Farewell Tour of a Terminal Optimist

by John Young

Quick-witted, sharp-tongued Connor Lambert won't take it any longer: the bullying, the secrets, the sympathy. He's been dying from cancer for years, but he's not dead yet. He's going down fighting.

Forming an unlikely friendship with fellow juvenile delinquent Skeates, the pair stage a break out and set off on a crazy tour across Scotland -- dodging the police, joy riding and extreme partying -- to find Connor's dad, an inmate at Shotts prison.

But Connor's left two things behind -- the medication he needs to keep him alive, and the girl who makes living bearable.

A fresh and bold debut novel full of heart, guts and raw emotion. Farewell Tour of a Terminal Optimist is a brilliantly funny, thrilling exploration of friendship, identity and mortality populated with witty, sharply drawn characters.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary

284 pages, Paperback

First published July 20, 2017

About the author

John Young is a writer who is originally from Belfast and now lives near Edinburgh. A former lawyer, he helped found The Teapot Trust, a children's art therapy charity, with his wife Laura. He was a Scottish Book Trust New Writer Award winner in 2013.

Reviews

[Manon the Malicious · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.25 Stars*

I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Connor is 15 year old and has cancer. His father is in prison and his sister is dead. After he fights at school, while his mother has a breakdown and ends up at the hospital, he is sent to a government housing for minors thing along with his sworn enemy, the boy he fought with, Skeates.
Somehow, Connor and Skeates find common grounds, escape before their hearing and start a trip from the isle of Lewis to Shotts, near Glasgow, where Connor’s father is incarcerated.
Lots of crazy shit happens along the way.

I truly enjoyed this book, the characters were very loveable and interesting. I laughed a lot, cried a bit too.
The writing was great.
The plot was fun and interesting but a bit unrealistic.
Also, this is set in Scotland and that's always a plus. I feel in love with Edinburgh a little over a year ago and I always love going back, even through books.
All in all, a great time.

[Billiebumblebee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am definitely glad to see an adventurous and funny YA book about male friendship and crazy road trips, but for me there was something missing. I found the book to have no real depth and I never felt any warmth from the characters. Events unfolded way to quickly and unrealistically, but I did enjoy the silliness and Scottish slang.

[Cindy Huskey · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could've held my eyes open for 20 more minutes, I would've finished this book in one sitting. It is really that good! I particularly enjoy books with quirky characters that make me laugh, and this one certainly does not disappoint.

When Connor comes home to his neighbor, Mrs. MacDonald because his mother had to stay in Inverness overnight for work:

"Yes, Mrs. MacDonald. Thanks, Mrs. MacDonald. I'm fine, Mrs. MacDonald. My mum is OK, Mrs. MacDonald. She likes to be busy, Mrs. MacDonald. No, she won't have a breakdown, Mrs. MacDonald. The Hoover is broken, Mrs. MacDonald. You don't have to get yours, Mrs. MacDonald. (She nips home to get it anyway and sucks the life out of the carpet.) Yes, I have remembered my medications, Mrs. MacDonald. That's been blocked for ages, Mrs. MacDonald. I just keep the door shut, Mrs. MacDonald. Yes, it's mingin in there, Mrs. MacDonald. We don't have a rabbit any more, Mrs. MacDonald. Those are raisins not rabbit shit, Mrs. MacDonald. Sorry for swearing, Mrs. MacDonald. Yes, they are terrible boys down at that arcade, Mrs. MacDonald. Shocking news about that boy Jenson, Mrs. MacDonald. That's blood, Mrs. MacDonald, and we store dead bodies in there, Mrs. MacDonald. Just joking, Mrs. MacDonald. I know it smells like, but I really was just joking, Mrs. MacDonald..."

The humor is similar to that of Frank McCourt in Angela's Ashes.

Connor Lambert is 15, lives on a tiny island in Scotland, and has the typical teen issues. Sure he's crushing on his best "girl friend," Emma, and he has daily run-ins with the school bully, Skeates. But Connor is definitely NOT your average teen. His sister died, and his dad's in prison (although his mom refuses to let him visit or even tell him why his dad's been incarcerated for the last 9 years). Oh, and he has cancer.

After a particularly painful bout of bullying in physics lab, Connor and Skeates both end up in the hospital. Connor's mom is out of the picture, and without anyone to care for him, he ends up in Dachaigh House - an institution for violent youths - with Skeates. Dun, dun, dun!

Despite their former rivalry, Connor and Skeates form an alliance and set out on a road trip (of sorts) to see Connor's dad in prison with a little money and without Connor's seven medications he takes twice a daily to keep his cancer at bay.

Fast-paced, full of action, humor, suspense (What happened to his sister, Erica? Why is his dad in prison? What is the big secret Connor's mom is keeping from him? Will he get to Shotts Prison before being caught or hospitalized for being without his meds? Will his dad even see him once he gets to Shotts Prison? How will Skeates get them out of this mess?), and heartwarming emotions.

Some of the Scottish slang was unclear (mostly because I don't hail from Scotland), but I was able to figure it out with context clues. Don't let the Scottish slang or occasional Gaelic phrases deter you from reading this book (although, it might help American readers if there were occasional footnotes).

I normally dislike books about dying teens, but this one had me feeling all the feels. I laughed (often), my heart raced during the get-aways, and yes, I even cried. Real tears! The last time a book made me cry was . . . well, I can't exactly remember, but it was a long time ago. The real beauty of this book is that it's about two boys on an adventure who form an unlikely alliance and "never quit."

[ave · Rating 3 out of 5]

shouldve died the stupid bastard

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Farewell Tour of a Terminal Optimist by John Young centres on the story of Conner, a teenager who has been battling cancer for almost half his life. He is swept along on an adventure with Skeates, the local school bully, with whom he forms an unlikely alliance and who somehow along the way becomes a good friend. It is a darkly funny book which deals with the themes of friendship, love, sickness and death in typically Scottish fashion. The book is full of raw emotion but no over-sentimentality. We are offered message that we should never quit even when the odds are against us. You never know when life will throw in a plot twist!

[Lisa Bentley · Rating 3 out of 5]

One trend in YA fiction is to give the main character a medical condition. It’s not new but it has been happening a lot. In John Young’s Farewell Tour of a Terminal Optimist his protagonist Connor Lambert has cancer. It is never going to go away, he is just managing it.

This isn’t the only thing that Connor has going on with his life. His father is in prison and no one will tell him why. His mum works all the hours of the day and his younger sister was killed when he was younger. Basically, his family life is in a mess.

Connor and the school bully Skeates go on a wacky adventure to try and find Connor’s dad in prison. It is the first time in his life that he hasn’t allowed his cancer to dictate his life. This, for me was the most relatable thing about Farewell Tour of a Terminal Optimist. I have a chronic condition and I often let it control my life. Young really got that right.

Unlike some books of the YA/illness genre the book isn’t set to pull at your heartstrings. It celebrates friendship and making the most of life. It is a really uplifting read.

Farewell Tour of a Terminal Optimist by John Young is available now.

For more information regarding John Young (@jonhyoungauthor) please visit www.j-a-young.com.

For more information regarding Floris Books (@FlorisBooks) please visit www.florisbooks.co.uk.

[Lucy Cuthill · Rating 5 out of 5]

As John cleverly points out (in the back of the book), “the magic of stories and books take us to other places, forgetting our troubles” I, like many have a private journey of challenges to currently ride out so I can’t tell you how ‘Farewell Tour of a Terminal Optimist’ helps. Let’s call this book the most marvellous box of paper medicine or tonic!

John Young is incredibly gifted. I couldn’t put this book down. I just gobbled it up, page after page, within the space of 2 days. Early mornings, late nights and well in to the small hours.

Thank you for all the hours and mental energy you poured John this. Most of all thank you to Verity who brought his talent to the fore.

Thank you also to John and Laura Young for Teapot Trust – Art Therapy should be a prescribed medicine for all!

[Jabiz Raisdana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish there were half stars, because this is really a 3.5 book. It has some great things: Scottish slang, wild plot, male characters that are not overly sentimental and thus might be relatable to a certain kind of reader, but all the aspects that make it good are also the flaws.

The plot jumps from one wild adventure to the next, the two main characters never really open up enough, until it is too late, to make you care about them and wild it is a fun read, there seems to be something missing.

There are moments that I loved it, others were I was bored. It lacks consistency. I have a few students who I think might like this one.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this booked, it made me laugh and cry - sometimes at the same time. It was beautifully written with humour and an incredible insight into many of today's issues. Books about dying teenagers are not normally my go-to read, but this book had just the right amount of humour to counterbalance the sadness. His style and compassion made me think of John Green's books - but with an added Scottish twist and humour - pure genius! Only problem was I could not put it down - all household chores, children and meals were forgotten until I could get my Connor and Skeates fix.

[MrsD · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the edgy humour and exciting narrative. I wanted to know exactly what was going to happen to Connor and the short chapters make this a really good bedtime choice. It is hard to put down, though, as you journey through Scotland and urge him and Skeates on. There are several moments when despair leaks out of Connor and you can't help but feel as nervous or sad as he does. But, ultimately, this is a book about bravery and bloody-mindedness and it's made me look closely at roundabouts.

[Charlie Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met John on holiday in Scotland and consequently read his book which one of us daughters persuaded him to give me. This is a fabulous book, and fills what I realise is a bit of a gap in the market for modern relevant Scottish literature. The characters were great, the Scot slang excellent and the twisty ending was unexpected.
I agree that this is not necessarily a YP fiction book but universally appealing.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Omg this book was a major tear jerker for me. Connor and skeates have an unusual friendship but arent all friendships? The fact that connor has terminal cancer but is trying to live his life to the fullest is heartwarming. Overall, i thoroughly enjoyed this!

[Sheila Adamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very readable book with a very Scottish sense of black humour. I found myself really rooting for the protagonist and his unlikely road trip partner. There are no sweet, bravely suffering cancer patients here. Some parts of the story (and the back story in particular) didn't quite ring true but the central relationship was believable and compelling.

[Ella Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book i’ve read in less than 2 days. By the end I was speechless by the amount of layers the author added at the end of the book. This book will leave you in shock and excited for what’s coming next.

[Joanne Mcauley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading johns novel was like my first ride on a Big Dipper - thrills, twists, turns and excitement with every chapter. A fantastic climax
Alan Jackson

[Caroline Deacon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly brilliant- knocks John Green’s Fault in Our Stars into a sentimental cocked hat

[Amy Curran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this bittersweet Scottish tale. Characters are three dimensional, setting keeps the reader tense throughout and the ending was perfect

[Divine Victorious · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this around 2018 when i was in yr8 and honestly I still remember all the key events.
Recommend it to any teens 13-17

[deniz ♡]

dnf at 35%.

[James Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I'm ever going to read

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and took unexpected turns, however had a lot of 'coincidences' which seemed a little bit unrealistic to me. Although it was a good book, it took me way longer to read it than usual because I found myself wanting to read other books before it.

[Eilidh · Rating 3 out of 5]

easy, quick YA read. i loved that it was set in scotland and the friendship/road trip was a fun plot

[Lucy Faith Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting and good but a bit gory towards the end. Overall quite good

[Ashley Hawkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ultimately, this is a repeat of several other books, but with Scottish slang. It's tried and true, and ultimately forgettable.

[Matthew Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really well written book and a very moving storyline. It addresses an emotional topic in a very surreal way 10/10 and I wanted this book to be the winner of the SSBA Book Awards.