Thanks For The Trouble

 

 Parker Santé hasn’t spoken in five years, not since the accident. He doesn’t see a point in going to college or planning for a future like the rest of his class. He skips school and hangs out at hotels because he finds that they are a good place to steal without sticking out and they all feel the same. His life is turned upside down when a mysterious girl with silver hair, Zelda, shows up at the same hotel with a big wad of cash.
   Parker’s father was killed in a car accident five years ago. His mother has resorted to alcoholism and bottling up her grief as a way to cope with the pain. Parker hasn’t spoken since. With the lack of use of his vocal chords, they have become stiff so he can’t talk even if he wanted to. Parker sees a therapist to try and cope with his father’s death, and eventually, his mom attends too which helps them both overcome and understand each other better.
   Zelda comes into the book when Parker notices “the girl with platinum hair” sitting across the room. He watches her and notices that she paid for her small breakfast with a one hundred dollar bill that came from a big wad of cash. He starts writing to make it seem like he’s not watching her, but he ends up getting to absorbed in his story that when he looks up, she’s gone. But he notices her purse is still there and takes the cash. It isn’t long before guilt settles in and he goes to return the cash where he finds her with his journal in her hands.
   This is a story about love and handling grief that I would highly recommend. It is a fun book that has its dark sides and its fantasy sides. If you judged this book by the cover, you would never expect the story that comes after you open the book. It was a great read and reminded me of a book I’ve previously read, Highly Illogical Behavior.