Friday, December 07, 2012

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour--Review

Author:Morgan Matson
Publisher:Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages:352 

Synopsis: Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn’t seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she’s coming to terms with her father’s death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.
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Review: I had been wanting to read this book for quite some time. Let me just say I'm so glad that I finally got around to it! I'm not sure what it is about roadtrip novels, I think it has something to do with the fact that I would love to go on a roadtrip one day, but I definitely loved this one, and its safe to say that it is one of my favourite books. 

I really like that Amy's mother gave her a travel scrapbook, and that she made use of it. I think that made a lot of the places. I also liked that we were given a playlist of the songs that Amy and Roger listened to during their trip. 

Apart from the roadtrip aspect, I really loved the way that the story was written. We know that Amy is really struggling with her father's death and is having hard time dealing with it. I also liked the way that the story used flashbacks to give much more of a background to Amy's family and all of the tragedies and struggles that they have had to deal with. 

I especially enjoyed her relationship with Roger, and it was definitely not something that I was expecting to see from the beginning of the book. There is just something about Roger that made me fall in love with him. He's just a little bit nerdy, courteous and really loves history. When I first started this book, I will admit that I thought that there was going to be an instant romance that was sparked between Amy and Roger. I'm happy to say that it was not at all what I was expecting.

Overall, I LOVED this book. Its a fairly quick read. Its the perfect mix of grief and how to come to terms with it, but more importantly its about a growing friendship. 

Rating: 
***** 

5 comments:

  1. Thanks for linking this in. If you pop back in a few days there should be a lovely collection of book links. I have just signed up to follow you. A follow back to Carole's Chatter would be wonderful – or are you already following? Cheers

    Ps If you would like email reminders of future Books You Loved, just pop by and comment and include your email - I won't publish it - and the reminder will be by bcc so it will remain private

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  2. Lynn, thank you for following Carole's Chatter. Cheers

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  3. This is such a CUTE book!! I read it earlier this year, and absolutely loved it!! :) Great review!

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  4. Sounds fun and cute...thanks.

    NEW FOLLOWER of your blog.

    Stopping by from Carole's November Books I Loved. I am in that list as #4.

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Blog

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  5. I've always wanted to read this book. Great review!

    Isabel @ Sab The Book Eater

    P.S.

    New follower here ;-)

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