Title: The Disenchantments
Author: Nina LaCour
Release date: February 16, 2012
Publisher: Dutton
Pages: 307
Source: Publisher

Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev’s band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she’s abandoning their plans—and Colby—to start college in the fall.

But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie-Colby struggles to deal with Bev’s already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what’s next?

Nina LaCour’s sophomore novel does not disappoint.  It’s a story of self-discovery, friendship, and love in it’s many forms.  Nina LaCour hooked me with her writing in Hold Still and she did the same with The Disenchantments.  She is one talented author.

The Disenchantments is a road trip story which is why I originally wanted to read it.  As soon as I started it though, I knew it was going to be so much more.  First, it’s told from a guys point-of-view which you wouldn’t expect from the cover or the synopsis.  Second, it’s not your typical light-hearted road trip with tons of stops at touristy places.  This road trip really is all about where the four friends are going and what waits for them at the end of the road.

Colby is not a typical guy.  He’s best friend with three girls and so he’s not quite so boyish.  That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have boy tendencies however.  He curses, drinks (sometimes), thinks about sex, and talks about how hot his friends are.  He’s both typical and unique and you can’t help but fall in love with him especially since he is so dang lost and confused.  Bev, however, is not so easy to like but by the end you will.  She is just as confused as Colby and she just wants to make the right choices in life.  Meg and Alexa are a bit less complicated but not by much.  They are awesome sisters and friends and their personalities are so wonderful.  Jasper, while not present a whole lot, also had a great personality and he cracked me up.  A well-rounded cast of characters is really what made this book so awesome.

Overall, The Disenchantments is a book you don’t want to miss.  It’s a story about how every person you meet shapes your life in some little way but how, in the end, you must make the final decisions.  It’s a book anyone can relate to and one everybody will love.