story of what it really means to man up. 


Seventeen-year-old Ren Adams feels lucky to be living with his brother, Levi, and Levi’s girlfriend, Ellie — a welcome escape from his mother and her fundamentalist husband. Ren finally feels able to breathe, even if Levi and Ellie insist on trying to RENovate him, make him push his limits, live up to his potential — “man up” … whatever that means.


Ren does his best to keep up — until Levi is killed in an avalanche on one of their follow-the-leader dares. Overcome with grief, Ren feels unmoored, while Ellie embraces new risks and adventures, and tries to pull Ren into her orbit. He cannot resist her wattage, and when she comes to his bed one night, he stops trying.


The next morning, Ellie has disappeared. Ren throws himself into full Ren-to-the-rescue mode — out of love, brotherly loyalty, guilt or grief? He doesn’t quite know. His search is by turns enlightening and reckless, as he discovers that there is no map for becoming a man. 


 


Key Text Features


Biographical information


chapters


dialogue


literary references

Genres: Young Adult

280 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2024

About the author

I grew up in North Carolina and Kentucky, an ardent fan of anything that smacked of sports, crawdads, mud balls, forts built in the woods, secret codes, bicycles without fenders, butter pecan ice cream, and snow. I was, however, decidedly uninterested in writing-or any academic aspect of school, for that matter-never imagining that at the age of thirty-five I would become a published author. And yet after two unrelated college degrees, a year living in Japan, and ten years of teaching experience, that is what happened. Life, it seems, is full of who'd-a-thought-its.

I live in Corvallis, Oregon, with my wife, Debbie. Our two daughters, Kelsey and Amy, are both off on their own, living and working in Portland. When not writing, working at the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program in creative writing, or in classrooms talking with children and teachers about the writing process, I enjoy rock climbing, alpine ascents, scaling big trees, ski mountaineering, snowshoeing, backpacking, mountain biking, running, playing the string bass, and reading.

Even after many books published and awards won, at times it still amazes me that writing is my profession. It was such a difficult process for me when I was a kid; I can really identify with the reluctant writer in school today. Everything seemed to get in the way of my completing stories: from being left-handed, to my poor spelling skills, from punctuation woes, to especially a lack of ideas. Fortunately, the right people came along at the right time and helped me see past the hurdles, emphasizing instead the joy of the work and the satisfaction to be had in trying to uncover the important truths that can come out of fiction. Now I carry a small notebook at all times and am always on the lookout for material I can use in a story: ordinary people that would make good characters, the funny, telling, or poignant glimpses of life that are triggered by what I see and hear, and the wonderfully wise things people will say at the most unexpected times.

True, I still labor through my stories, wrestling with the spelling beast and the punctuation monster, writing and rewriting, then rewriting some more, until I glean my best, but the process has become one of pleasure instead of pain. I love doing it, and I love sharing it with others. The boy who couldn't imagine himself a writer, now can't imagine himself anything else.

Reviews

[Pam Withers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This high-octane novel features two lost souls spinning out of control — and delivers nonstop adventure and tension in the name of exploring what it means to be a man. The twists and turns, including shocking events at the beginning and end, keep the reader glued throughout. The plot is well paced and clever; the writing is snappy and fun.

Ren knocks a glob of slush off one foot with the other. Not that it helps. His toes are completely popsicled.

Joshua—age eleven, with ever-smudged glasses; and Ruth – nearly nine, going on twenty-nine.

The fact that the Alpine Café is a chipped coffee cup, not linen tablecloths and two forks, has nothing to do with [the manager’s] reality or the reality he inflicts on his employees. His personnel policy is straight out of the Pleistocene era.

Ren understands that Levi and Ellie’s intentions are good – they think of it as tough love, their way of helping him become his own man. Or, as Levi puts it, to “grow a pair.” Which, yes, stings. But deep down, Ren does want to change who he is. Change into what, though? And how? If he’s to become his own man, shouldn’t it be… well, it seems like it should be with his map, not theirs.

It’s told in Ren’s point of view as he struggles to come to terms with “manning up.” But he’s soon also trying to cope with grief, resist Ellie’s wild side and protect her without getting burned.

Note: The book includes a very descriptive sex scene appropriate for older rather than younger teens.

The language is totally authentic to teens and loaded with power and humour. The characters are not only believable, but the reader comes to care about each of them in a rather intense way, also realizing they must unlock from one another’s orbits to survive.

Between the careening plot points are well-researched outdoor adventure crises sure to give readers as much of an adrenalin rush as Ren and Ellie. But above all, teen boys searching for their footing will relate to Ren, while anyone who knows or is drawn to a high-energy, charismatic, manically reckless individual like Ellie will grip the story for that portion of its wild ride.

One of the novel’s strengths is its fine writing, especially when it comes to conveying emotion in few words and clever metaphors.

Ren tiptoes for the next several days. Maybe, he thinks, if he keeps his weight evenly distributed, avoids sudden outbursts, nothing else will disintegrate into jagged pieces. Maybe, if he breathes with a controlled pace, grief will take five.

Who the hell was I before? Sure, a kid brother, an unsure son, a pretty-damn-good student, a not-so-reliable employee, a completely clueless lover. But that was just him following the line of least resistance, like a drop of water headed downhill. Gravity was in charge, not him.

If there’s a weak element, it’s the frequency with which Ren refers to philosophy books (it feels a little pretentious and concocted), as if the author felt it necessary to mix that with Ren’s search for self.

The mental health element (Ellie’s issues become ever more alarming as the book goes forward) is well-played, and even though both Ren and Ellie change by the end of the novel, they remain in large part who they are, which makes them feel totally relatable and the book incredibly real.

In summary: one of the best reads out there this year.

This review also appears at the not-for-profit website YAdudebooks.ca: https://yadudebooks.ca/there-is-no-ma...

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this heartwarming and sometimes heart wrenching adventure as Ren tries to cope with the death of his older brother, Levi, in an avalanche. Levi was always after Ren to go outside his comfort zone and to push himself. Levi’s girlfriend, Ellie, wants Ren to “walk toward your fears” and takes Ren skydiving one day. Ren is scared and but does it. When they both get fired from their job, something happens, and when Ren wakes up Ellie is gone. He finds out secrets about her and wonder if he can find her. Is he successful in finding Ellie?
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Melissa Madenski · Rating 5 out of 5]

There Is No Map For This, by Tom Birdseye, is a page-turning young adult novel about literal rescues and coming of age. It's also a universal story about metaphorical rescue. The story of Ren, had me reading every day for 3 days until the finish. The author captures fear, grief, loneliness, love, longing all along Ren's walk from the first page to the last. His maturation into a young adult builds across every chapter. I resonated with Ren's story, not only because of his life experiences of adventure, but because most stages (mine is old age), cover similar emotions. If we're lucky we grow old and continue to learn from the young and they from us.

[Melinda Sayavedra · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is No Map for This

A fast read with vividly described outdoor adventure scenes (I was absolutely riveted by the sky-diving scene), tragic moments, humorous moments, tender moments, and that thread of the search for meaning and what it means to be human. You feel like you’re right there experiencing what the characters are experiencing. The characters are complex. I cared about them, and worried for them. There is no map for life and Birdseye captures this beautifully as we travel along with Ren as he tries to navigate life and growing up to be his best self. A beautiful book!

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love ‘There is No Map for This’ by Tom Birdseye. This is a serious book for young adults about the perplexing questions of identity and relationships. Each scene is well developed, interesting, a page turner for sure. The book has a tone of irreverence, the plot a bit transgressive which should appeal to young adults. The book is both serious and quite funny, exuberant high energy, held together by a plain old good story. I heartily recommend this book, it’s a gem.

[Connie Rodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book of Tom Birdseye’s is a great read! His descriptions of people and places are compelling, but even more so are his two main characters, Ren and Ellie. We learn about Ren as he learns about himself by navigating extreme emotional and physical challenges with and without Ellie in a small Pacific Northwest town and the surrounding great outdoors. There was no predicting where the story was heading and what was going to happen to them, but I certainly cared!

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

There Is No Map for This is a page turning young adult book. It had me hooked from the beginning to the end. It is a story of love, loss, identity, family and growing up. The young people in this novel have had difficult childhood lives and are left to face some challenging issues without the support of parents or other strong adult models. You will find yourself deeply caring and rooting for the characters.. Well written. Recommend for high school readers.

[Warren Lisser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. From the first page it was like a freeway ‘on ramp’. The pace is infectious, but along the way, the two main characters are wrestling with real world problems. The beauty is how they work through solutions in both conventional and unconventional methods. This is a story that begs one to ask “what’s next?”

[Ethan Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very engaging read! A teen coming of age story set in a small Northwest town. The main character, Ren, is faced with so many challenges, not the least of which are his own fears and how to face them. Tom Birdseye has again proven himself an apt storyteller and master of the YA genre

[Sabrina Mock-Rossi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent novel — part coming of age, part dealing with grief. Loved the heartfelt writing and descriptions, as well as the raw and flawed characters. Lots of outdoor adventures and setting details brought it to life. Everything about this book felt authentic. Highly recommend it!

[Rachel Stones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has it all: action, romance, and complicated relationships. The suspense and emotions are palpable to readers, as the main character Ren deals with heartbreak in more ways than one (which I won't spoil for those who haven't read it yet). I loved the voice too!

[Michael Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super sleek story about the ripple effects of tragedy and the fumbling journey of one teen on his way to manhood. Tom Birdseye writes with deft prose that dropped me tight inside Ren’s skull and held me rivetted until the very last page. Wise, thrilling, and gritty. Highly recommended.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the first half, didn’t love the last third. But overall a good book

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very impressed at how this manages to combine a fast-paced, high-stakes plot with lots of introspection from the main character. Ren’s journey involves grief, guilt, and trying to figure out not only who he is, but who he wants to be. Highly recommended.