Reviewer: Rowena Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: May 4, 2010
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Point-of-View: First Person
Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
Genres: Young Adult
Pages: 368
Add It: Goodreads
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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.
Always listen to Ames when she recommends a book to read because she always hits it out of the park with her book pimps. This is one of the books that Ames told me a long time ago to read and though I really wanted to read it, I kept putting it off until finally…I picked it up and couldn’t put it down.
Oh man did I love this book. It starts off great and ends spectacular. I loved it. Every bleeping single thing about it. I really enjoyed getting to know Amy through her adventures but also getting to know Roger as well. I’ll be honest and tell you that I seriously wanted to go on a road trip after reading this book. It was that fantastic!
One of the things that I really enjoyed about this book was the traveling journal that Amy kept throughout the trip. Seeing the receipts for the places that her and Roger ate at made me that much more apart of their journey. I thought it was adorable.
Even though this book was a little on the light side, I think Matson did a wonderful job of keeping us right smack dab in the middle of Amy’s grief. She didn’t make light of it or breeze over it in the story, she added it to the story and I appreciated the addition. Once we finally got the entire story, I already knew it but still, it was nice how she slid that in and didn’t just leave us hanging with it all. I’m glad that we found out exactly what happened. I felt like Roger, finding out bits and pieces of it until Amy was ready to tell the story.
I can’t remember ever feeling like the story slowed or dragged because for me, I couldn’t read this book fast enough. When I was finished with the book, I went back and read through my favorite parts of the book. Yes, I enjoyed the book that much. I thought that both Amy and Roger were great characters that I’d love to revisit over and over again. I can already tell that this book is going to be one of my comfort reads in the future, one of those books that I come back to just because.
I definitely recommend this book, it was light and cute and just an all around great read. If you’re looking for something light, contemporary and cute, this is the book for you. The characters are charming, the story flows nicely and you’re not going to want to put it down. Just a fabulous all around read.
4 out of 5
This book has been on my radar for awhile now, I just haven’t gotten around to reading it! So glad you enjoyed it!! 😀
My book pimpage has been validated! LOL
I’m glad you liked this one Ween. Now I feel like re-reading it. Maybe this weekend!
I also loved all the little doodles, lists and receipts. They were funny.
Oh! this just got bumped up to my short list 🙂
LOL
I’m going to start reading it as soon as I finish Where She Went. 😀
@Mollie: You should definitely read this one, it was great!
@Ames: You totally are, I adored this book! I loved when Roger said, “God, I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time…since Kansas, at least.”
*swoon* So cute.
@Alex: You must read this one, it was fantastic!
I’ve had this book on my TBR list forever. Guess I should get to it soon!
TBV- Yes, yes, read this book!
EVERYONE loves this book. For me, it’s “always listen to Ames, nath, Hilcia, AND Rowena.”
It’s been on my list. I’ll get to it eventually… 😉
Oh you must read this book, it’s so good! Ames would never steer us wrong!
the panels gone? shit
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This does sound charming, Rowena! Thanks for reposting this review.