The Last Days of California by Mary Miller

A pretty good coming of age books. I love them. Have a desire to read them all. There is something about the teenager's voice, there transitional emotional time, how they see the world how they are torn between independence and childhood that is so attractive to me. I love that voice. I love that they are both wildly intelligent- more so than most "adults" and also innocent. There's so much you can do with that. Plus we've all been there. So we have the Metcalfs. They are traveling by car to California because the end of the world is near and being the Christians that they are, they're handing out pamphlets to do their bit and save some people along the way. But that's not the guts of the story. The guts are displayed through the eyes of 15 year old Jess. We see how she see's the world as second to her 17 year old beautiful sister Elise who, unbeknownst to parents, is pregnant. Told over 4 days of their trip we see how their parents are together, the father a diabetic who loves to gamble and quote the bible. The mother who might have been pretty back in the day but is just a 'mom' now. and how Elise will get the attention of most males around her. The observance of Jess that caught me and says a lot about the book is this: "When he left, I locked the door and set about cleaning myself with a washcloth. I peed, brushed my teeth, washed my face. When there was nothing left to clen, I sat on the toilet and listened to them talk and laugh knowing I would never be a part of it. I would always be separate, thinking about what expression on my face was making, what people thought of me. Observing peoples' weaknesses and flaws- their big thighs and crooked teeth and acne, their lack of confidence, their fear. I would always think the worst about people and it would keep me from them because i couldn't accept myself." I look forward to more Mary Miller novels.