Synopsis:
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.
Purchase From:
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository
Review
This is only my second Morgan Matson book and I loved it just as much as The Unexpected Everything. Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour is a cute summer book that was fun and quick to read. I think I read the whole book in one day because I just couldn’t put it down. I really loved all the characters in this book and I could really relate to Amy. I found Roger to be really funny and he and Amy had great chemistry.
I also really enjoyed how this novel was written. At first when I saw doodles I thought someone had drawn in the book because I got it from the library but then when I realized the text was written around the doodles I realized that was part of the book. I’m curious to know if Matson did those drawings herself or if an illustrator did that. Either way it was a cool touch, as was the receipts, playlists, and other features from their trip. It made me feel like I was on the trip with them and now I want to go on a road trip.
Now that I’ve read it I absolutely want to buy this book. I’m already thinking about scenes I’d love to read again. It was so good and the romance is well earned and doesn’t feel forced at all, which is one of my pet peeves. Matson is a phenomenal contemporary YA author and I can’t wait to read more of her books.
Stars:
Favorite Line:
“The best discoveries always happened to the people who weren’t looking for them.”
Other Reviews
Zakiya N. Jamal 
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