As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth audiobook

Oh my goodness, I do like this author! The question is, how can I describe this book and do it justice? The plot could be likened to a Rube Goldberg machine, with one thing leading to another until it is all flowing along, quite out-of-control. Or perhaps it brings to mind the saying that life is what happens while you are making other plans. Ry, the teenage protagonist is on a train in Montana, on his way to summer camp, when the train stops in the middle of nowhere while experiencing a problem. He jumps off and steps away, then further away, in order to get better cell phone reception. Wait a minute---is the train pulling away without him?? Meanwhile, his parents, after the exhaustion of a move to a new house in a new city, are on a little jaunt, sailing around the Caribbean, hoping to put the spark back into their romance, while Ry's grandfather is holding down the fort (and caring for the two dogs) back at the new house in Wisconsin. There is no good way to continue the description, other than to say that each of the above parties experiences its own mishaps and, as the plot tumbles ahead seemingly out of control, you begin to wonder how on earth the author will wrap up all of those wildly flapping ends.Along the way you will meet a cast of characters as likable and kooky as any you might really encounter in our vast land. The author also provides some amusing illustrations, particularly of the doggie journey that is woven in and out of the people story. You will just want to keep reading to see where Ry's odyssey (and make no mistake, this is a coming-of-age odyssey)will lead him next. At the end, I wanted to go back to the beginning and read it again, just to study the author's craft---it is that well-written. Could it all really happen? Well, as Ry learns in the end, "I don't know about 'impossible'."

While I didn't have the feeling of LOVE LOVE LOVE that I had with Criss Cross, this is a really good book; once again, Lynne Rae Perkins has done something that's not quite what everyone else is doing. (And people who complain that Criss Cross has no plot, even though they're wrong, will not have that problem with this book.) I think just about everyone will enjoy this, especially people who liked Holes, Crunch by Leslie Connor, or Shift by Jennifer Bradbury.

Quirky. That's the first word that comes to mind. Quirky. Take Lemony Snicket, Wendelin Van Draanen, and a sprinkling of Jonathan Stroud (for the amusing author's interventions/footnotes), and you have As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth.Basically, it asks how do you fall off the face of the Earth? And goes about answering that in the form of a story. About a young boy who misses his train ride, loses the use of his cellphone, and thus is severed from all connection to his family and grandfather. It's a far-fetched story - rather like a modern-day tall tale you'd hear around a virtual campfire - and yet it feels totally real.My favorite, of course, is Del, the overly compassionate, overly stubborn young-old man who accompanies Ry on his journey back home. Ry himself is adorable, and his grandfather Lloyd, while not really important, is still fun to read about. And the comics about the dogs are priceless.The ending is a little abrupt. But I wasn't expecting much more. It's still great. It's still fun. Weird, very weird - but fun.

Wow. There are so many things I love about this book. There's careful prose like this:Ry's grandfather, Lloyd, took his first cup of coffee out onto the screened porch, sat down on a glider, and waited in the dark for the birds to start chirping. Between him and the sun, there was a thin bit of earth and a thick wall of trees, still black with night. As he sipped, the first rays of the sun found tiny gaps to poke through. Tomorrow he would pour the pot of coffee into a thermos to bring out onto the porch so he didn't have to go back inside.andA stray moonbeam found the way through a window and fell in a faint square on the faded carpet, leaving the darkness around it blacker and more velvety.or, a bit more representatively, the novel's opening:Wait a minute.Was the -- had the train just moved?Ry turned his head to look at it straight on, but it sat on the tracks, as still as the lumpy brown hill he was climbing. As still as the grass that baked in gentle swells as far as he could see and the air in the empty blue sky.I love the novel's structure. It sets up expectations and then delivers something slightly different. (It made me think of the "There once was a farmer who took a young miss in back of the barn where he gave her a ... lecture" song, although it's nothing like as gimmicky or obvious.) I love that it repeatedly made me laugh out loud in delighted surprise, even if the delightful surprise was ratcheting the novel's tension to an almost uncomfortable degree. I love that I had absolutely no idea, even in the last handful of chapters, if this book sided with the "everything turns out basically ok," "okay with a dollop of tragedy," or "dude, major bummer!" camp. I love the authorial voice, and especially how it assumes the reader is smart and paying attention, and often leaves conclusions for the reader to draw.Things I'm less sure about: Perkins is pretty deliberately playing with the elasticity of the reader's credibility, I think, and somewhere near the end I struggled to keep mine from snapping. And the more I think about it, the more I think the dénoument is tonally completely appropriate, that is, that it should be a little unsatisfying. But that unsatisfyingness is only satisfying in retrospect.Regardless this gets 5 stars from me even if it blows my credibility to give anything 5 stars, and I strongly suspect I will purchase multiple copies of this novel in my lifetime because I'm going to want to lend it to people who will want to lend it to people, and so on. And I really won't mind.Another hat-tip to Janet for the recommendation

Lynn Rae Perkins is becoming one of my favorite authors, right up there with Sharon Creech and Patricia MacLachlan. This story follows the escapades of Ry, a teenage guy whose life this particular summer includes a series of unlikely but-what-if's, all of which befall him and his family. Thus, Ry's summer camp having been cancelled, he throws his lot in with Del, a taciturn, self-admittedly stubborn, chronic let-me-help-you-out-er, and they make their way East (and eventually to the Caribbean) in hopes of locating some of Ry's lost family members. The tale is told mostly through Ry's perspective, though the omniscient narrator has her own occasional wry asides to add. The writing is a treat - quirky, beautifully descriptive without being too wordy, and true to the characters being described. Having married into a sailing family, I particularly loved her descriptions of Ry's first sailing experience. Here's one of my favorite couple of lines:"He haffed the chuffs, clipped the ridings, railed the boards, highed the lows, skibed the rampets, harbed the reefs, and cleeted the forths. Which is what sailing talk sounds like if you are not a sailor." Sailor or not, I recommend you take a trip with Ry and Del.

Goodness, this book was completely ridiculous in the most enjoyable way. I mean, it was beyond realistic to the point of absurdity, and I just found myself smiling at it all. Characters, check. Writing, check. A fun time, check. Yes, yes, yes.

What a wonderful book! I enjoyed her writing in ALL ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE and CRISS CROSS where the stories were quiet ones. I marveled at how well she could recreate the feelings of a 12 year old. This new novel is an energetic, frantic road trip filled with humor, excitement and surprises.

What would you do if you found yourself all alone in an unfamiliar landscape? This is the question Ry, the main character of As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth, by Lynne Rae Perkins, must face. Ry is a resourceful fifteen year old who leaves his train briefly to make a phone call, which results in his train departing without him. He is left in the middle of nowhere with only an unusable cellphone and the clothes on his back, hundreds of miles away from anyone he knows. On his journey to find his way back to his family, he faces great conflict, as well as meeting many altruistic characters along the way, who help teach Ry many important lessons. I recommend this exciting adventure novel because of its strong themes, compelling characters, and unique conflicts. The conflicts in this adventure are riveting and suspenseful. The plot is put into motion at the beginning of the novel with the conflict of Ry missing his train, but as the story unfolds, many other challenges arise. This multitude of misfortunes and difficult situations, although somewhat unrealistic, develop the intriguing plot as well as Ry’s characterization as he learns how to respond to the situations at hand. Because of these conflicts, character was another aspect of my recommendation of this book. The characters in this novel were compelling and taught important lessons. Ry, the main character, was the most dynamic character in this novel, as the adversity he faced caused him to change his mindset about the important things in his life. For example, at the beginning of this novel, Ry complained about moving to a new home, but his experiences throughout the novel caused him to realize that being with his family is of greater importance. Another character in this novel in Del, a kind free spirit who takes Ry under his wing and accompanies him on his travels. Del is a dynamic character as well because he learns over the course of this book that being reckless and stubborn has its consequences. Mysteries about Del’s life are slowly revealed over the course of this book, creating intrigue to this character. There are many other characters introduced as Ry travels to different locations, such as Carl, a reckless driver, Sharon, a busy mom, and Everett, a pilot. While these characters have an ephemeral role in the book, they all play a part in teaching Ry important themes. One theme of this novel was the importance of kindness. This is because without the kindness of the complete strangers that Ry met when he had no one else to turn to, he would not have been able to find his way back to his family. Ry proved the motif of the importance of kindness even more when he decided to pay it forward by assisting one woman repair her kitchen floorboards. This action proved that he recognized and appreciated what many strangers had done for him, and decided to do something in return. Another theme in this book is that nothing is impossible. Throughout As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth, there were many occasions where Ry thought he would never be able to find his way back home. But as he continuously faces and defies many challenges, he learns that with the help of others, he can accomplish anything. I recommend this book because of its strong character, themes, and conflicts. Lynne Rae Perkins’ captivating prose will make readers laugh and cry through the many twists and turns of the plot. For those who enjoy adventure and coming of age stories, this is the perfect novel, full of suspense, friendship, and humor.

This is a fun book, in the best sense of the word. Unexpected adventure based on ridiculous happenstance and coincidences piled higher and higher, colorful characters, a light-hearted yet lyrical and effective narrator, and underneath it all a bit of wisdom. I really liked it.The adventure starts when teenager Ry, on his way across the country to the camp where he is to be a counselor for the summer, opens a neglected letter to find the camp has been cancelled. Within minutes, his train stops in the middle of empty Montana for a mechanical issue, so he decides to sieze the moment to climb a nearby hill in search of cell phone service. And gets stranded as the train continues without him. Unbeknownst to Ry, his parents' cell phone has been stolen while they wander the Carribean in a sail boat, getting blown off course by a storm and delayed by mechanical issues, and his grandfather has no idea where he is or what he's doing due to short-term memory loss after suffering a concussion while house-sitting the dogs at the family's new house. Luckily, Ry wanders across the right stranger, who helps him undertake a quest to first find his way home then locate his missing family.Some bits I especially liked:Ry looked at his feet and legs in one of those little shoe mirrors that sat on the floor. The shoes were a metaphor for the decline of western civilization: crappy and glitzy and barely useful, but pretty comfortable. This is the narrator's opinion. Ry didn't think that thought specifically, but he felt as dispirited as if he had.-----"So, do you really have errands between Montana and Wisconsin?" he asked Del. Because looking around, he couldn't think what anyone would do here. No offense to North Dakota, but it was pretty subtle so far. There were a lot of green fields, with ponds and waterfowl, sometimes a bright yellow field. There were wide-open spaces and a lonely kind of green monotonous peacefulness that he knew his mother would really get off on. If she could go for a hike with the dogs, and if she coul find a good cup of coffee. But he was still young and preferred some stimulation. Other human beings, for example. Other young human beings. Maybe groups of them, though even one or two would be a start."Not errands, exactly," said Del. "Just people I like to visit when I can.""Where do they live?" asked Ry."I have a couple of friends in St. Paul," said Del. "And a friend down in San Juan that I might drop in on.""San Juan?" said Ry. "In Puerto Rico? I wouldn't call that 'on the way.'""Just depends on how you look at it," said Del. "Once you leave home, anything can be on the way."-----Ry thought he could hear the sound of the surf and sat up to find out whether he could see the ocean. The sound turned out to be coming from a blowtorch. Everett, in a Hawaiian shirt, his skinny legs, and flip-flops, was weeding his patio. With some kind of blowtorch-flamethrower device.-----The sea was magnificent. But then there was the deepness and the vastness of it, and the itsy-bitsyness of their boat. It wasn't seasickness Ry felt. This was more akin to panic. He had an intense longing to be on shore, any shore. He would like to be moving from the shore toward the center of a substantial continent. Just think of it like an Imax movie, he said to himself. An Imax movie times four or five or six, a screen in every direction. It didn't help.

15-year-old Ry is on a train heading to summer camp. The train stops in the middle of Nowhere, Montana for no apparent reason. Ry gets off to stretch his legs and try for better cell phone reception, leaving his backpack on the train. Train leaves. Oops!This book could be called Trains, Planes, and Automobiles (and Small Boats), because these are the various transportation methods Ry uses to try to get home again. Like all great road stories, this isn't about home itself but about the journey to get there. After all, when Ry finally does reach home (a brand-new home, to which his family has just moved), he discovers that no one is there, and so he must set off on yet another journey to round up some family members. No, this story is about being away from home, and the folks you meet and the things you see and learn while out in the big world.Just about every character in this book is more or less lost and looking for home (or someone to call home). Ry's grandpa is having his own bewildering adventure, caused by a nasty bump on the head he incurred while walking Ry's dogs. The dogs, meanwhile, go home to find help - but then remember that they actually used to live in a different place, so they set off for their old home, hoping to find their humans there. Naturally, they're soon lost themselves, and their story is told comic-book style. Ry's parents are having some misadventures in the Caribbean, where their lack of set itinerary means that Ry can't reach them by cell phone. And even Del, the mellow, stubborn fix-it man and jack-of-all-trades with whom Ry travels, is a bit lost, though his heart's compass keeps pointing toward a certain woman on a certain small island.What have we got between all these stories of lost souls who can't quite seem to connect with each other? There are strange characters (Carl, the half-blind man with numb legs who loves to drive stolen cars), hair-raising adventure (the episode involving Carl being a good example, but if you need another, try the duct-taped homemade airplane or the sinking sailboat), romance (Del and his gal), two fabulous dogs, and a narrative style rich with humor and fresh with quirk.In short, this was one hugely entertaining read from start to finish. It's one of my faves of the year so far, breezy but also full of intriguing ideas about our relationships with people and places. That this is the experience of a lifetime for Ry is unmistakeable. That he'll always savor it, but be more than ready to move on and experience more of life is certain as well.Highly recommended for ages 12 to 16.

It took me three tries to get into Criss Cross, and I wasn't sure I would ever love this author. It took me about four seconds to get into this book, and I loved it! Quirky, funny, and tender. Ry's way of dealing with his ever-increasingly desperate situation is cute and sweet, while at the same time being totally believable. Love the other characters that weave in and out of the story as well. Mostly I love the narrator's voice and style. SO much fun. This book is a series of unfortunate events that doesn't end up making you want to slit your wrists. As Ry says about losing hope, "What good would that do?" None. So he picks up and tries again. Makes a ton of (sometimes) catastrophic mistakes, but it all works out in the end. Which is pretty much what we're all looking for, I think.Also, I know I complained about the animals' voices in "A Nest for Celeste," and Perkins does kind of the same thing--we hear the dogs' thoughts and feelings sometimes--but she does it so well! The dogs think doglike thoughts, or thoughts one might imagine a dog thinking if they could communicate like we could. I thought it was brilliantly done. I don't like the same author to win a Newbery twice too close together, but this book really spoke to me, and I believe it will speak to a lot of kids. I hope it gets an honorable mention. I'd be thrilled if it won a Printz.

I will write more about this book later -- just want to mark the space for it here. It's a REALLY unusual book. I kept wavering between LOVING it and WONDERING if it is actually a children's book. Also wavering between WANTING more (because of the incredibly cool ways Perkins writes and tells the story) and DREADING more (because there are simply TOO many things that go wrong... too many Uh-Oh moments that it sometimes grated on me...)Must think MORE about this one. But, finally finishing it, I found the ending satisfying and the book so so wise! I think it deserves to be shared and good young readers deserve to be aware of this book!

I Love Lynne Rae Perkins. She is so funny and even though this story is unbelievable, or at least highly improbable, We love the characters so much that we just go right along. LOVE, I want her to live next door so we can have coffee together and she can entertain me with her wry observations. Could that be why the character is named Ry? Is she sending me a secret message that she wants to be my neighbor too? And I loved the way the illustrations come after the description of the scene- like a little dessert.