If I Ever Get Out of Here

The image of a head wanting release is held together through the power of music on the cover of Eric Gansworth's first young adult novel. It's a powerful image revealing the opposing inner and outer forces that today's young adults hold regarding perceptions of difference from others and how they attempt to drown out the increasing pressures. For Lewis Blake, a twelve-year-old boy living on the Tuscarora Indian reservation in 1975, the contrasting realities of his peers' lifestyles and his own straddle a Grand-Canyon-sized gap. The troubles start when Lewis is placed in advanced classes when he starts sixth grade. Among the other twenty-one all-white students in his advanced track, Lewis feels friendless and separated from his Tuscarora Indian reservation friends. Before the first day of seventh grade, he attempts to conform to attract new friends by cutting off his braid, but his cousin isn't sure it will work when he says: “You think cutting off your braid is going to make those white kids suddenly talk to you?” But when George Haddonfield, a new student and the son of an air force captain, arrives at Lewis's school and joins the advanced group, Lewis tastes the possibility of friendship: "It seemed like maybe my haircut was working after all, as this kid, who seemed cool, if a little bit pushy, actually wanted to hang out with me." The music of the Beatles throughout the story shatters any boundaries of cultural difference between Lewis and George. But when differences in opinion over food, girls, money, and fighting surface, however, Lewis and George's friendship unravels. In the end, Lewis must make the biggest decision of his life: keep his darkest secret hidden forever or risk everything for a friend with no guarantees everything will work out. Gansworth's gift of keeping the reader engaged in the narrative while revealing relevant research and exposition into the experiences of growing up in different cultures sets this book apart. Lewis reveals his knowledge of how things work differently on the reservation than in an all-white environment: "I didn’t grasp that the way we talk to one another on the reservation was definitely not the way kids talked in this largely white junior high. On the rez, you start getting teased a little bit right after you learn to talk, and either you learn to tease back or you get eaten alive." The author makes the reader care about Lewis from the chapter one, blending universal experience with one boy's unique personal experience. Readers may think Lewis seems too wise for his age and the teachers borderline on flat stereotypes but those instances barely jumped out throughout Gansworth's masterful storytelling. The author's experience growing up on the Tuscarora Indian reservation and the historical tensions between Native Americans and whites in the region is masterfully woven into the narrative. Readers will be shocked at how differences in perception of the Tuscarora community show up in the mostly all-white school system through the author's characterization of teachers and school administrators. I highly recommend If I Ever Get Out of Here to young adults (ages 10+) interested in exploring how to handle bullying, understanding multi-cultural differences within peer groups, or struggling to find their own identity in a world that pressures them conform. Ms. Jamieson Haverkampf, M.F.A. Creative Writing candidate at Northwest Institute of Literary Arts (specializing in writing for children and young adults) and the author of the award winning resource guide: Mom Minus Dad: The Essential Resource Guide for Busy Adults with a Newly Widowed Parent

I really liked this book. Lewis, the main character, is a kid with amazing self-confidence and wisdom. He stays centered even though the world around him -- esp his school -- is unfair, unkind, and sparse of hope for his own particular future. The circumstance of his making a true friendship with another of true character leads the reader into scenes which celebrate a warmth of human kindness, and the things that last. This book would be great for any high school kid, or any adult looking to believe in human integrity again. My favorite quote: "Friends are always worth the moments of joy you share, even if they don't last." Oh yeah, I love the Beatles too, so that was part of the fun.

This is a great story. I admit to knowing nothing about life on a Reservation, and this was eye-opening. I was really interested through the whole story. The pace is good, and being read by the author really helps meet the characters as he saw them. I had it in my car and I'd drive extra just to keep listening. I think this would be a good book for high school juniors or seniors to read - even though they may not relate to Louis's life as a Native teen, they would certainly understand some of his school struggles, family issues, etc.

My rising 8th grader son was assigned this book over the summer. I was curious to know what he was reading and why the teachers had assigned this particular book, so I grabbed his copy one night when we were camping, and I read it all in one night in my tent with a flashlight. To be honest -- it hit me right in the feels. I cried over the heartbreaking depth of these characters. It brought back so much awkwardness of middle school, trying to fit in, finding and losing a best friend. I'm now on the lookout for more books by this author. This was amazing!

I heard an interview with the author on Indian Nation Radio and was intrigued enough to buy this book. I'm very glad I did. As a kid of mixed native descent and one who grew up in the 70's, this book spoke volumes to me. It took me back to places, both good and bad, that I lived and reminded me of things I had long forgotten about. This is supposedly is a book written for young adults or teens, but I think it is a book that can be enjoyed by everyone- whether you have any native bloodline or not. Even if you were just a kid who enjoyed the rock of the day, this walk down memory lane will surely have you smiling.

I recommend this book to all ages. An important lesson in understanding where each other has come from; where each one of has been raised, the family we are born into and the ignorance of prejudicy.

I stayed up late finishing this book. The humor reminds me of Sherman Alexie's writing. The characters are alive and you will know them well by the end of this story. The book covers the school year of one First Nation boy, Lewis, and his friendship with an anglo classmate. Families and communities are an integral part of the story, which adds multiple layers to explore. I suspect anyone who likes a good story, incredible characters, and visiting new places will enjoy this book, regardless of age.

We wanted to love this book, but stopped after chapter four as it just failed to grab our attention..My son(12) and I were reading it together for his school assignment but never got immersed in the story as we found it a bit wordy..I seem to be the only one on here with a sub-par review though so I’m wondering if it’s because we had just finished the book ‘Then and Now’ which we enjoyed immensely, so maybe we were comparing it too much to that..