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Gap Life
Cray got into the same college his father attended and is expected to go. And to go pre-med. And to get started right away. His parents are paying the tuition. It should be an easy decision.
But it's not.
All Cray knows is that what's expected of him doesn't feel right. The pressure to make a decision—from his family, his friends—is huge. Until he meets Rayne, a girl who is taking a gap year, and who helps him find his first real job, at a home of four adults with developmental disabilities. What he learns about himself and others will turn out to be more than any university could teach him—and twice as difficult.
But it's not.
All Cray knows is that what's expected of him doesn't feel right. The pressure to make a decision—from his family, his friends—is huge. Until he meets Rayne, a girl who is taking a gap year, and who helps him find his first real job, at a home of four adults with developmental disabilities. What he learns about himself and others will turn out to be more than any university could teach him—and twice as difficult.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 22, 2016
5 people are currently reading
559 people want to read
About the author
John Coy
40 books46 followers John Coy is the author of young adult novels, the 4 for 4 middle-grade series, and fiction and nonfiction picture books. John has received numerous awards for his work including a Marion Vannett Ridgway Award for best first picture book, a Charlotte Zolotow Honor, Bank Street College Best Book of the Year, Notable Book for a Global Society, and the Burr/Warzalla Award for Distinguished Achievement in Children’s Literature. He lives in Minneapolis and visits schools around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
February 21, 2017
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
I was initially drawn to this book as there isn't much YA about gap years or young adults choosing not to go to college. I was also intrigued by the job of working in a group home for people with intellectual disabilities. Unfortunately, both of these things existed largely in the background of this book and didn't receive the depth of thought I'd hoped for.
I was extremely appalled by Cray's behavior toward Rayne as at one point he was so obsessed with her that he stalked her. None of that behavior was ever called out as being inappropriate and I was upset to see Rayne apologize for some of her perfectly okay behaviors. I really disliked their relationship and feel that it made a lot of inappropriate behavior and desires seem okay.
In general, the male characters in this book were very possessive, especially toward children and women. The dad was emotionally abusive and manipulate, and I was upset that his behavior was never addressed as thoroughly as it should have been.
Rayne is also such a Manic Pixie Dream Girl and I really did not like her or find her to be very real or relatable for most of the novel.
The read deal breaker for me was the use of tragedy porn in the final chapters. Kate's death was incredibly unnecessary and left me with the feeling that she was disposable as a person.
It was a quick read, but I incredibly unsettled by Cray's inappropriate behavior toward Rayne throughout most of this novel.
I was initially drawn to this book as there isn't much YA about gap years or young adults choosing not to go to college. I was also intrigued by the job of working in a group home for people with intellectual disabilities. Unfortunately, both of these things existed largely in the background of this book and didn't receive the depth of thought I'd hoped for.
I was extremely appalled by Cray's behavior toward Rayne as at one point he was so obsessed with her that he stalked her. None of that behavior was ever called out as being inappropriate and I was upset to see Rayne apologize for some of her perfectly okay behaviors. I really disliked their relationship and feel that it made a lot of inappropriate behavior and desires seem okay.
In general, the male characters in this book were very possessive, especially toward children and women. The dad was emotionally abusive and manipulate, and I was upset that his behavior was never addressed as thoroughly as it should have been.
Rayne is also such a Manic Pixie Dream Girl and I really did not like her or find her to be very real or relatable for most of the novel.
The read deal breaker for me was the use of tragedy porn in the final chapters. Kate's death was incredibly unnecessary and left me with the feeling that she was disposable as a person.
It was a quick read, but I incredibly unsettled by Cray's inappropriate behavior toward Rayne throughout most of this novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 9, 2017
Cray is on a straight path to becoming a doctor. Problem is, his dad set the path and Cray is sure he doesn't want to follow it. Right after HS graduation he decides to tell his family that he's not going to college. His parents are horrified and his dad tells him he needs to get a job. With help from his new friend Rayne, Cray gets a job at a home for adults with disabilities. The job plus his relationship with Rayne help Cray decide what he needs to do during his "gap year."
I did not like any of the main characters in this book. Cray is whiney, belligerent, and annoying. Rayne is a cliché- vegan, gluten intolerant, works in a university's art studio, mom ran off with a guru, wears bowling shoes all the time, blah, blah, blah. Cray's dad is obnoxious and horrible. Also, we're supposed to believe a home for disabled adults, one of whom has severe seizures, would hire a 17 year old to work the overnight shift alone. With no training and not even CPR certification.
I just didn't care for it very much.
I did not like any of the main characters in this book. Cray is whiney, belligerent, and annoying. Rayne is a cliché- vegan, gluten intolerant, works in a university's art studio, mom ran off with a guru, wears bowling shoes all the time, blah, blah, blah. Cray's dad is obnoxious and horrible. Also, we're supposed to believe a home for disabled adults, one of whom has severe seizures, would hire a 17 year old to work the overnight shift alone. With no training and not even CPR certification.
I just didn't care for it very much.
November 30, 2016
The more I read, the more I liked Cray as a character and as a young man. There is a honesty to his character, sometimes subtle. His story had me wishing him well and imagining what his future might bring.
December 27, 2016
Review to come.
January 8, 2017
Love John Coy and his books. I'm afraid my favorite will always be Box Out. I love his sports stories so this one wasn't one of my favorites, though it has a solid story line and great characters.
August 6, 2022
How is it possible that I only liked Sean & Eli (potentially) out of like 10+ characters?
January 19, 2025
this book is the reason I don't read stuff written by men. the incinerator ain't hot enough for this garbage.
March 22, 2025
G for my A-to-Z reading challenge. As soon as I read the description, I knew exactly what was going to happen in this book and it did. Too much of a “young adult” feel for me.
February 17, 2020
I enjoyed this book very much because it is relatable. I enjoy how the author wrote it and used descriptive words, but it was also very understandable. I know that many people that are getting ready for the next step of their life can relate to Cray because he doesn't know what he wants to do, but he knows he doesn't want to become a doctor like his dad wants him to. It isn't his dad's life, it's his. I can also say that it is relatable that his parents want to map out his whole life because many kids struggle with that too. I loved Rayne, the "free spirit" character in my opinion. She is so not caring and it inspires me to be like that and not care what everyone else thinks. I absolutely hated Cray's dad because he was so forceful on his son to go to St. Luke's college to become a doctor. This story made me imagine what his life would be like later and honestly I could see him doing something creative because he had a little bit of that creative side of him. He really grew up in the two months and I hope to grow up like he did.
February 20, 2017
GAP LIFE by John Coy is a delight. I read it early in January, and Cray, the protagonist has stuck with me. I find myself wondering how he's doing on the adventure he undertook at the end of the book. To me, that's the sign of a terrific character: he becomes so real that he takes on a life of his own and we wonder what he's doing long after closing the final pages of the book.
Cray is all set, at high school graduation, to follow in his domineering father's footsteps. His secret terror: that he cannot do it, and hasn't told anyone.
Every teenager struggling with "What do I want to do with my life?" -- and even every college freshman or sophomore struggling with that question--needs to read this book. That's not because John Coy provides answers, but because the book makes us feel not alone. That, in fact, is exactly what great literature should do: help us recognize that somewhere, in our pain or struggles, we are not alone.
Society tends to make us feel all alone when we don't know what we want. Society makes us feel alone when we have an overbearing parent who tells us what we want. Society makes us feel alone when we don't want what our parents want for us or what society wants for us, and yet we flounder because we can't counter the pressure, unable to articulate what we do want--probably--because we have never been given the freedom to explore our own desires. This book is all about that struggle.
GAP LIFE is not a dystopian drama where life-and-death hang in the balance. It's the internal workings of a real human character whose skin we jump right into, whose struggle becomes ours as we read the first page. Not life-and-death, no, but life-and-death of the human soul and spirit. We can't put the book down because we want to keep breathing with Cray, to discover if he will have the strength to find his own dream and then to follow it, and if he can connect with Rayne, the only girl he knows who follows her own heart. Most of all, I think Cray is a character we like so much we want to hang out with him, be inside his life, and keep walking with him, long after we've finished this book.
This is in many ways a quiet book. I didn't look at any other reviews until just now. Some critics say there wasn't enough conflict to be engaging. And lots of marketers eschew "quiet" books. Their loss. Their big loss. This is a quiet book that is as big as the human heart. John Coy creates an everyday life that we jump right into because of its clear, smooth prose and delightfully consistent detail: those things that make an everyday life, so that we are living inside Cray on every page. Everybody--parent, teacher, librarian, kid, grandparent--should absorb this story.
Good luck in your life, Cray. I'll remember you for the rest of mine.
Cray is all set, at high school graduation, to follow in his domineering father's footsteps. His secret terror: that he cannot do it, and hasn't told anyone.
Every teenager struggling with "What do I want to do with my life?" -- and even every college freshman or sophomore struggling with that question--needs to read this book. That's not because John Coy provides answers, but because the book makes us feel not alone. That, in fact, is exactly what great literature should do: help us recognize that somewhere, in our pain or struggles, we are not alone.
Society tends to make us feel all alone when we don't know what we want. Society makes us feel alone when we have an overbearing parent who tells us what we want. Society makes us feel alone when we don't want what our parents want for us or what society wants for us, and yet we flounder because we can't counter the pressure, unable to articulate what we do want--probably--because we have never been given the freedom to explore our own desires. This book is all about that struggle.
GAP LIFE is not a dystopian drama where life-and-death hang in the balance. It's the internal workings of a real human character whose skin we jump right into, whose struggle becomes ours as we read the first page. Not life-and-death, no, but life-and-death of the human soul and spirit. We can't put the book down because we want to keep breathing with Cray, to discover if he will have the strength to find his own dream and then to follow it, and if he can connect with Rayne, the only girl he knows who follows her own heart. Most of all, I think Cray is a character we like so much we want to hang out with him, be inside his life, and keep walking with him, long after we've finished this book.
This is in many ways a quiet book. I didn't look at any other reviews until just now. Some critics say there wasn't enough conflict to be engaging. And lots of marketers eschew "quiet" books. Their loss. Their big loss. This is a quiet book that is as big as the human heart. John Coy creates an everyday life that we jump right into because of its clear, smooth prose and delightfully consistent detail: those things that make an everyday life, so that we are living inside Cray on every page. Everybody--parent, teacher, librarian, kid, grandparent--should absorb this story.
Good luck in your life, Cray. I'll remember you for the rest of mine.
August 8, 2017
I wish more focus had been spent on Cray's time working in a home for adults with developmental disabilities. That was the most interesting part of the book for me. I would have liked seeing him develop more as a person from the experience. I didn't find Rayne's character convincing, she's more of a caricature, and the Italian boyfriend story seemed unbelievable and unnecessary to the plot. It does speak to a boy who is fighting the mold his parents expect him to fill.
July 17, 2018
Pretty good book about what possibilities are after high school.
February 7, 2017
I finished this book yesterday night even though I actually really loved this book. It was short, just above two hundred pages short, fast, and extremely heartfelt in my opinion.
"Gap Life" is about a teen boy named Cray and he has just graduated high school. The only twist is that his parents have no idea that he is not going to college. Cray doesn't want to go to college because his father is making him do something that he doesn't want to do. He doesn't want to be a doctor just like his father and the whole entire family on his father's side. Cray also can't say no. His whole entire family is really scared around his father. He is like the head man around the house, even though all fathers are.
I actually really liked Cray. I didn't think his decision about not going to college was a good one, because everybody should go to college in their life, but I respected the fact that he didn't want to go to college because his father was making him do something that he didn't want to do. If you don't like doing something, then you will never have fun!
I also really liked Rayne, the main female character in the story. She was different and she didn't care what anybody thought of her, which is a great piece of advice that we all need these days. We shouldn't be copies of what anybody else wants us to be. We should be ourselves.
It was also very interesting to see that Cray worked at a home for independent living. The people who lived in the home were people with Down syndrome.
In my life, I know a few people who actually do have Down syndrome and it doesn't make them different. They are still humans just like us and it doesn't make them any more different. We are all equal human beings.
This book was so heartfelt and it actually had me crying at eleven o' clock at night. I loved how Cray and Rayne's friendship progressed. I loved how it was actually romance free, which is something that I actually look for in a YA novel sometimes. I loved how his relationship with the kids at the home progressed. Also, they were really adorable. :)
"Gap Life" is about a teen boy named Cray and he has just graduated high school. The only twist is that his parents have no idea that he is not going to college. Cray doesn't want to go to college because his father is making him do something that he doesn't want to do. He doesn't want to be a doctor just like his father and the whole entire family on his father's side. Cray also can't say no. His whole entire family is really scared around his father. He is like the head man around the house, even though all fathers are.
I actually really liked Cray. I didn't think his decision about not going to college was a good one, because everybody should go to college in their life, but I respected the fact that he didn't want to go to college because his father was making him do something that he didn't want to do. If you don't like doing something, then you will never have fun!
I also really liked Rayne, the main female character in the story. She was different and she didn't care what anybody thought of her, which is a great piece of advice that we all need these days. We shouldn't be copies of what anybody else wants us to be. We should be ourselves.
It was also very interesting to see that Cray worked at a home for independent living. The people who lived in the home were people with Down syndrome.
In my life, I know a few people who actually do have Down syndrome and it doesn't make them different. They are still humans just like us and it doesn't make them any more different. We are all equal human beings.
This book was so heartfelt and it actually had me crying at eleven o' clock at night. I loved how Cray and Rayne's friendship progressed. I loved how it was actually romance free, which is something that I actually look for in a YA novel sometimes. I loved how his relationship with the kids at the home progressed. Also, they were really adorable. :)
October 7, 2017
Cray just graduated high school and is expected to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who are doctors. He's not sure that this is the life he wants to lead, especially when blood makes him queasy. He tells his parents how he feels and his controlling father insists he get a job and start paying rent. While job hunting, he meets a fellow new graduate, Rayne, who marches to her own drum. She is taking a gap year to travel. Rayne opens Cray up to a new way of viewing his life and provides a romantic interest, as well as a job. This book was a quick read, but there wasn't really much to hold my attention. It had a decent plot with decent character development, but nothing that really grabbed me. More could have been explored with the group home and Cray's decision for the fall, when he would be starting college. This may appeal to high schoolers who are contemplating what will happen when they graduate.
May 28, 2021
I found this book to be expectedly eye-opening, only to have my eyes closed after how weird he was with rayne . like wtf? Not only did he think about her 24/7 BUT HE STALKED HER. obviously that is not healthy and he thinks he is
fine. BOY. I also found that they really glanced RIGHT over the pure abuse going on in his family. Not to mention his dad’s constant need for a drink and everybody in his family being scared of him. Now, let’s talk about Jett. WHAT A HORRIBLE FRIEND. i guess that’s why he was obsessed with rayne, because his only friend was an asshole. honestly there was no progression or character development at all, and i am overall dissatisfied with the characters. I also think that Kate dying was super unnecessary and it came out of nowhere. It also didn’t thicken the plot or anything. It just happed. quick read, and i found myself liking rayne more and more
fine. BOY. I also found that they really glanced RIGHT over the pure abuse going on in his family. Not to mention his dad’s constant need for a drink and everybody in his family being scared of him. Now, let’s talk about Jett. WHAT A HORRIBLE FRIEND. i guess that’s why he was obsessed with rayne, because his only friend was an asshole. honestly there was no progression or character development at all, and i am overall dissatisfied with the characters. I also think that Kate dying was super unnecessary and it came out of nowhere. It also didn’t thicken the plot or anything. It just happed. quick read, and i found myself liking rayne more and more
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2022
I'd give this book 3.5!
I liked the new perspective, because it gave me a lot to think about as I'd be one of the "good" kids like his brother. I enjoyed the people at Oakcrest and I liked the friendship they built up. Rayne was really supportive and interesting. (There's a joke the brother makes which i genuinely laughed at)
DID NOT like Cray's use of the word "different".. he used it so many times to describe rayne and a personality- like boy please give it a rest or use another word. A lot of Cray's actions I didn't agree with also. But in the end I liked his development of some self confidence.
I liked the new perspective, because it gave me a lot to think about as I'd be one of the "good" kids like his brother. I enjoyed the people at Oakcrest and I liked the friendship they built up. Rayne was really supportive and interesting. (There's a joke the brother makes which i genuinely laughed at)
DID NOT like Cray's use of the word "different".. he used it so many times to describe rayne and a personality- like boy please give it a rest or use another word. A lot of Cray's actions I didn't agree with also. But in the end I liked his development of some self confidence.
September 13, 2022
In many ways this is a Typical Teen Boy book, complete with mooning over a Manic Pixie Dream Girl (albeit a responsible one with two jobs and a plan to travel the world next year), who may or may not be as into him as he is to her.
Still, slice-of-life stories in small Minnesota towns are always going to appeal to me. I really enjoyed the details of his search to find employment while couch-surfing -- more out of his own pride than necessity, because despite his disapproval and threats/demands for rent, his dad hasn't actually cut him off or thrown him out of the house -- and his budding friendship with Rayne, minus his weird moment of entitlement. I especially liked that even though she's described as WILDLY smart, she chose to delay college on purpose in order to experience as much as she could right away.
Though I wasn't that invested in the house or its residents, at least the job was unique, a far cry from the typical fast food or blue-collar work you might expect an inexperienced high school grad to find. I also like Cray as a character; he's very far from perfect but I'm glad there is a book representing a path that more teens than we probably think end up taking. Especially the part where he gets dizzy thinking about the fact that whatever he manages to get for a "summer job" could become his actual life for quite a few years -- something my now-husband got a taste of too, before he buckled down and applied to college. Cray happens to luck out into a job that could develop into a legitimate career, but it's a legitimate worry to consider.
Still, slice-of-life stories in small Minnesota towns are always going to appeal to me. I really enjoyed the details of his search to find employment while couch-surfing -- more out of his own pride than necessity, because despite his disapproval and threats/demands for rent, his dad hasn't actually cut him off or thrown him out of the house -- and his budding friendship with Rayne, minus his weird moment of entitlement. I especially liked that even though she's described as WILDLY smart, she chose to delay college on purpose in order to experience as much as she could right away.
Though I wasn't that invested in the house or its residents, at least the job was unique, a far cry from the typical fast food or blue-collar work you might expect an inexperienced high school grad to find. I also like Cray as a character; he's very far from perfect but I'm glad there is a book representing a path that more teens than we probably think end up taking. Especially the part where he gets dizzy thinking about the fact that whatever he manages to get for a "summer job" could become his actual life for quite a few years -- something my now-husband got a taste of too, before he buckled down and applied to college. Cray happens to luck out into a job that could develop into a legitimate career, but it's a legitimate worry to consider.
December 30, 2018
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy. Interesting premise, but I wish the book had spent more time with Cray and the group home and his relationships with the residents. I can't believe a 17-year-old right out of high school would be hired for such a job; and how old was Rayne when she was hired? Many of my students devoured Coy's books, but this one would not be as interesting to my students who like the ones about sports. Cray certainly did not seem mature enough to fit the final resolution. I also cannot believe that the parents would have let him disappear for days on end.
January 30, 2017
Super quick one day read that tells the story of a high school senior post graduation as he's deciding between following in the prescribed footsteps of his parents who are both in the medical profession or following his own heart. Along the way there is love and heartbreak as he is aided by a loose-cannon female character that he can't help but be drawn to. Similar character interactions as in Emma Straub's "Modern Lovers," without as much overlapping plot line. Recommended for an easy read.
February 23, 2018
A much-needed addition to the YA collection: teen boy + anxiety and uncertainty about future plans + summer crush. This is a quick read with a straightforward story line. I'll definitely find readers for this book!
January 1, 2024
Not well written, poorly developed characters, unlikable main character (including some troubling behaviors re: the girl he is interested in), significant plot line that isn't believable (the job he gets with zero relevant experience), predictable, cliched, etc. etc. etc.
May 31, 2024
This book could have been way better if the characters were less stereotypical. And Cray's behavior towards Rayne? Not unrealistic, but not something I want to see in the *main* character.
Overall, pretty well-written, but the characters dragged it down.
Overall, pretty well-written, but the characters dragged it down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2017
I didn't love any of these characters nor did I feel satisfied about the ending.
December 30, 2017
Great look at the transition from High School to Adult, and the different paths that might be different for each of us.
March 7, 2019
My new favorite book
December 13, 2019
Great book, but I wish it were longer. That way Coy could develop the plot better. It seemed a bit rushed.
January 5, 2021
a heartening message
November 30, 2022
read this in one sitting but im still not sure if it's good ::>_<::
January 13, 2023
This kid is toxic. I hate YA’s where they set such horrible examples for young people. Bleh.
December 16, 2023
KID GOES TO WORK AT REHAB HOME FOR AUTISTIC PEOPLE AND MAKES FRIENDS WITH THEM.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews