❤️ ( )

After drinking what is left of his absent father's liquor, stealing and crashing his mother's car in the process of which he beheads a garden gnome, Alex Gregory is sentenced to community service at the local nursing home so he can learn some “valuable life lessons.” He winds up having to spend time with cranky Sol Lewis, who is suffering from emphysema but has a very interesting and surprising past, which will help Alex with his own guitar playing. The notes of the title come into play when in addition to his community service, Alex is required to write letters to the judge about his progress with Sol. During the course of the book, Alex discovers he has growing feelings for his best friend since childhood, Laurie, a “terrifying goth pixie” who practices karate and Chinese hand-weapon combat. He is unsure if she feels the same way about him, but know-it-all Sol makes them a couple by calling her Mrs. While some of Alex's life lessons and plot resolutions are a bit predictable and unrealistic, this touching, funny book is fast-paced and enjoyable. ( )

Loved the feel of it. Loved the way it was written - wasnt as good as drums, girls, dangerous pies (in my opinion) but def a good read. ( )

Oh my. So funny, and wise. I do warn you to get past the first few pages. Probably you don't want to give it to a child under age 13. My only complaint, really though, was that it took so short a time to read and now it's over. I do like this author.... ( )

This book is about a regular boy who gets drunk one night and decides to go run into his dads house because his dad cheated on his mom and left them. He gets into the car and wrecks intoi some old ladys yard. He opens his eyes to see 1. A cop staring at him. 2. A yard gnome that he ran over. He has to do community service by helping an old man, Slomon Lewis. He writes notes to the judge and the judge writes nots back. FUNNY, GREAT, and SUPRISING! ( )