“I inhaled deeply, then exhaled.”

From Arvin Ahmadi’s Down and Across.

The only child of immigrant parents, Saaket Ferdowsi (he likes to go by an Americanized Scott) feels that he is stuck in a boring, unfulfilling life centered around his parents pushing him forward into a career goal… any career with a fancy title and cushy lifestyle.  However, the only thing in his life that Saaket can commit to is quitting everything, much to his parent’s dismay.  Before his parents head for a one-month visit to Iran, Saaket’s father mentions a Professor Mallard who has done research into the connection between success and grit (a person’s never-give-up attitude).  Somehow this idea of getting gritty captivates Saaket and he finds himself quitting his prestigious, but boring summer internship to hop on a bus to Washington DC to meet Mallard.  His seat-mate on this runaway trip is an uncontrollable, rambunctious girl named Fiora; she will accept nothing but that Saaket take part in the complete runaway experience and really live up his time in DC.  Fiora has a love of crossword puzzles that draws Saaket into the mystery that is Fiora while also opening his world up to all kinds of new adventures, experiences, and friendships.  Saaket is quickly introduced to several of Fiora’s friends and even a few total strangers, which all help to turn Saaket’s planned weekend runaway trip into a weeks-long adventure to develop his grittiness and change the course of his life.  All he has to do is stay out of trouble, find a way to be gritty, and make it home before his parents return from their trip.  What could go wrong?

It definitely takes this book a while to figure itself out; the beginning has an almost muddled feeling until the story is able to pick up momentum a few chapters in.  Several of the characters have confusing religious views, which makes them flat characters only there to push a point/ideaology, but Saaket is a fairly solid and endearing lead character.  Overall, it is an interesting story with a theme centered around crossword puzzles.  While Down and Across feels, at times, like it is trying too hard to mimic a John Green style, it is a entertaining story that moves quickly with several laughs along the way.