#24: Notes From the Midnight Driver

Notes From the Midnight Driver is a young adult novel by Jordan Sonnenblick. It is told through the diary of Alex Gregory, a high school student whose parents have recently separated. Alex is a good kid, but has recently gotten into trouble.

At the beginning of the story, Alex is angry. His father has been dating his third grade teacher, while his mother is on a date of her own. Alex goes into the liquor cabinet and comes up with the brilliant idea of going to break up his father's date. Unfortunately, he ends up on the lawn of a neighbor, running over her valuable imported lawn gnome, and is taken in by the police.

As a result of his actions, Alex is sentenced to 100 hours of community service. He is specifically assigned to spend time with a man named Solomon Lewis at a nursing home. Sol is ornery and unfriendly at first, but he and Alex gradually develop a relationship. They eventually find that they share a love of music, as Alex plays guitar in the high school jazz band, while Sol had music in his past. Sol also gives Alex advice about his longtime friend Laurie, whom Alex has begun to notice in a different way.

Notes From the Midnight Driver shows what can be learned from a mistake. Alex grows a lot over the course of the book, and Sol changes from a burden to a true friend. Along the way, there are many serious moments, as well as funny ones, adding up to another winner by Sonnenblick.