Novel Synopsis
American Odyssey is a gritty, cautionary coming-of-age tale of teen fugitives Hunter Leroux, 17, and Wade Canter, 18, who are running in part to avoid looming court dates, while Billy Prescott, 15, is along because Hunter cannot leave Billy behind to be tormented by teenagers from the “right side of the tracks.”
The three plan to steal their way across the country, as the stifling confines of their hometown of Barren Falls, Mass., along with rampant social stratification, prompt the boys to hop a freight train headed west, armed with a pistol and a couple of knives.
Hunter is torn by sadness and regret following the death of his estranged father. His dream of becoming a writer is quickly fading as his anger toward the world has manifested itself in treacherous actions. Knowing their motives will be questioned, he keeps a journal so one day the truth of their story can be told.
Wade, a tough but abused city kid with a lengthy arrest record, is a loose cannon who Hunter wants to believe is still a good person despite his tough demeanor. Conversely, Billy, the most naïve of the three, is terrified of the possibility of hurting anyone.
Hunter becomes preoccupied with his past, as the long road trip allows him time to think and write in the journal. Wade is eventually shown to be a criminal without a conscience, just as Hunter was warned before leaving. And Billy's arrested development leaves him unable to cope with the disappointments and dangerous twists that lie ahead.
Following an armed assault against an old man, the three take the man's car, which eventually dies in an Indiana rest area where the three hitch a ride with Blue, 18. A runaway herself, Blue comes from a well-to-do family. She finds Hunter and Billy innocent and trustworthy but never warms to Wade, creating a schism between the boys. The four continue westward until reaching South Dakota, the Indian reservations and The Black Hills.
The four are run off the road by a group of teenage Indian boys in a pickup truck after passing through the Indian town of Pine Ridge. The Indian boys scramble back to their truck as police officers arrive and detain them. Hunter recoils in disgust as he watches the prejudiced cops brutally beat the Indian boys, similar to the unjust treatment he and Wade received in Barren Falls. As the four are allowed to go on their way, Wade sees it as the break they never got back home.
The group takes refuge in an abandoned horse barn and are captivated by the mythic landscape, wild buffalo roaming the plains, and an unbridled sense of freedom. At the same time, they begin to confront their inner demons following a night of unsettled drinking and camaraderie around a campfire.
It is not long before the allure of reaching their destination wears thin, and the tension between them builds. They now have no plan, no money and little food left. Wade urges Hunter to acquire work at the home of Louise, an older, charismatic woman, so they can case her house and rob her of any valuables. Although Hunter conceals his true identity, and almost everything he tells her is a lie, Louise becomes extremely fond of him. In turn, Hunter begins to question if he and the others being on the run will really be worth much of anything in the end.
Their odyssey climaxes when Hunter cannot bring himself to steal from Louise. Wade is furious when Hunter returns empty-handed and, with gun in hand, he decides to do the job himself. Panicking, Hunter agrees to finish the job himself even though he knows he cannot. Hunter stops just down the road from Louise’s after catching sight of her holding a newspaper and talking to police officers in front of her home. He flees and grabs a copy of the same newspaper lying on a lawn nearby. It is on the front page that he discovers he, Wade and Billy are wanted for the murder of the old man, which was committed solely by Wade and unbeknownst to Hunter and Billy.
Shocked, Hunter calls the police and then rushes back to the barn to rescue Blue and Billy from Wade. Hunter furiously confronts Wade who readily admits to the murder. Wade then maliciously turns the tables on Hunter and exposes to Billy the secret relationship between Hunter and Blue, much to Billy’s shock and dismay. Hunter tackles Wade in response. As the two fight, Billy shoots himself.
As police officers surround the barn, Blue makes a successful dash outside. Grabbing the gun, Wade chases after her but is shot in the leg and captured. Hunter, too, is apprehended while holding Billy’s lifeless body in his arms.
Hunter and Wade are extradited to Massachusetts to answer for their crimes. Hunter testifies against Wade, who is sentenced to life. Serving his own reduced sentence in a home for delinquent youths, Hunter, through his writing, slowly begins to find redemption and forgiveness within himself for the events of the past, although he realizes his youthful choices will forever haunt him.
The three plan to steal their way across the country, as the stifling confines of their hometown of Barren Falls, Mass., along with rampant social stratification, prompt the boys to hop a freight train headed west, armed with a pistol and a couple of knives.
Hunter is torn by sadness and regret following the death of his estranged father. His dream of becoming a writer is quickly fading as his anger toward the world has manifested itself in treacherous actions. Knowing their motives will be questioned, he keeps a journal so one day the truth of their story can be told.
Wade, a tough but abused city kid with a lengthy arrest record, is a loose cannon who Hunter wants to believe is still a good person despite his tough demeanor. Conversely, Billy, the most naïve of the three, is terrified of the possibility of hurting anyone.
Hunter becomes preoccupied with his past, as the long road trip allows him time to think and write in the journal. Wade is eventually shown to be a criminal without a conscience, just as Hunter was warned before leaving. And Billy's arrested development leaves him unable to cope with the disappointments and dangerous twists that lie ahead.
Following an armed assault against an old man, the three take the man's car, which eventually dies in an Indiana rest area where the three hitch a ride with Blue, 18. A runaway herself, Blue comes from a well-to-do family. She finds Hunter and Billy innocent and trustworthy but never warms to Wade, creating a schism between the boys. The four continue westward until reaching South Dakota, the Indian reservations and The Black Hills.
The four are run off the road by a group of teenage Indian boys in a pickup truck after passing through the Indian town of Pine Ridge. The Indian boys scramble back to their truck as police officers arrive and detain them. Hunter recoils in disgust as he watches the prejudiced cops brutally beat the Indian boys, similar to the unjust treatment he and Wade received in Barren Falls. As the four are allowed to go on their way, Wade sees it as the break they never got back home.
The group takes refuge in an abandoned horse barn and are captivated by the mythic landscape, wild buffalo roaming the plains, and an unbridled sense of freedom. At the same time, they begin to confront their inner demons following a night of unsettled drinking and camaraderie around a campfire.
It is not long before the allure of reaching their destination wears thin, and the tension between them builds. They now have no plan, no money and little food left. Wade urges Hunter to acquire work at the home of Louise, an older, charismatic woman, so they can case her house and rob her of any valuables. Although Hunter conceals his true identity, and almost everything he tells her is a lie, Louise becomes extremely fond of him. In turn, Hunter begins to question if he and the others being on the run will really be worth much of anything in the end.
Their odyssey climaxes when Hunter cannot bring himself to steal from Louise. Wade is furious when Hunter returns empty-handed and, with gun in hand, he decides to do the job himself. Panicking, Hunter agrees to finish the job himself even though he knows he cannot. Hunter stops just down the road from Louise’s after catching sight of her holding a newspaper and talking to police officers in front of her home. He flees and grabs a copy of the same newspaper lying on a lawn nearby. It is on the front page that he discovers he, Wade and Billy are wanted for the murder of the old man, which was committed solely by Wade and unbeknownst to Hunter and Billy.
Shocked, Hunter calls the police and then rushes back to the barn to rescue Blue and Billy from Wade. Hunter furiously confronts Wade who readily admits to the murder. Wade then maliciously turns the tables on Hunter and exposes to Billy the secret relationship between Hunter and Blue, much to Billy’s shock and dismay. Hunter tackles Wade in response. As the two fight, Billy shoots himself.
As police officers surround the barn, Blue makes a successful dash outside. Grabbing the gun, Wade chases after her but is shot in the leg and captured. Hunter, too, is apprehended while holding Billy’s lifeless body in his arms.
Hunter and Wade are extradited to Massachusetts to answer for their crimes. Hunter testifies against Wade, who is sentenced to life. Serving his own reduced sentence in a home for delinquent youths, Hunter, through his writing, slowly begins to find redemption and forgiveness within himself for the events of the past, although he realizes his youthful choices will forever haunt him.