A review by tita
Are We There Yet? by David Levithan

4.0

"Elijah's problem, in Danny's mind, is that he has no sense of what it takes to make a living. Danny's problem, in Elijah's mind, is that he has no sense of what it takes to make a life."

It's an interesting, rather short story of two brothers, Danny and Elijah Silver, who travel to Italy on their parents "white lies". The two brothers are seven years apart and now that they are respectively 24 and 17 years old, it feels like there is a whole world separating them further and further away.

I really enjoy reading the novel. I think it can be quite a travel book on Italy as well, as the brothers visit Venice and Rome. Levithan also provides well-written description on the landmarks, which really gives you the mood. I especially enjoy the short "chapters" on changing perspectives between the two brothers, it really engages the readers to immerse into the dynamic between them.

I recommend this book for those who love travel stories, anyone who wants to get a taste of Levithan (because it's quite short so you won't be spending too much time reading a story you might not like), and anyone with siblings who are quite a polar opposite from yourself and/or rather drifting apart yet you love them so much and wants to reconnect. There are lots of beautiful life lesson quotes here!