Down and Across by Arvin Ahmadi *ARC #Bookreview

Title: Down and Across
Author: Arvin Ahmadi
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Published Date: February 6th 2018
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, YA
Page Count:336
Format: Paperback

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Goodreads Summary: 
Scott Ferdowsi has a track record of quitting. Writing the Great American Novel? Three chapters. His summer internship? One week. His best friends know exactly what they want to do with the rest of their lives, but Scott can hardly commit to a breakfast cereal, let alone a passion.

With college applications looming, Scott's parents pressure him to get serious and settle on a career path like engineering or medicine. Desperate for help, he sneaks off to Washington, DC, to seek guidance from a famous professor who specializes in grit, the psychology of success.

He never expects an adventure to unfold out of what was supposed to be a one-day visit. But that's what Scott gets when he meets Fiora Buchanan, a ballsy college student whose life ambition is to write crossword puzzles. When the bicycle she lends him gets Scott into a high-speed chase, he knows he's in for the ride of his life. Soon, Scott finds himself sneaking into bars, attempting to pick up girls at the National Zoo, and even giving the crossword thing a try--all while opening his eyes to fundamental truths about who he is and who he wants to be.

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 My Review

Thank you to penguin teen for sending me a physical ARC in exchange for my honest review and asking me to be a part of the blog tour!

“You need to stop seeing yourself as a pansy and start seeing yourself as the badass, runaway rock star that you've become.” 

Saaket who goes by Scott as his American name is an Iranian American who is trying to please his parents all while trying to figure out what he wants to do, not what they want him to do. This has lead to a lot of failures and frustration over the years. 

“My dad and I lived in our fantasy worlds where I'd pretend my failures never existed, and he, after some time, believed that I never failed but simply pressed pause. One of our fictions had to be true.” 

But now with his dad having suggested that he become 'gritter' and really buckle down at his internship where he's cleaning up rat poop. Scott isn't really feeling it though, and after a little research decided to change to go on an adventure to DC and start his own internship if he can convince the professor to have him.

Along the way, he meets Fiona a crossword-loving and free-spirited young woman, Trent a gay young man who wants to make it in politics, and Jeanette who is a very religious college young women looking for a summer fling. 
All of these people help Scott (Sakeet) in some way along his summer journey to get 'gritter'. 

Overall I really loved this book. I loved seeing Iranian culture and how his parents were strict, but not too strict at the same time. Seeing Scott take his dads suggestion and figuring out his own plan for the summer months, was at first an idea I wasn't so sure of, but it ended up turning out really good and I loved learning along with him. 

His friendship with Fiona was one that pushed him to do things out of his comfort zone and was so exciting to read. It made him going to DC so much more memorable and she even helped give him the confidence he needed when things weren't going like he hoped they would. I also loved learning about crossword puzzles from her. I've always been terrible at them, and I don't think I've yet to finish one, but someday I will.

“I'd figured out about this girl, it was this: she knew her facts. They had been decided. Her brain was confident. It might look squishy like other brains, but it was made of sharp-as-anything tacks.”   

Fiona also helped him meet Trent, who showed him a different side to DC and helped him out financially all while opening his eyes to something he hadn't really thought much about before. Then, of course, Fiona helped him meet Jeanette who was someone that is so easy to dislike, but also very realistic sadly. 


As for Scott (Sakeet), he was someone that a lot of people will be able to relate to no matter their cultural background. I'm someone who struggled to be 'gritty' until recently and it's still very much a work in progress for me. So for me, this book came at just the right time, because it helped remind me while I'm pushing myself to go after what I want finally. 

“You're young. You're fighting your life out, and... I won't always be there to push you. But even as you take control of your future, even as you become your own man - please, please, consider your parents.”

While I don't agree with Scott (Saaket) sneaking around when his parents trusted him, I also get why he did it. He was afraid they wouldn't let him, and this is something he wanted to surprise them with and to make them proud. While as an adult I don't agree with this method, as a teenager I would have thought it was the best. 

“Our lives aren't so different from a crossword puzzle, sure. But the thing about life is we don't get to draw the grid; we take the rows and columns we're given. Our bodies, parents, mental health issues, all that. What we do get to do is fill the cells.” 

I really do think this is a good book to show how hard it can be to fulfill parents expectations when you don't really seem to be good at anything. It also showed the blurred lines between high school and college teens and how things can happen even if we have the best of intentions. 

I can't believe that this is Ahmadi's debut novel its so well written and had me so engaged at all times and it became the bright spot of my day after doing homework for hours.