• Who's Reading What on Wednesdays?

The Prince of Venice Beach | August 20, 2014

by Blake Nelson (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, June 2014)

With summer coming to an end and the fall weather setting in early, Blake Nelson’s The Prince of Venice Beach is the perfect book to help you hold on to that last sunset. Cali, a teen runaway, lives on the streets of the famed Venice Beach. He calls a treehouse his home and spends most of his time skateboarding and playing basketball. Unlike most young adult characters written as runways, Cali is a kind-hearted boy filled with ambition who tries to avoid trouble and enjoy his life peacefully. That is, until a private investigator needs his help. After learning that he has the special skill set needed to find people, Cali is excited to be earning money. Then he is handed a case that makes him question everything. He must track down a beautiful, rich girl who doesn’t want to be found. What are the motives of those who want to locate her? Can Cali, with a clear conscious, set out to do what he is being paid to do? Is he doing more harm than good?

This book is filled with a rag-tag team of supporting characters, mystery, intrigue, and of course, a love story. The Prince of Venice Beach is a literary adventure that transports you to the boardwalks of Venice Beach, and is so clearly written you can almost feel the sand in your toes and hear the laughter of Cali and his team of fellow runaways, who make this book such a fun and intriguing read. A new age version of the knight in shining armor, I am still swooning for Cali. Careless and free, without glamorizing the life of homeless teens, this is a unique look at the struggles, realities, and possibilities for kids on the street.

Learn more about this title