Book Thoughts: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

 "It's not about the destination. It's getting there that's the good part."

- - - - -

 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.

 

- - - - - 

I have high expectations for this book since I’ve been seeing it in a lot of book blogs' weekly lists. And guess what? It did not disappoint. 

I love, love, love this book.

What I Love…

1.  Amy & Roger. They are just lovable characters who have a baggage of their own.

2. The budding romance. I was always looking out for when it will finally happen. Then, boom! 

    It took a slow speed and that made it even more beautiful.

3. The unforgettable/epic detour.  The places they visited, the foods they ate, the games
    they played. 

4. The emotional journey. It is a feel-good road trip but it isn’t just about that. It’s also about 

    love, grief, guilt, family, friendship, and moving on. 

5. The Travel Scrapbook: photos, receipts, maps, sketches. They added a whole lot to the story. It made it more real and made me, the reader, more engaged. This made you feel like you’re in on the trip.  (See below.)

6. Playlists. As a music lover, this is a major plus. It was a good way to discover songs and artists I haven't heard before. (I’m currently downloading the songs from the playlists.)  

7. The secondary characters. They met a whole lot of characters and they’re just great. Even though some interactions are just short, I loved them.  

8. It ended with this... 

       Which says something more about the story. And is just great!

I didn’t know how much I enjoyed it until I turned to the last page. I was sad the road trip is already over. All throughout the book, I felt like I was with them on the trip. I totally connected with Amy as the voice of the book. I just liked how Ms. Matson put this together with the photos, notes, quotes, and all and the flashbacks. I wanted to go on a road trip after finishing it. Something like that, no plans, never knowing where you’ll be next, just whatever comes up. If I live in America, I would want to retrace Amy & Roger’s course. 

This is a really great novel. I’m a fan.

- - - - -