Copyboy - Vince Vawter

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"In the sequel to the Newbery Honor-winning novel Paperboy, Victor Vollmer sets off to fulfill a final request of Mr. Spiro, the aging neighbor who became his friend and mentor. Now a few years older and working as a newspaper copyboy, Victor plans to spread Mr. Spiro’s ashes at the mouth of the Mississippi River as the former merchant marine wished. But the journey will not be a simple one. Victor will confront a strange and threatening world, and when his abilities and confidence get put to the test, he’ll lean on a fascinating girl named Philomene for help. Together they’ll venture toward the place where river meets sea, and they’ll race to evade Hurricane Betsy as it bears down."

"Look not so much to the destination, Messenger, but always to the journey." –Constantine Spiro

17-year-old Victor Vollmer is introspective, meticulous, and overflowing with curiosity, and viewing the world through his guileless eyes is a delight. Victor’s friend and confidante, Constantine Spiro, has just died when the book begins, and one of his final acts is to give Victor a quest, sending him to New Orleans to experience the world on his own for the first time. This journey turns out to be exactly what Victor needs, an opportunity to make his own decisions, form new relationships, and discover a confidence in himself that he never realized he had. Vawter's storytelling is lovely, and his characters are well-developed and supremely real. This is the perfect read if you are in the mood for something uplifting and heartwarming without being overly sugary-sweet.