Sunday, August 26, 2012

Review: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson



 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 had gotten Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour signed at ALA along with Morgan Matson’s newest book Second Chance Summer and was so excited to start them. I was filled with disappointment…because it ended. I loved this book so much and it totally made me want to take a road trip with a cute boy.

Amy and her family had gone through something terrible which ended in her dad being killed so her mom decided to move them from California to Connecticut and her brother was sent to a rehab center in North Carolina. It was surprising how intact Amy was even though something traumatic had happened to her; she still did the musicals and lived by herself while finishing her junior year. She was a fun, quirky character while still being serious.  The road trip was a big surprise to her and an even bigger one when she found out she was going to be spending a week with a boy she hardly knew. Roger was so sweet and his music choice was awesome as well. I enjoyed reading their conversations and getting to know more about each character.

The pictures added a special fun-ness to the book and it was interesting to see actual photos of where they were going and what kind of people they were. Receipts from places they stayed and ate were pictured in the book and it was like I was looking at an actual (black and white) scrapbook.  Flashbacks of Amy’s past with her father were really nice to read as well. It made a better connection to Amy and how she felt about her father and I could really feel the emotion flying off the pages.

Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour is not a book to be missed and Morgan Matson is a great writer who’s words make you want to go on a big road trip yourself. I enjoyed reading Amy and Roger’s story and finished this book in a few hours and couldn’t stop. 4.5 stars!

Source: Bought

1 comment:

  1. I'm really glad to hear you loved this! I borrowed it from my library but had to return it before I had a chance to read it. I wasn't aware of the photos/pictures so I hope they're in the edition we have over here!

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