The Long Haul by Amanda Stern 80’s? A college girl falls for a small time rocker, who pulls her into his murky world of alcohol and petty crime. This trip into the fog of booze has its own fascination, but even more compelling is Amanda’s vibrant use of language. Fresh similes and metaphors tumble out of her. When the young man finally tries AA, she composes such a tissue of the clichés of rehabilitation, that I read it out loud to my husband, and we both laughed our heads off. Amanda has apparently also written books for children under a pen name. If anyone could tell me what it is, I would take a look there as well.