Ray Vs the Meaning of Life

Michael F. Stewart

May 2018 · The Publishing House

About this ebook

"Booby-trapped with guns, grizzly bears, and homemade fireworks, the cartoonish park setting skillfully gives wheels to a larger, more intriguing philosophical question. ... A tale spins its answer to an age-old question into an inclusive, hilarious, and thought-provoking yarn."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Grandma's Last Will and Testament names Ray to inherit the trailer park. It's a million-dollar estate with one hitch: to prove he's not as aimless as he seems, Ray must discover the meaning of life by the end of the month. (She left the answer in an envelope.) If he fails, the camp goes to his estranged family. How does anyone find the meaning of life while running a park full of misfit miners, would-be truck racers, and one demanding little girl? There's a bear too. A grizzly. Maybe that'll help?

"Ray vs The Meaning of Life will have readers rolling their eyes in mock horror, laughing out loud, and asking themselves about the meaning in their own lives. For an author to take readers from the sublime to the ridiculous and back again shows both a willingness to take risks with his writing and an incredible understanding of his audience.

"Highly Recommended." CM: Canadian Review of Materials

A Best Book of 2018, Kirkus Reviews

Ratings and reviews

I feel like I came out of this book with some pretty decent advice. I loved the decisions that Ray made throughout and Dalen actually had some wisdom (be it gleaned from the internet or not). All the characters grew, some more than others, and it was actually quite a good read. The trailer park grammar (which was probably necessary) took a star off for me.

on bookbub I downloaded it, thinking I'd try something outside of my normal genres. I did not expect to be pulled into the amazing adventure of a boy coming into his manhood in such an amazing way. It's delightful, funny, a little sad, and a whole bunch enlightening. Supreme entertainment

A fun story and a pleasure to read. This story is a bit like eating a fresh baked apple pie, a wonderfully sweet distraction that slows you down to enjoy the moments.

About the author

Michael F. Stewart embraces all forms of storytelling. In 2009, he created Bully For You for Scholastic, a fully functioning social media platform with an embedded interactive story. He’s written graphic novels for Rubicon Publishing’s Boldprint series, illustrated early readers and novellas for Pearson (coming in 2019!), non fiction texts on Corruption and Children’s Rights; he even tried to convince the world that we needed a location based storytelling app with augmented reality (NARR8R)—we still do!

He’s written adult horror, sci-fi, urban fantasy, and adventure. He’s written books you’ll never find.

But nothing is ever wasted. His most recent book, Counting Wolves, a contemporary YA, was named to Kirkus Reviews “Best Books of 2017” list. The Boy Who Swallows Flies (2018) won Killer Nashville’s Claymore Award, and the Assured Destruction Series won The Creation of Stories: Best YA Award at the Toronto International Book Fair. In 2016, Michael was selected to join the CFC/Entertainment One TV Adaptation Lab. 

Herder of four daughters, Michael lives to write in Ottawa where he was the Ottawa Public Library's Writer in Residence and runs free writing workshops. To learn more about Michael and his next projects visit his website at www.michaelfstewart.com or connect via Twitter @MichaelFStewart