Driving in Reverse by Lindsay Wincherauk

I ate up this book like a delicious box of chocolate liqueurs that I couldn’t stop eating, even after I made myself sick.

It’s a penetrating whirlwind of insanity. The fact that it is (primarily) true is, frankly, astounding.

Wincherauk slammed me into the seat of the hilariously real roller coaster ride of his life. Neglect, heartbreak, sorrow, insanely messed-up relationships, drug abuse, fantastic friendships, tumultuous self-discovery, and a profound sense of understanding what being alive is really about left me feeling overwhelmed and queasy, in the best way.

Most of the time my heart beat like it was trying to escape my ribcage, and not just because of the copious amounts of caffeine I imbibed while plowing through this memoir. I think its consumption just set the proper physical stage for the reading of this wild ride. I literally could not stop. I was compelled to keep reading and reading and reading and experiencing this life. I was jittery; I felt greasy and dirty; I needed a shower; I could not stop reading.

It’s a testament to the quality of Wincherauk’s lyrical delivery that the many (clearly intentional) errors in writing conventions IN NO WAY distracted me from the story; in fact, it is enhanced by the flagrant incorrectness of style. My own personal Grammar Police (sister-agency to Wincherauk’s “Drama Police,” I suspect) was quiet almost to the point of non-existence. An extreme rarity.

At the end, I found myself staring out the window at the cul-de-sac, forlorn, worn out, a little lost; and yet at the same time feeling loved and looking forward to tomorrow in a way I haven’t in a long time. I believe that’s exactly how one should feel when finishing this book.

Seed—thank you. Thank you for sharing your story. Thank you for finding that courage and making that happen and getting it out to the world. I am a better person for experiencing it.

You can check out Driving In Reverse by Lindsay Wincherauk over on Amazon.

Until next time,
Jenna

Jenna Justice is a fiction editor and proofreader for independent authors. She specializes in middle-grade and young adult fiction, with an emphasis on fantasy, sci-fi, and magical realism.

Visit Jenna’s website at Justice Serves Proofreading, and say hi on Twitter at @justice_proofs.