Hick
Copyright © 2007
by Andrea Portes
Unbridled Books
How to Buy
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Though its first-person narrating voice is fast-paced, powerful and unquestionably
authentic, Hick is a debut novel.
Beyond this voice, what makes the book so extraordinary is that, although all of the
worst things imaginable do befall this 13-year-old girl, she is never defeated by them.
Luli always fights back; she always resurfaces.
Set as a coming-of-age novel, Hick tracks the real perils that modern teenagers so often
face. And it does so with bright wit, energy, and an indomitable spirit.
This is a book that will grab the reader from the first page and not let go.
And it is written by a woman who is becoming a cultural force in the hippest parts of Los
Angeles.
Sometimes a book is so good it just vibrates with life. Hick by Andrea Portes is
that good. Once you start reading it, you won't want to put it down: you will laugh, you
will cry, and you will be amazed by this new writer. —
Diana Cohen, Books & Company Bookstore
Wonderful, touching. — The Nougat Magazine (KY)
Andrea Portes's debut novel, through her teenage protagonist, explores themes of
abandonment, abuse, and poverty. Her approach is so subtle and non-preachy that Hick's
cinematic equivalent would be more indie drama than after-school special. ... Portes
succeeds here by removing the melodrama from such a downbeat story and presenting her
torn world as utterly real. She makes Luli's pain real, too. Luli's endurance,
consequently, can only inspire. — PopMatters
[A] chilling debut. — Publishers Weekly
For everyone whose childhood wasn't perfect; for everyone whose parents disappointed;
for everyone whose adolescent dreams were changed or abandoned; for everyone, there's
Hick by Andrea Portes. Abandoned by her parents, 13 year-old Luli decides to hitch
hike to Las Vegas in search of a sugar daddy. What she finds isn't as sweet as she's
imagined. — Keri Holmes, The Kaleidoscope Bookstore
There probably was a time in the US when parents read books to their kids at night; a
time when people really cared about their neighbors and acted appropriately. Luli is
America gone wrong personified. Hick is the coming of age novel for our twisted times.
Jeffrey A Tipton, author of Surviving the City
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What the Critics Say
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