Hood River Zero is the last book in the Hood River Hoodlums series. But, I think that it’s not the last one in the world. K seems to have set up some new relationships that will be coming. She does that sometimes. Of course, watch her make me a liar, lol. This is Penny’s story, and it’s the one that I’ve been waiting for because Penny has been my favorite character from the very beginning.
So, Penny. She’s Hollis and Charlotte’s younger sister. She’s snarky, spiky, smart, sporty, and just all around awesome. She lives with her dad and Roan’s dad, the ex-con whom she has turned into her pet. He would pretty much do anything for her. Then there’s Terence, who she loves to harrass, and calls him names after his accident, but not in a whole mean way. So, when she walks into basketball tryouts and finds out that he’s going to be the new coach, she’s got some feelings. But the biggest issue is that she has to deal with all the noises, and it makes it hard, so she tends to get even more snarky. But she and her friend T are the stars of the team, so there’s that.
Terence has been living with Cal and Charlotte while he’s been recuperating from his accident, but he’s still dealing with all the pain and headaches and everything. Then Cal drags him into the school and in front of the principal, only to find out that he now has a job as the new basketball coach. That brings him into even more contact with Penny, which makes him see her in a different light.
Like I said, Penny is snarky. I mean, she should have a PhD in snark. She can give a master class. I would definitely sign up for it. No one has bothered to look beneath that snark and all her spikes to find out why she is like that. There are very good reasons why. Of course, I think that she would have been the Penny that I love even without the other reasons, but there is an added layer or two that is there that wouldn’t have otherwise have been there. Like any other time that K has dealt with any kind of disability or sensory issue, she has dealt with it in a realistic way without trying glamourizing or glorifying it. I admire how strong Penny is and how she has worked in order to “fit in” better. Not that I think anyone has to change themselves to fit in. I also think that she handles Terence really well.
Terence has come a long way from the first book. He’s come a long way from the last book. He is kind of stalled a bit at the beginning of the book. I think that he’s tired. Recovery is hard, and he had a long, long way to go. Penny pushes him though, in a good way. She doesn’t coddle him. She uses her spiky self to poke and prick at him, and he moves along. Of course, he does realize that she was right all along.
OMG, the vengeance is one of the best things ever.
OK, that’s all I have to say on this one. Go check it out! Happy reading!
In Between the Pages 