Ethan had been saving to buy a special car of his own, but when all of his money is used up on the repairs, this sets him on a desperate spiral downward into the world of online gambling, and stealing from friends and family to pay for gambling debts. Instead of paying for the damage through insurance, he makes Ethan pay. When he damages the family car by bashing it into the garage, his father decides to give him a life lesson. It’s about Ethan Palmer, the son of a wealthy lawyer, who doesn’t know how good he’s got it. But because they’re like your own kids (or you) it’s easy to step into their shoes and be transported.ĭon Aker’s newest, Running on Empty, does not disappoint.

Like your own kids (or maybe like you) they do stupid things and are then shocked at the outcome of their actions.

'synopsis' may belong to another edition of this title.Here is my interview, originally published in The Winnipeg Review:ĭon Aker is one of those authors who has a gift for creating spot-on unlikeable male teen characters. With his incredible high-wire talent for balancing sensitive subjects with sardonic, teen-friendly humour, Aker delivers another brilliant must- read novel. In a story that is by turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Don Aker once again captures an actual teenager, wrestles him to the page and compassionately reveals him as a character who is equally smart and stupid about sexuality, sex, telling the truth and hiding the lies. Opening up to someone may be way more than he can handle. Until now, the no-talking thing has been working for Jace, who has kept a secret from everyone―including himself―for nearly a year. Nothing new there―no one in his family has been talking much after what happened to his older brother, Stefan. Then he meets Kate, who he thinks might be just the person to help him with his “problem.” If only he knew what to say to her. On the other hand, the fact that he’s travelling with his mother, his aunt and his nine-year-old autistic brother just about kills that bet. The fact that he’s only days away from turning 18 and still a virgin has Jace spooked, and he figures that Playa del Carmen’s golden beaches draped with equally golden girls should increase his odds of success. Just dumped by his girlfriend, Jace Antonakos has recorded a proclamation in a notebook his English teacher made him take on his winter vacation to the Mayan Riviera: I’m going to Mexico to get laid.

The Space Between by Don Aker