Book Thoughts: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour
KrizziaKaye
Tuesday, July 03, 2012
0 Comments
"It's not about the destination. It's getting there that's the good part."
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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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I didn’t realize how much I loved this book until I turned the last page. I felt a little sad the road
trip was over. All throughout the story, 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—the scrapbook elements, the flashbacks, the notes, the quotes.
I had high expectations for this book since
I kept 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 Loved…
1. Amy & Roger. They are such lovable characters, each carrying their own emotional baggage, which made them feel real and relatable.
2. The budding romance. I kept waiting for that moment—and when it finally happened, it was so worth it. The slow build made everything more genuine and beautiful.
3. The unforgettable/epic detour. From the
places they visited to the food they ate and the games they played—everything about the journey felt vivid and fun.
4. The emotional journey. Yes, it is a feel-good road trip story, 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). This was such a unique touch. It added a whole lot to the story. It made it more real and made
me, the reader, more engaged. This made me feel like I was part of the trip myself.
(See below.)
6. The 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 the brief encounters were memorable. Every character added something special to the journey.
8. It ended with this...
Which says something more about the story. And is just great!
I didn’t realize how much I loved this book until I turned the last page. I felt a little sad the road
trip was over. All throughout the story, 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—the scrapbook elements, the flashbacks, the notes, the quotes. I wanted to go on a road trip after finishing it. Something spontaneous, with no set plans, never knowing where you’ll be next, just seeing where the road takes me. If I lived in America, I would want to retrace Amy & Roger’s route.
This is such a great novel. I’m officially a fan.
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