When I picked up Running to Graceland, I had just personally returned from a trip to Memphis during which I had visited Graceland.

The novel itself is a coming of age story about three young men who find themselves in an intense, scary situation and now must live with the consequences good or bad. The one boy, Jack, who acts as the narrator dreams of Elvis and sends the boys in an opposite direction than originally planned. Things come to a climax when the boys arrive at Graceland.

The book is fast-paced and will suck the reader in. However, I was a little disappointed as while there is growth and discovery over the course of the novel, the ending lacks a clear absolution. There link between action and consequence is made without any moral implication. And while Jack has an obvious connection with Elvis, this book was vastly different than I thought it would be. Not it a bad way, Running to Graceland is highly enjoyable. Just not at all what I expected.

Jack, Curtis, and Bruce start off on the edge of what they think is reality and quickly leave it far behind. In this story of bad roads lead to worse places with only Elvis or the ghost of as their guide Slayton delivers a story that is built for speed but you will want to read it slow and savor they great character development. Boom boom here!!

With the ghost of Elvis dancing in the background, three teenagers, recently graduated from high school, find trouble in the woods and flee across the South trying to dig their way out, to escape their demons. Elvis 🕺 is a theme for this book, his legend, his mesmerized fans, his fall from grace. Jack and Curtis embody an innocence from another era as they jaunt their way from town to town, outlaws on the run. Hitchhikers, Elvis impersonators, and dreams fill up the story.