Ticket to Ride

Philip Scott Wikel

 Set in the mid to late 70s, Ticket to Ride is an epic tale of two writers coming-of-age in the wake of a world transformed by the currents of social, political and philosophical upheaval that began in the 60s.

Ten years of war in Vietnam, a "sexual revolution" filled with mixed messages, and a wide distrust of politicians, the government, organized religion and anything considered to be part of the "establishment," produced a social climate wherein our youth found it difficult to define their world. Enriched with allusions to literary and early rock ‘n roll classics (many by the Beatles), readers of Ticket to Ride will see Morgan and Livy moving from being innocent 17-year-olds to becoming fully realized adults and, like America, anxiously redefining the ideas of "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."

My Take: 

This was a tough review for me to write, because Ticket to Ride just didn't bring out any strong emotions in me, good or bad.  The story was nice,  and overall, the writing was nice.  It was just...nice.  I was quite put off in the beginning, so I guess by he end, thinking it was nice was a big improvement.  My first thought of the book was how verbose it felt, and how funny the dialogue was, it felt very unnatural for two 10 year olds to be idly contemplating feudalism and such.  Anyway, despite my initial dislike, the style and characters grew on me to form an overall engaging book.  In the spirit of total fairness, the era of the hippies, Woodstock, all the different "revolutions" against the establishment are not my favorite thing to read about.  If this era is of particular interest to you, then definitely give the book a look.  My favorite part of the book?  The Rock and Roll references, as I am a HUGE fan of classic rock!  Reading and music are my two favorite pastimes, so any combination of the two is alright by me:)  Overall, I am going to give Ticket to Ride a 3, Find a Used Book Store, definitely worth a read. 

Do you agree with my review?  Do you think I'm totally off base?  Either way I'd love to hear from you, be sure to leave a comment and tell me how you feel! 

If this book were a movie, it would likely be rated R for some sexuality, some drug use, and strong language throughout 

A few words with the author Philip Scott Wikel:

The Book Buff: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Philip Scott Wikel: I suppose it must have been in high school. I wrote love poems for girlfriends and awful surfing stories which I sent to Surfer Magazine. None of them got published, however, my friends enjoyed them and I was known among them as "the writer." It was better than having to buy a bunch of clothes to look "Goth" or "Mod" or whatever. A much less expensive image. A couple of pens and a notebook and I was instantly cool, no matter whether anyone read my stuff or not. I always wished I needed glasses so I would look smarter.

TBB: Do you have a specific writing style?

PSW: I like to think that my writing style is wholly my own but I will say that...like Bono from U2 said, "every artist is a cannibal, every poet is a thief."

TBB: Do you have a muse?

PSW: Muses come from anywhere and everywhere. I wish I had one that would never fail me but I find that eventually I have to move on to new sources of inspiration. Just like I hate to write the same thing twice, I don't think I can tap the same fountain more than once.

TBB: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

PSW: I...might have made it more sort of PG rated so it would be more appropriate for the YA crowd. My thirteen-year-old son wants to read it but, as street-wise as he is, I'd rather he wait a few years.

TBB: Do you have any advice for other writers?

PSW: Read, read, read. Read what you love, read often and don't expect to find your way as a writer until you've read a small library of books. Reading establishes patterns of thought that will translate later to words on paper.

TBB: If you had to choose something besides writing, what career would you choose and why?

PSW: I'd like to be Adam Sandler. He seems to be having great time all the time.

If you are interested in learning more about Philip Scott Wikel, check out his blog at http://philipscottwikel.wordpress.com/  or find him on Smashwords http://tinyurl.com/ticket-ereader

***FTC Disclosure:  This book was provided in exchange for an honest review, no other compensation was given, all opinions are my own***

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