Review: "Amy & Roger's Epic Detour" by: Morgan Matson

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by: Morgan Matson
Released: May 4th, 2010
Publisher: Simon
Age: Young Adult
Pages: 352
Overall:
Recommend Level: High
Challenge: 2010 Debut Author(The Story Siren)
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."

Review: After just finishing Two-way Street by: Lauren Barnholdt I wasn't really looking forward to reading a book about a road trip so soon. But it was ready at the library, so I decided I'd pick it up.
Simply...loved it! I can't believe this is a debut book! Like Two-way Street I felt like I truly related to Amy. She's currently under a lot of stress and depression since her father's death, that just might be her fault. Her brother's in rehab and her mom has moved to Connecticut to start a job. So Amy has been living in her house in California all alone waiting for it to be sold. And now her mother needs the car...that's in California with Amy. Amy refuses to drive. So in comes Roger who's been staying with his mother in California but needs to get to Philadelphia to his dad's.
As they embark on this journey and realize the route Amy's mother has laid out for them isn't all that fun...they decide to take a detour.
I'm pretty sure that Morgan Matson took this same road trip, because the way she describes everything Amy and Roger sees is so vivid and real.
I am a huge fan of road trips and I felt like I was on this one with them. But if I really were, that'd be quite awkward. 3 people in one bed? Weird. *wink*
Roger is hung up on his ex girlfriend, Hadley and Amy just wants to be able to feel again.
Through this book with pictures, playlists, receipts, menus, and more you get to see them find themselves and each other. I laughed, teared up a couple times and felt frustrated with real emotions.
I cannot wait for Morgan Matson's next book!! I am a big fan!


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(New rating at the bottom. Like?)

(Check out the full list of 2010 Debut Authors I have lined up to read as well as the reviews of the ones I've already read. Just click here!)

Rapid Review (3)

This is a post containing two or more books that I've read in the past week or two and I'll be giving a short review for all of them in one blog. I'll rate them and tell you if I recommend them. I will not post the summary, you can click the title to go to goodreads.com to read it there. (*They are usually books that aren't in a challenge or are Adult.)

Something Like Fate by: Susane Colasanti
 -- Recommended
Young Adult -- 240 pages
I have read two other Susane Colasanti books and enjoyed them both. I didn't think they were as good as this one though. Yes, I understand that for some people the way Colasanti writes may be quite frustrating. Excerpt from book: Someone comes up behind me and bumps their tray into mine. I spin around, annoyed. Then I realize it’s Jason.
He’s like, “Hey.” ---- “Big spender,” I tell him. “I know, right?” And then we’re just there with our trays. “Anyway,” Jason goes. She uses this "like" and "goes" throughout the book, and I'll admit with the first book it aggravated me, the second one was mildly annoying, now it's just another way someone writes a book. And now that I'm completely past it I think that's why I enjoyed this one more than the others. 
Susane does a great job making this book personal, however I really wish there was more interaction showed between Jason and Lani. More make out scenes. ;-) 
I did catch that Jason states something later in the book that reminded me of a song. I listened to "Love Song for No One" by: John Mayer and found it, asked Susane via twitter and sure enough, she got inspiration from that song. I knew it had to be true, because I know how obsessed Susane is with John Mayer. But surprisingly (other than that inspiration) there is no mention of Mayer in this book.
Anyways, I'm rambling. Basically it's definitely Susane's best and I can't wait to read her next one. 

The Boy Next Door by: Meg Cabot
-- Recommended
Adult -- 379 pages
This is the first Meg Cabot book I've read and I loved it! I'll definitely be reading the next one in the series. It's not a series that necessarily follows the same people, that's a bummer, but I like the way she writes so I'm okay with that.
This book is completely in email format. It was a little weird at times and I would have liked to see what was going on at that exact moment, but I did like it. And I couldn't imagine the book any other way. I don't think the other two (Boy Meets Girl and Every Boy's Got One) are in email format, though.
Most of the book was a little predictable after the first few emails, but I was okay with that. Good writing wins me over anytime.
I loved the ending. Loved the middle. Loved the beginning. Not necessarily in that order.
I don't think anyone actually emails as much as the people in this book do, but I kind of wish people did. Everything is all statuses and instant messages.
I can't wait to read another Meg Cabot book. In fact I'm really excited for Insatiable the newest book from Meg Cabot. I've heard great things about it.

Dead and Gone (#9) by: Charlaine Harris
-- Recommended
Adult -- 320 pages
It took me an exceptionally long time to get this book read. It wasn't because I wasn't into it...I really don't know why. I think it's because I wasn't in the best of moods every time I picked it up, and Charlaine Harris's writing can get a little obnoxious at times.
This book answered so many things that have gone on in this series and I was relieved with that. But of course it brought up so many more questions. And unfortunately (or fortunately, however you look at it) I like Bill again. I will always love Eric a little more (and there is lots of yummy Eric action in this book), but Bill was first--lame.
The cover usually always depicts the most important scene in the book or the climax of the book, but this one didn't, so it completely threw me off. I know what Sookie is holding, but I don't understand why Bill is also on the cover...but that's not important. What is important is what she's holding...such a happy part of the book. (Probably more for Eric than Sookie.)
I loved that there was more than one "climax" to the book, so I really don't know which is the intended one. I'm completely glad Quinn is gone and I do miss Alcide. But everyone else is there and accounted for (who hasn't died thus far.)
I'm putting the next one--Dead in the Family--on hold at the library ASAP. I'm not waiting for paperback.