Saturday, October 23, 2010

Review: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

Title:  Amy and Roger's Epic Detour
Author:  Morgan Matson
Published: Simon & Schuster, 2010
How I Got It:  Purchased from Amazon
Why I Read It:  The premise sounded interesting
Rating: 5+ stars

Summary: 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 (from Goodreads).

Review:

Have you ever loved a book so much that anything you write just doesn't do it justice?  I've been trying to write a review for this book for the past three weeks.  This review has been rewritten at least four times.

I absolutely loved this book.  It was epic.  I was so sad when I was finished with it because it meant that I was done traveling with Amy and Roger.  Since I am unable to write coherent sentences and paragraphs in regards to this book, the review will be done in bullet points (I hope you don't mind).

Reasons Why This Book Is Amazing:
  • It's about a road-trip.  I love road-trips!  It's been way to long since the last time I went on one.  
  • At the beginning of each chapter there is a song lyric or quote.
  • Roger makes at least seven different music mixes for the cross-country journey.  Each play-list is in the book.  New music?  Yes please! 
  • Road-trip essentials according to Roger:  snacks and music (and gas)
  • All of the little "extras" in the book:  pictures, menus, receipts, notes, emails, and drawings.  They add so much to the story!
  • The detours Amy and Roger make:  Yosemite, The Loneliest Road in America, Colorado Springs, Kansas, Kentucky, Memphis, North Carolina
  • The adventures that happen because of the detours they made
  • Even the secondary characters in this book are amazing.  (Bronwyn was definitely my favorite).
  • It's a fun book that deals with some heavy issues - death, grief, guilt, overcoming a fear
There is so much more I want to say about this book BUT if you decide to read it I want you to be able to discover all of the awesomeness for yourself and to develop your own first impressions of the characters.

Now I have an urge to read more books about road trips!  What's your favorite road trip book?

2 comments:

Ava said...

I've been wanting to read this. It looks SO GOOD! Thanks for the great review.

AmburHostyn said...

I read this book too, it was so amazing! :D
I have to agree with most of the things you said. I loved the playlists and all the little extras, they just made the story that more epic. Bronwyn was pretty dang awesome :D
Great review! And thanks for commenting on my pumpkins post. I love the Jack one too :D