Bad Idea: A Novel With Coyotes (Bad Idea Series #1)

by Jedd Hafer and Todd Hafer

Book Overview

Are we there yet?Griffin Smith is making his first interstate road trip, an adventurous rite of passage that will take him from his Midwestern home to his freshman year at college in Southern... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1576839699
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: TH1NK
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.8" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

Coyote ugly!

Have you ever laughed at somebody because they "got THIS because I just looked at it and thought it was pretty?" I'm guilty of it. And I'm just as crazy sounding. To think that I took a look at the cover of a certain book, and then in Wal-Mart, or wherever that book happened to be sold at, just started laughing and said, "HEH HEH!! (poor impression of laughing, I know, but come on, just play along!) That looks hilarious!" And if you're like me and with your wife, more importantly you simply say, "I'm gettin' that!" That's really the case with this. I had no clue that it was written for teens possibly. I really, REALLY had no clue that it would be a shot in the butt for me, because it related to me so well! I'd never heard of the Hafer Brothers, but WOW! For me this was like sitting in the drivers' seat with Griffin Smith. He's on a road trip with a few people on his way to college. You've got his dad, his dad's girlfriend, Rhonda. You have little brother, Colby, who you dropped off at Aunt Nicole's. And you have his best buddy, Cole. You find Griffin thinking about the girl back home, whom he should've asked out, and possibly a girl at the college who might be a future relationship. You'll run into instances where Griffin makes fun of his dad in his mind, he gets irritated, and he doesn't know what to make of anything. He drives the car, he is a passenger in the car. He is loved at the times when he is unlovable. And, OH YES!! There are coyotes in this. One of the things that struck me the hardest in this was grace. You can listen to Billy Graham speak about grace. I think in church, we've all heard the sermon when the preacher feels a little soft-spoken, talking about, "Show a little grace." You can listen to Steven Curtis Chapman sing about grace with his latest hit single. Either that or you can experience grace. And as the song simply states, you can experience AMAZING GRACE! There's nothing like it, because it is grace received, and quite frankly, it blows you away. This was great for so many reasons. There are some very somber moments in this. The Hafer Brothers are hilarious in their approach when putting this together. But it seems like grace shines through. Being loved when you are unlovable... GOSH! And they say this is just for teens? Probably AIMED at teens, but certainly not JUST for teens. Emotions will run high in this. Anxious, pissed off, absolute boredom, excitement, exhaustion, pain, and so many more that you could list and list and list. "Bad Idea" was a GOOD IDEA, and I'm glad I took at look at it. Maybe you should too. Thank you, Todd and Jedd!

Exceptionally Insightful

If you're looking for "safe" Christian reading with storybook endings and perfect people, look somewhere else. Bad Idea: A Novel with Coyotes is a raw, gritty coming of age tale that addresses issues today's teens face with refreshing honesty and laugh-out-loud humor. Griffin Smith sets out on a cross-country road trip from a small Midwestern home to his college in Southern California, accompanied by some unlikely traveling companions--his father and his young "cliché" (read fiancé), his best friend, and his younger brother. This well written, though sometimes disturbing, tale gives readers a rare glimpse into teens' often-tumultuous emotional life and spiritual journey. The book explores difficult issues, such as suicide, self-mutilation, and self-medication. As a youth leader of ten years (now retired due to health issues), I can tell you that I've dealt with each of these issues--sometimes with teens whose parents were pastors or in church leadership. I believe this book fills a critical gap in Christian publishing, and I hope publishers sit up and take notice. The authors weave a compelling story, laced with real-life issues and comic relief. that concludes on a positive and satisfying note. Not for the faint of heart, Bad Idea: A Novel with Coyotes will disturb some, strengthen and encourage others, and, hopefully, open the door for honest conversations around dinner tables everywhere.

hate the title, absolutely love the book

This was a great read. I hope that other publishers take note of this type of book. It's real. It felt like a classic to me, like reading S. E. Hinton's Outsiders. I loved the characters and the raw intensity of their love and distate for each other. Definitely a must-have book.

terrific coming of age tale

The parents of eighteen years old Griffin Smith are divorced. His mom remarried Maxwell the "Mediocre" novelist; they live on a nonworking farm in Wyoming. His father is engaged to Rhonda the younger woman cliché right out of a novel. The other member of Griffin's extended family is his younger five year old brother. Everyone assumes Griffin has adjusted to separated parents living in two states, but he has not as they are too busy with their own troubles and rationalizations to truly care about him or realize he lives a "secret life". Thus he disciplines himself quite harshly when he believes he has done something wrong like getting drunk. Now Griffin is heading to California to attend college. Dad insists on a road show consisting of Griffin, dad, the cliché, the younger brother Cole, and the best friend Colby. All Griffin wants is to fly to Lewis College to meet his cross country teammates and his pen pal the Carrot, but instead will receive five life lessons while on this bad idea road show from his traveling companions who one turns out to be a Judah, his estranged mom, and most of all the angry coyote he ran over. BAD IDEA is a terrific coming of age tale starring an interesting teen who has big issues but neither of his parents seem aware that he has any problems. Griffin tells the tale of his escapades as he heads west and gains five lessons he will use as solace for the rest of his life starting with the coyote. Readers will empathize with him as he struggles with life and learns from his adventures. The story line is well written, often amusing, but always gripping, as Todd & Jedd Hafer provide deep messages inside a poignant tale of a troubled offspring of divorcees. Harriet Klausner

Great read!

Bad Idea is a good idea for anyone over 12 years old. I was entertained, challenged, and captivated all at the same time. It is a great story with diverse characters, situations, and settings. It takes you into the mind of a normal 18 year old kid dealing with real issues in a practical way.