What do you think?
Rate this book
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour
When you're on a road trip, life is all about the detours. . . .
Amy Curry is having a terrible year. Her mother has decided to move across the country and needs Amy to get their car from California to Connecticut. There's just one small problem: Since her father died this past spring, Amy hasn't been able to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger, the nineteen-year-old son of an old family friend, who turns out to be unexpectedly cute ... and dealing with some baggage of his own.
Meeting new people and coming to terms with her father's death were not what Amy had planned on this trip. And traveling the Loneliest Road in America, seeing the Colorado mountains, crossing the Kansas plains, and visiting diners, dingy motels, and Graceland were definitely not on the itinerary. But as they drive, Amy finds that the people you least expected are the ones you may need the most—and that sometimes you have to get lost in order to find your way home.
Amy Curry is having a terrible year. Her mother has decided to move across the country and needs Amy to get their car from California to Connecticut. There's just one small problem: Since her father died this past spring, Amy hasn't been able to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger, the nineteen-year-old son of an old family friend, who turns out to be unexpectedly cute ... and dealing with some baggage of his own.
Meeting new people and coming to terms with her father's death were not what Amy had planned on this trip. And traveling the Loneliest Road in America, seeing the Colorado mountains, crossing the Kansas plains, and visiting diners, dingy motels, and Graceland were definitely not on the itinerary. But as they drive, Amy finds that the people you least expected are the ones you may need the most—and that sometimes you have to get lost in order to find your way home.
343 pages, Hardcover
First published May 4, 2010
About the author
Morgan Matson
15 books13.3k followersMorgan Matson grew up in New York City and Greenwich, Connecticut. She attended Occidental College in Los Angeles but halfway though a theater degree, she started working in the children's department of Vroman's Bookstore and fell in love with YA literature.
Following college graduation (and the proud bearer of an incredibly useful theater/English degree) she moved back East to attend the New School, where she received her M.F.A in Writing for Children.
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, inspired by Morgan's three cross-country road trips, was published in May 2010. It was named an ALA Top Ten Best Book, a PW "Flying Start" book, and was shortlisted for the Waterstone's Book Prize.
In the meantime, Morgan moved back to California, went back to school again and in 2011 received an M.F.A. in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California.
Her second book, Second Chance Summer, was published in May 2012 and draws largely on her experiences spending summers growing up in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.
Her third book, Since You've Been Gone, was published in 2014.
Morgan currently lives in Los Angeles, though she loves to travel and does it whenever she can. She is currently writing another book, to be published in 2016.
Following college graduation (and the proud bearer of an incredibly useful theater/English degree) she moved back East to attend the New School, where she received her M.F.A in Writing for Children.
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, inspired by Morgan's three cross-country road trips, was published in May 2010. It was named an ALA Top Ten Best Book, a PW "Flying Start" book, and was shortlisted for the Waterstone's Book Prize.
In the meantime, Morgan moved back to California, went back to school again and in 2011 received an M.F.A. in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California.
Her second book, Second Chance Summer, was published in May 2012 and draws largely on her experiences spending summers growing up in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.
Her third book, Since You've Been Gone, was published in 2014.
Morgan currently lives in Los Angeles, though she loves to travel and does it whenever she can. She is currently writing another book, to be published in 2016.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 9,082 reviews
Read
August 26, 2018This was a really nice read! I find that Morgan Matson does a great job of balancing a light hearted tone while also bringing in characters who are facing difficult situations. I think my favorite part of this book was just the road trip in general. It brought on a lot of nostalgia for different road trips I've been on! All around a nice summer read!
January 1, 2023
Reread AGAIN for #monthofmatson 2017
I love this book so much. so so much. I am crying. I have a lot of emotions. I also am compelled to go on a cross-country road trip.
Reread for #monthofmatson June 11-12 2015
THIS BOOK. THIS FREAKING BOOK. It will always be one of my all time favorites. I am feeling all of the feels right now. ALL OF THEM.
Reread for #monthofmatson May 4-May 11
I LOVE AMY I LOVE ROGER I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK OKAY? Okay.
I love this book so much. so so much. I am crying. I have a lot of emotions. I also am compelled to go on a cross-country road trip.
Reread for #monthofmatson June 11-12 2015
THIS BOOK. THIS FREAKING BOOK. It will always be one of my all time favorites. I am feeling all of the feels right now. ALL OF THEM.
Reread for #monthofmatson May 4-May 11
I LOVE AMY I LOVE ROGER I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK OKAY? Okay.
Shelved as 'dnf'
August 31, 2015DNF - I'm just going to quietly put this one aside.
Everyone told me I should read Amy and Roger's Epic Detour after I tried Matson's Since You've Been Gone and didn't love it. One person suggested on my review that maybe I just didn't relate to the characters and, you know, I think they might be right.
Matson's characters read too young and immature for me. Her female MCs are high school seniors or juniors, but they blush at things that wouldn't have made me blush at twelve.
In this one, I never felt any chemistry between Amy and the shockingly-gorgeous Roger, but I think that was because Amy has the mental age of a young child. At one point, she wishes she could die because Roger asks if she might be too warm sleeping in all her clothes (he doesn't ask in a remotely sexual way, he's just offering genuine concern). I can already tell that this book will not be for me.
Everyone told me I should read Amy and Roger's Epic Detour after I tried Matson's Since You've Been Gone and didn't love it. One person suggested on my review that maybe I just didn't relate to the characters and, you know, I think they might be right.
Matson's characters read too young and immature for me. Her female MCs are high school seniors or juniors, but they blush at things that wouldn't have made me blush at twelve.
In this one, I never felt any chemistry between Amy and the shockingly-gorgeous Roger, but I think that was because Amy has the mental age of a young child. At one point, she wishes she could die because Roger asks if she might be too warm sleeping in all her clothes (he doesn't ask in a remotely sexual way, he's just offering genuine concern). I can already tell that this book will not be for me.
May 15, 2020
i finished this and immediately opened a map of the US to plan my cross-country road trip. i hate driving. what is this quarantine doing to me?? lol.
but seriously, this is such a cute story and really showcases different and more obscure parts of the country, which i thought was unique. i really have no idea how realistic it is to go on a four day trip with a stranger, but MM made it work. this definitely has the care-free, summer vibes that i have come to adore about her stories. but it also includes some deeper and more meaningful topics, as well, which i liked. also, i was really impressed with how the relationship between amy and roger developed. its very subtle, as it isnt the focus of the story, but i appreciate that. it feels more natural to me that way.
overall, this story is classic MM and i wouldnt have expected anything less.
↠ 3.5 stars
but seriously, this is such a cute story and really showcases different and more obscure parts of the country, which i thought was unique. i really have no idea how realistic it is to go on a four day trip with a stranger, but MM made it work. this definitely has the care-free, summer vibes that i have come to adore about her stories. but it also includes some deeper and more meaningful topics, as well, which i liked. also, i was really impressed with how the relationship between amy and roger developed. its very subtle, as it isnt the focus of the story, but i appreciate that. it feels more natural to me that way.
overall, this story is classic MM and i wouldnt have expected anything less.
↠ 3.5 stars
July 24, 2023
ignore the extremely long extremely negative review below. it's summertime, i needed a fluffy cute book, and i've decided to forgive and forget.
this is still by far not the best morgan matson, but road trips are fun and this did what i needed it to.
namely, it was summery and readable and contained both a romance and a fairly contained story of healing and made me want to hang out with my boyfriend and sit outside and go to a diner.
which should be everyone's summertime resting state.
bottom line: small win for second chances.
------------------
original review
this is still by far not the best morgan matson, but road trips are fun and this did what i needed it to.
namely, it was summery and readable and contained both a romance and a fairly contained story of healing and made me want to hang out with my boyfriend and sit outside and go to a diner.
which should be everyone's summertime resting state.
bottom line: small win for second chances.
------------------
original review
June 18, 2018
I can’t believe I missed out on so many amazing contemporaries. Lately, I’ve been catching up on all the contemporaries people have liked and I find that I have been quite foolish in not picking up many contemporaries. This book Amy and Roger’s Epic detour, among the other books I’ve read recently, is pushing me to read more contemporaries.
I loved reading this book and I’ve never read a book about and in the timeline of a road trip before. I enjoyed everything about this book, especially those little pictures, bills, music playlists and travel entries which make the entire story and the characters feel so very real. Both Amy and Roger are amazing people who we see work through the problems they couldn’t have made their way through without each other. Watching them grow closer and begin to understand each other in ways others couldn’t is beautiful. They grow to trust and rely on each other on this road trip and have a great time making their way through California to Connecticut.
The plan was for Roger to drive Amy to Connecticut in order to move to her new house. But Roger doesn’t know that Amy’s father died recently in a car accident she was a part of and that she blames her for it. Amy’s mother planned their trip down to the second, but neither of them want to follow the path with absolutely no fun and decide to take a detour and visit places they have wanted to visit as neither of them has traveled much. Watching them visit places, new and old, and have so much fun makes me so happy. They both have a great time and meet people they would have never met otherwise. They make friends, take bigger detours, and have a journey that was never expected.
Amy’s family fell apart after her father’s death. Her mother left her in California for a month and went to Connecticut to put their new house together and her brother is now in a rehab centre. She feels lost and even refers to herself before the accident as a different person but on this adventure she just might pull herself together to realise that there is a life out there for her that she still might thrive in. I think part of the reason she wanted to take a detour is because she seeks that ounce of control on her own life. The day her dad passed away she lost all semblance of control over her life and the truth that she can’t prevent somethings bore down on her. The roadtrip presented her with an opportunity to choose what she wanted to do and she jumped at the chance. We see her work through her issues and make peace with what happened on this brilliant trip of uncertainty, friendship, and fun.
I love the characters and all the people they meet. I enjoyed reading the tiny facts about the places they visit and all the things they learn about themselves they probably didn’t before. And even though they are working their way past what each of them have been through and there’s these pages of memories from the past which get very emotional, it’s still a very fun book. I give this book 4.5 stars.
"The best discoveries always happened to the people who weren't looking for them."
I loved reading this book and I’ve never read a book about and in the timeline of a road trip before. I enjoyed everything about this book, especially those little pictures, bills, music playlists and travel entries which make the entire story and the characters feel so very real. Both Amy and Roger are amazing people who we see work through the problems they couldn’t have made their way through without each other. Watching them grow closer and begin to understand each other in ways others couldn’t is beautiful. They grow to trust and rely on each other on this road trip and have a great time making their way through California to Connecticut.
The plan was for Roger to drive Amy to Connecticut in order to move to her new house. But Roger doesn’t know that Amy’s father died recently in a car accident she was a part of and that she blames her for it. Amy’s mother planned their trip down to the second, but neither of them want to follow the path with absolutely no fun and decide to take a detour and visit places they have wanted to visit as neither of them has traveled much. Watching them visit places, new and old, and have so much fun makes me so happy. They both have a great time and meet people they would have never met otherwise. They make friends, take bigger detours, and have a journey that was never expected.
Amy’s family fell apart after her father’s death. Her mother left her in California for a month and went to Connecticut to put their new house together and her brother is now in a rehab centre. She feels lost and even refers to herself before the accident as a different person but on this adventure she just might pull herself together to realise that there is a life out there for her that she still might thrive in. I think part of the reason she wanted to take a detour is because she seeks that ounce of control on her own life. The day her dad passed away she lost all semblance of control over her life and the truth that she can’t prevent somethings bore down on her. The roadtrip presented her with an opportunity to choose what she wanted to do and she jumped at the chance. We see her work through her issues and make peace with what happened on this brilliant trip of uncertainty, friendship, and fun.
I love the characters and all the people they meet. I enjoyed reading the tiny facts about the places they visit and all the things they learn about themselves they probably didn’t before. And even though they are working their way past what each of them have been through and there’s these pages of memories from the past which get very emotional, it’s still a very fun book. I give this book 4.5 stars.
"The best discoveries always happened to the people who weren't looking for them."
September 9, 2010
Undeniably 5 Stars!!
I know what I want to do… I want to go on an Epic Detour… my final destination isn't clear but I have a pretty good idea of the places I want to see.
I want to travel to Yosemite and buy a Bear Essentials t-shirt, drive on the Loneliest Road in America and hike a pair of my sneakers on the tree along the way, go to Kentucky and eat a Hot Brown and derby pie, visit Graceland and graffiti the wall and get a pair of Elvis-style sunglasses gold-trim and all, I'll even eat a messy burger and spicy fries in Kansas, all the while driving with the windows down and a root beer by my side. I shall call myself Hillary and my co-pilot will be Edmund. That is my plan... and it is a good one…
Wow I have a HUGE crush on this book. It was great and I loved every bit of detail found between pages 1 to 343! Everything that Morgan Matson included in her story was brilliant. The playlists not only have some great songs on them, but they will definitely blow my iTunes budget out of the water for the next few months. I plan on owning just about all of Roger's songs. The menu and food receipts were clever additions... whenever I see cream soda and rootbeer I'll remember Roger and Amy. The Big Bear itinerary made me want to go on a hike, and I don't even mountain hike, but I want to do that now. The scrapbook pages were priceless, and overall Amy & Roger's Epic Detour was absolute perfection!
This story has one of the best set of secondary characters I have ever read. They made Roger and Amy's detour inspiring, exciting and enjoyable. Bronwyn and her gift to Amy was endearing. I loved how she took away Amy's camouflage and gave her back a bit of confidence. Drew was spot on with his advice to Roger. Telling him There sometimes isn't' much of a difference between a knight's quest and a fool's errand was the turning point, I feel, for Roger's self-revelation. Leonard was the most aww-worthy video game geek I have ever met. His Make haste! You must save Princess Amy! had me sighing like a lurves-struck goof. Lucien and his decapitated moose head made me crack up! Don't ever stop hedging Lucien... NEVER! Walcott's demo??? I want it!!
So pretty much I loved this book. Can you tell??? I loved it to pieces! I suggest you stop what you're doing now and read this book. It's the best fictional journey I've been on in a long time.. so go on... go on a detour you won't regret it. :)
Morgan Matson, please write another book. You have an instant fan waiting to read more of your brilliance!
I know what I want to do… I want to go on an Epic Detour… my final destination isn't clear but I have a pretty good idea of the places I want to see.
I want to travel to Yosemite and buy a Bear Essentials t-shirt, drive on the Loneliest Road in America and hike a pair of my sneakers on the tree along the way, go to Kentucky and eat a Hot Brown and derby pie, visit Graceland and graffiti the wall and get a pair of Elvis-style sunglasses gold-trim and all, I'll even eat a messy burger and spicy fries in Kansas, all the while driving with the windows down and a root beer by my side. I shall call myself Hillary and my co-pilot will be Edmund. That is my plan... and it is a good one…
Wow I have a HUGE crush on this book. It was great and I loved every bit of detail found between pages 1 to 343! Everything that Morgan Matson included in her story was brilliant. The playlists not only have some great songs on them, but they will definitely blow my iTunes budget out of the water for the next few months. I plan on owning just about all of Roger's songs. The menu and food receipts were clever additions... whenever I see cream soda and rootbeer I'll remember Roger and Amy. The Big Bear itinerary made me want to go on a hike, and I don't even mountain hike, but I want to do that now. The scrapbook pages were priceless, and overall Amy & Roger's Epic Detour was absolute perfection!
This story has one of the best set of secondary characters I have ever read. They made Roger and Amy's detour inspiring, exciting and enjoyable. Bronwyn and her gift to Amy was endearing. I loved how she took away Amy's camouflage and gave her back a bit of confidence. Drew was spot on with his advice to Roger. Telling him There sometimes isn't' much of a difference between a knight's quest and a fool's errand was the turning point, I feel, for Roger's self-revelation. Leonard was the most aww-worthy video game geek I have ever met. His Make haste! You must save Princess Amy! had me sighing like a lurves-struck goof. Lucien and his decapitated moose head made me crack up! Don't ever stop hedging Lucien... NEVER! Walcott's demo??? I want it!!
So pretty much I loved this book. Can you tell??? I loved it to pieces! I suggest you stop what you're doing now and read this book. It's the best fictional journey I've been on in a long time.. so go on... go on a detour you won't regret it. :)
Morgan Matson, please write another book. You have an instant fan waiting to read more of your brilliance!
September 4, 2019
My thoughts in a nutshell
This was my first book by Morgan Matson but definitely not the last.
I always enjoy a good road trip book. I'm living for a trip when I just sit in a car with my friends and we drive through a country. It is so relaxing and exciting!
So I really liked this story. I adored the little drawings and playlists at the beginning of every chapter.
The journey was interesting. The two main characters experienced a lot. Their relationship slowly progresses within the book.
I can't give this book more than 4 stars because the ending was really unsatisfying. It was too fast. Morgan cut the story in half and she moved on. I don't like it when an author does not explain anything. Secondly, I thought some part were overwritten. I didn't get bored, but I felt a bit much certain scene.
Overall, I still recommend it if you like a great book about a voyage.
February 28, 2019
Reread on audio as I needed a sweet read
I am totally in love with this book. The pictures with lists and playlists and thing through out the book is so awesome. I want to go on this epic detour and another thing that I love is the author actually did this epic detour and added some of her own pictures with her in them at the back :-)
The thing that started this epic detour. Three months ago Amy's father was killed in a car accident. No, this is not a spoiler because it's on the book blurb. Anyway, Amy and Charlie's (brother) mother decides she's moving them from California to Connecticut to where their grandma lives. Amy's mother got a job teaching at one of the schools. Like, wow... everything you have ever known is just being taken away from you.
Amy's brother Charlie is actually in rehab in North Carolina and will join them when he gets out. Amy stayed in California by herself for the last month of school and then her mom decides it would be cheaper for her to drive the Jeep Liberty out to Connecticut. It seems it's cheaper to drive it than hire a company to bring it out. The thing is... Amy doesn't drive, not since the accident. Amy's mom sets it up to where an old childhood friend is going to drive them because he has to come up that way to Philly. Amy handles all of this better than I would have, I just would not be able to leave where I grew up all of my life and where I had all the memories of my father, but I digress.
Amy & Roger decide to take a detour and not even go the route Amy's mother had planned out for them. They each had their own places they wanted to go but some were just on a whim. I freaking loved it.
They stayed in all kinds of places. Cabins, motels, the jeep, some college friends of Roger's and they just did whatever and went to different places. Amy got to meet some really nice people along the way through Roger and some they met together. They got to find out a lot of things about each other as well. Mostly it was such a wonderful time. OMG! I want to go :-)
--->EXCERPT<---
Or, more accurately, I ate breakfast. Roger ate the kind of meal usually reserved for holiday dinners and people with tapeworms. Luckily, it was a buffet, and all-you-can-eat, a policy I had a feeling they might be revising after our visit. As Roger came back with his third heaping plateful---this one focused on various meat groups---he raised his eyebrows at my plate. "Is that all you're eating?" he asked.
They made a few stops for Roger that involved a girl and got some things settled in that situation. Amy wanted to make a stop at Graceland because Amy, her father, and Charlie were supposed to make the trip together before he died. She thought it would be great and in a way it was but it was very sad for her. It also made me cry. She cried too.
Through out the whole book you want to know what really happened in that accident. And toward the end when Amy finally tells it all to Roger, I thought my heart was going to break. I could not STOP crying. I felt so bad hearing this and thinking about if that was my own father. The descriptions, just everything was so horrible.
There is also one point in the book that I was so disgusted with Amy's mother I wanted to punch her right in the nose. I'm not going to bring that up though. In the end, Amy found herself, even just a little bit, she found something with Roger and she found healing with her brother. And that's all that matters in the long run.
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
I am totally in love with this book. The pictures with lists and playlists and thing through out the book is so awesome. I want to go on this epic detour and another thing that I love is the author actually did this epic detour and added some of her own pictures with her in them at the back :-)
The thing that started this epic detour. Three months ago Amy's father was killed in a car accident. No, this is not a spoiler because it's on the book blurb. Anyway, Amy and Charlie's (brother) mother decides she's moving them from California to Connecticut to where their grandma lives. Amy's mother got a job teaching at one of the schools. Like, wow... everything you have ever known is just being taken away from you.
Amy's brother Charlie is actually in rehab in North Carolina and will join them when he gets out. Amy stayed in California by herself for the last month of school and then her mom decides it would be cheaper for her to drive the Jeep Liberty out to Connecticut. It seems it's cheaper to drive it than hire a company to bring it out. The thing is... Amy doesn't drive, not since the accident. Amy's mom sets it up to where an old childhood friend is going to drive them because he has to come up that way to Philly. Amy handles all of this better than I would have, I just would not be able to leave where I grew up all of my life and where I had all the memories of my father, but I digress.
Amy & Roger decide to take a detour and not even go the route Amy's mother had planned out for them. They each had their own places they wanted to go but some were just on a whim. I freaking loved it.
They stayed in all kinds of places. Cabins, motels, the jeep, some college friends of Roger's and they just did whatever and went to different places. Amy got to meet some really nice people along the way through Roger and some they met together. They got to find out a lot of things about each other as well. Mostly it was such a wonderful time. OMG! I want to go :-)
--->EXCERPT<---
Or, more accurately, I ate breakfast. Roger ate the kind of meal usually reserved for holiday dinners and people with tapeworms. Luckily, it was a buffet, and all-you-can-eat, a policy I had a feeling they might be revising after our visit. As Roger came back with his third heaping plateful---this one focused on various meat groups---he raised his eyebrows at my plate. "Is that all you're eating?" he asked.
They made a few stops for Roger that involved a girl and got some things settled in that situation. Amy wanted to make a stop at Graceland because Amy, her father, and Charlie were supposed to make the trip together before he died. She thought it would be great and in a way it was but it was very sad for her. It also made me cry. She cried too.
Through out the whole book you want to know what really happened in that accident. And toward the end when Amy finally tells it all to Roger, I thought my heart was going to break. I could not STOP crying. I felt so bad hearing this and thinking about if that was my own father. The descriptions, just everything was so horrible.
There is also one point in the book that I was so disgusted with Amy's mother I wanted to punch her right in the nose. I'm not going to bring that up though. In the end, Amy found herself, even just a little bit, she found something with Roger and she found healing with her brother. And that's all that matters in the long run.
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
March 7, 2014
This is more of a 4.5 stars for me! I really enjoyed this book, I loved the way it was written, the flashback triggers, and the cool scrapbook aspect to it. The story was just a little less cute and a little more emotional/sad than I wanted it to be. I picked this up right after TFioS thinking it'd be all rainbows and sunshine to help pull me out of the sad state that book had thrown me into. Then when things got better for Amy I was so happy but then before I knew it the book was over. This happens to me so much with contemporaries. I JUST ALWAYS WANT THEM TO BE LONGER. =)
October 9, 2015
Amy and Roger who were only childhood acquaintances are forced to take a trip that would change their lives, both trying to mend broken hearts for entirely different reasons and with entirely opposite processes. Roger, the explorer tries the best he can to confront the cause while Amy tries her best to avoid it. Both have different goals but at the end of this incredible journey, they come to an unexpected discovery that made their trip an epic detour.
I would like to express my gratitude to Ms.Morgan Matson for taking me with Amy and Roger on a road trip that made me see a good portion of America, a country I may only see and breathe vicariously. Virtual it may have been, but I had an amazing experience as the entire story is told in Amy’s point of view via her written record, sort of like a journal of the entire trip from California to Connecticut. The entire account is supported by scraps and tokens from places they have been, a receipt from a diner, a picture of a landmark, a drawing of a tree, maps which are virtually laid out throughout the pages of the book giving it a general sense of authenticity. There are even playlists for every state they go to. It was certainly believable and entertaining.
The characters are as genuine as the story. There is something simple and yet very affective with the way the author presented Amy and Roger. They are ordinary people we could easily identify with trying to get on with their lives. It amazed me that Amy despite being a very modest young woman can be very open-minded and perceptive of realities. Roger on the other hand, while I found him very unattractive during the good first half of the book ( not physically because he is cute and sweet, it’s something else, read the book; it may also just have something to do with his name being the same with that of my boss! Ick!^^ )…as I was saying, Roger despite his flaws is still a very well developed character. As already mentioned, he has always wanted to be an explorer and because of that he has to do everything he can and use up all his resources to discover what he really wants or as it turned out, does not really want (again, read the book to know what that is^^)
“There sometimes isn’t much difference between a knight’s quest and a fool’s errand”
And despite being so hung up with his feelings for a certain someone who clearly wants nothing to do with him, I still admire his beliefs and principles.
It’s really not about the destination. It’s getting there that is the good part.
Another thing that is great about this book is that even the minor characters that have little roles in the story are well developed and significant. It is mostly the minor characters that served as catalysts to the MC’s important decisions. Bronwyn at Colorado Springs for instance has a lot to do with Amy’s change of disposition.
If you don’t feel great on the inside, just look great on the outside and after a while you won’t be able to tell the difference.
Walcott and Lucien helped Amy tremendously in a very touching kind of way without them realizing it, while Drew somehow helped Roger see a bit more logic.
Tomorrow will be better. But what if it’s not? Then you say it again tomorrow. Because it might be. You never know right? At some point, tomorrow will be better.
Many might feel otherwise but I liked how the story slowly progressed because it gave the reader plenty of room to grasp the underlying meanings of the story. It also gave the story a more realistic effect and allowed for more detailed depictions of the different states, cities and towns Amy and Roger saw.
Overall, this is a beautifully written story of hope, moving on, inspiration and discovering relationships. This truly deserves to be read. It may not be epic, but it is a sweet, touching and memorable read. ^^
October 29, 2010
I am not a big fan of formulaic, Sarah Dessen-type summer YA romances, but the reviews of Amy & Roger's Epic Detour were so glowing, I wanted to give it a try. I did enjoy it, as much as I can enjoy a story that employs such genre cliches as makeovers and two teens sleeping in the same bed because, oh my!, there are no other options available.
The book is cute and sweet, engaging and a very quick read. The main characters, albeit fairly superficially drawn, are nice, likable people. Although Amy is in a state of grief over her father's death, her narration, to my relief, never becomes an overblown angstravaganza (like, let's say, Revolution - another YA novel about grief and guilt). Unhealthy, stalkerish and abusive relationships are not promoted here. The format is great too, it is sort of scrapbooky, with tons of notes, pictures, and receipts. I have to say, however, some of the scrapbook pages are not inserted into the narrative very well, they interrupt the flow of the story. But it's a minor flaw.
As for negatives, they are mostly genre-related - the story is fairly predictable, the characterization is basic and the dialog is not as interesting as it could have been. My major beef with the novel is I wish this scene would never have been in the book, but I guess the genre requirements called for it?
Anyway, what I am trying to say, is that after reading YA authors like Melina Marchetta, it's hard for me to sing praises to this particular YA novel. But readers who enjoy sweet, inoffensive, wholesome stories written by Siobhan Vivian, Elizabeth Scott and Simone Elkeles, will definitely love this book.
If you are looking for another road trip type story, I recommend Paper Towns, which is much more fun and less cliche-ridden.
The book is cute and sweet, engaging and a very quick read. The main characters, albeit fairly superficially drawn, are nice, likable people. Although Amy is in a state of grief over her father's death, her narration, to my relief, never becomes an overblown angstravaganza (like, let's say, Revolution - another YA novel about grief and guilt). Unhealthy, stalkerish and abusive relationships are not promoted here. The format is great too, it is sort of scrapbooky, with tons of notes, pictures, and receipts. I have to say, however, some of the scrapbook pages are not inserted into the narrative very well, they interrupt the flow of the story. But it's a minor flaw.
As for negatives, they are mostly genre-related - the story is fairly predictable, the characterization is basic and the dialog is not as interesting as it could have been. My major beef with the novel is I wish this scene would never have been in the book, but I guess the genre requirements called for it?
Anyway, what I am trying to say, is that after reading YA authors like Melina Marchetta, it's hard for me to sing praises to this particular YA novel. But readers who enjoy sweet, inoffensive, wholesome stories written by Siobhan Vivian, Elizabeth Scott and Simone Elkeles, will definitely love this book.
If you are looking for another road trip type story, I recommend Paper Towns, which is much more fun and less cliche-ridden.
July 21, 2011
But since I've been out here, on this trip...it is like I've started to remember what it is like. To feel alive. To feel anything. And all I'm saying it that you never know how much time you have."
I have being sitting here trying to think of what to say about this gorgeous book. I’m not sure why I am finding it so difficult because I LOVED EVERYTHING about it. The amazing characters, the travel journal entries, the play lists, the quotes at beginning of each chapter, the menus, photos and all the other added little extras. But most of all the heart warming journey that it took me on. I can’t do a review that will give it the praise it deserves. So I think it is best that you read this book yourself (like right now!!!) to experience an unforgettable road trip .
I have being sitting here trying to think of what to say about this gorgeous book. I’m not sure why I am finding it so difficult because I LOVED EVERYTHING about it. The amazing characters, the travel journal entries, the play lists, the quotes at beginning of each chapter, the menus, photos and all the other added little extras. But most of all the heart warming journey that it took me on. I can’t do a review that will give it the praise it deserves. So I think it is best that you read this book yourself (like right now!!!) to experience an unforgettable road trip .
November 29, 2014
4.75 stars
I highly recommend this, especially to my southern hemisphere friends who have summer coming up!
I highly recommend this, especially to my southern hemisphere friends who have summer coming up!
April 14, 2017
I loved so many things about this book, but here are my top 3...
1. Amy and Roger
2. The little pictures and playlists
3. THE ENDING
1. Amy and Roger
2. The little pictures and playlists
3. THE ENDING
April 2, 2019
Meh. Shallow characters, annoying heroine, predictable story, and that ending was just bad. Things I read for challenges. Sigh!
February 13, 2022
This was a REALLY cute, sad at times, hilarious at others story of two teens on a road trip across the US. Amy’s father has just died, her family is moving, and she’s been basically abandoned by a mom who has no idea how to parent in the wake of losing her spouse, a stoned brother dealing with massive guilt, and is suffocating under her own grief. The relationship that slowly develops between Roger and Amy is cute to read, and I liked watching them both work through their issues. A fun, rewarding read.
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
April 6, 2016
LOVED IT! Full Review on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5q17Kn9DtF4
November 8, 2015
Amy's father has just died, her mother decides to place her twin brother in
rehab, and move from California to Connecticut. Amy is to follow her on a cross country drive with college student, Roger, whom Amy hasn't seen in years. Amy and Roger discover more about themselves and each other, as they go off the regular path, and take a detour through the states, and through the trials of life...
Although not quite as good as "Since You've Been Gone" (Five Stars!) I still really enjoyed this road trip of a book that was an emotional journey, as well as a journey through various American states...I was highly addicted throughout...I recommend the book vs the ebook due to all of the entertaining travel scrapbook illustrations/photos...this book will make you want to travel cross country ASAP...and the romance is slow and very sweet!
rehab, and move from California to Connecticut. Amy is to follow her on a cross country drive with college student, Roger, whom Amy hasn't seen in years. Amy and Roger discover more about themselves and each other, as they go off the regular path, and take a detour through the states, and through the trials of life...
Although not quite as good as "Since You've Been Gone" (Five Stars!) I still really enjoyed this road trip of a book that was an emotional journey, as well as a journey through various American states...I was highly addicted throughout...I recommend the book vs the ebook due to all of the entertaining travel scrapbook illustrations/photos...this book will make you want to travel cross country ASAP...and the romance is slow and very sweet!
May 4, 2016
I wish there was half stars on this app! I really felt that this was more of a 3.5 stars. I had high expectations going into this book. It was so well talked about and I absolutely loved morgan matson's other novel, "since you've been gone". I wish I could say I was completely obsessed with this book but I just wasn't. It wasn't bad by all means, I just found the story to be a bit slow paced and not gripping. I couldn't quite find myself fully into it. Although, I found the pictures, receipts, and song mixes throughout the text quite interesting. It did make me smile and I enjoyed it to a sense. But it just didn't fully capture my attention.
September 1, 2016
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I was when my turn finally came up at the library. Mainly because . . . .
ROAD TRIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh how I love road trip books. Sadly I did not love this one so much, though. The main problem I had was that both the Amy and Roger characters had zero depth to them. Amy’s story revolves around grieving her father . . . by choosing to block out anything that makes her grieve her father. Roger’s is a quest for love with his ex-girlfriend who is oh-so-obviously just not that into him. In a matter of a few days everything turns topsy turvy, Amy goes through all 7 stages, Roger, even though he should be scaring the holy shiznit out of Amy with all the super creeper vibes he puts out, gets cured of his lovesickness and falls for Amy. The end. Just not my cuppa. What can I say?????
So now that all that’s been said, let’s talk about the stuff I did like. (This is the part where it gets real giffy so consider yourself warned.)
First, the original cover . . . .
Dat’s guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuud. The hand-holdy one? Notsamuch.
Second, the use of mixed media. Unfortunately I read a Kindle version so it was a bit lacking, but this scrapbooky stuff makes for a fun time in the paper book form . . .
Third, road tunes. Although Roger and Amy’s lists were both a little too precious for my taste, everyone knows the second best part of a road trip is singing at the top of your lungs to errrrrrrrrrry song . . . . .
Which leads us to the BEST part of a road trip. The food. Yep, fat girl likey the food talk. Especially when the food talk is straight up. These two teenie boppers didn’t have the budget for “foodie” places. They stuck to delicious artery clogging establishments instead. I didn’t realize how many fast food chains don’t span the entire continental U.S. and were completely unknown to Amy and Roger before they ate at them. I mean, I’m not from . . . .
(^^^^Chris Brown. Such a douche!)
But I still know what an In-And-Out Double Double is. Maybe because I worship at the church of this guy??????
But anyfarts, after A&R dine on the California classic and begin making their way across flyover country they get to experience all of my local fineries. Places like . . . .
(You know who LOVES to hear about Sonic Drive-Ins???? Ron 2.0. He doesn’t find excessive Sonic talk ridiculous™ at all.)
The duo also go to the place where the people who live with me love . . .
Here’s my feedback Freddy’s. My husband and kids brought a bag of your burgers home a year ago and my house finally stopped smelling of stank onions last week. Blech. There was also a lot of talk about the frozen custard from Freddy’s, but if you live here and are morbidly obese like me you know that you always choose Sheridan’s or Culver’s for that treat. And if you’re me you only get it once a year because . . . .
I like the custard, but the custard no like me if ya know what I’m sayin’.
They also ask the timeless question . . .
“What do you think a Chick-fil-A is?”
The answer is basically . . . .
I’ve never eaten there and don’t plan to after the owner decided to declare to the world he’s a stupid asshole.
They finally get a meal spotted for them and dine on Hot Browns and Derby Pie (if you haven’t had a Paula Deen Derby Pie you really haven’t yet lived), followed by a joint called Krystal, which I actually haven’t ever heard of but from the description it sounds pretty much like a White Castle and let’s just say the one and only time I ate White Castle was NOT good . . .
Man, there’s been a lot of shitting my pants talk in this review. My apologies.
Anyway, let’s wrap this up and say that the two find a little bit of love in a hopeless place or something like that and I gained 15 pounds just reading about all of the yum that they were shoving into their faces.
I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I was when my turn finally came up at the library. Mainly because . . . .
ROAD TRIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh how I love road trip books. Sadly I did not love this one so much, though. The main problem I had was that both the Amy and Roger characters had zero depth to them. Amy’s story revolves around grieving her father . . . by choosing to block out anything that makes her grieve her father. Roger’s is a quest for love with his ex-girlfriend who is oh-so-obviously just not that into him. In a matter of a few days everything turns topsy turvy, Amy goes through all 7 stages, Roger, even though he should be scaring the holy shiznit out of Amy with all the super creeper vibes he puts out, gets cured of his lovesickness and falls for Amy. The end. Just not my cuppa. What can I say?????
So now that all that’s been said, let’s talk about the stuff I did like. (This is the part where it gets real giffy so consider yourself warned.)
First, the original cover . . . .
Dat’s guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuud. The hand-holdy one? Notsamuch.
Second, the use of mixed media. Unfortunately I read a Kindle version so it was a bit lacking, but this scrapbooky stuff makes for a fun time in the paper book form . . .
Third, road tunes. Although Roger and Amy’s lists were both a little too precious for my taste, everyone knows the second best part of a road trip is singing at the top of your lungs to errrrrrrrrrry song . . . . .
Which leads us to the BEST part of a road trip. The food. Yep, fat girl likey the food talk. Especially when the food talk is straight up. These two teenie boppers didn’t have the budget for “foodie” places. They stuck to delicious artery clogging establishments instead. I didn’t realize how many fast food chains don’t span the entire continental U.S. and were completely unknown to Amy and Roger before they ate at them. I mean, I’m not from . . . .
(^^^^Chris Brown. Such a douche!)
But I still know what an In-And-Out Double Double is. Maybe because I worship at the church of this guy??????
But anyfarts, after A&R dine on the California classic and begin making their way across flyover country they get to experience all of my local fineries. Places like . . . .
(You know who LOVES to hear about Sonic Drive-Ins???? Ron 2.0. He doesn’t find excessive Sonic talk ridiculous™ at all.)
The duo also go to the place where the people who live with me love . . .
Here’s my feedback Freddy’s. My husband and kids brought a bag of your burgers home a year ago and my house finally stopped smelling of stank onions last week. Blech. There was also a lot of talk about the frozen custard from Freddy’s, but if you live here and are morbidly obese like me you know that you always choose Sheridan’s or Culver’s for that treat. And if you’re me you only get it once a year because . . . .
I like the custard, but the custard no like me if ya know what I’m sayin’.
They also ask the timeless question . . .
“What do you think a Chick-fil-A is?”
The answer is basically . . . .
I’ve never eaten there and don’t plan to after the owner decided to declare to the world he’s a stupid asshole.
They finally get a meal spotted for them and dine on Hot Browns and Derby Pie (if you haven’t had a Paula Deen Derby Pie you really haven’t yet lived), followed by a joint called Krystal, which I actually haven’t ever heard of but from the description it sounds pretty much like a White Castle and let’s just say the one and only time I ate White Castle was NOT good . . .
Man, there’s been a lot of shitting my pants talk in this review. My apologies.
Anyway, let’s wrap this up and say that the two find a little bit of love in a hopeless place or something like that and I gained 15 pounds just reading about all of the yum that they were shoving into their faces.
April 6, 2022
4.75 stars
This was so so cute! I loved all the road maps and pictures and the scrapbook and the playlists. Also I didn't realize it at first but Amy and Charlie were in Since You've Been Gone. Loved the ending -- again I wanted more though T-T
P.S. Now I want to go on a cross country road trip sooooo bad
This was so so cute! I loved all the road maps and pictures and the scrapbook and the playlists. Also I didn't realize it at first but Amy and Charlie were in Since You've Been Gone. Loved the ending -- again I wanted more though T-T
P.S. Now I want to go on a cross country road trip sooooo bad
January 29, 2011
Love. Love. Lovelovelove.
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour was one of those books I started and had crazy high expectations for. I was not disappointed.
There's nothing better than a love story that leaves you feeling as though you could quite comfortably lie there in your bed and hug the book and feel complete. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face when I finished reading. I wanted more!
Both Amy and Roger were characters that had so many layers, and it was truly my pleasure to read page after page and see each one reveal itself. They were both scarred, deeply at that, and the way they helped each other move on and up in life made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. My head was screaming 'Kiss! Kiss!' so often throughout the book, and I got all giggly whenever they got close (I know, I'm sounding like a schoolgirl here, but hey. Cut a girl some slack!). The way they bantered as they became more and more comfortable around each other was adorable.
I loved the way Morgan Matson wrote the playlists into the story - it was really awesome to get a feel for the music and mood throughout the roadtrip. And the photo's and comments and sidenotes. Just, everything.
All I know is right now I have a hankering to go on a Roadtrip.
Care to join me, anyone?
Oh, and if you know any "Roger"'s, please don't hesitate to invite him, too. I am single, after all ;o)
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour was one of those books I started and had crazy high expectations for. I was not disappointed.
There's nothing better than a love story that leaves you feeling as though you could quite comfortably lie there in your bed and hug the book and feel complete. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face when I finished reading. I wanted more!
Both Amy and Roger were characters that had so many layers, and it was truly my pleasure to read page after page and see each one reveal itself. They were both scarred, deeply at that, and the way they helped each other move on and up in life made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. My head was screaming 'Kiss! Kiss!' so often throughout the book, and I got all giggly whenever they got close (I know, I'm sounding like a schoolgirl here, but hey. Cut a girl some slack!). The way they bantered as they became more and more comfortable around each other was adorable.
I loved the way Morgan Matson wrote the playlists into the story - it was really awesome to get a feel for the music and mood throughout the roadtrip. And the photo's and comments and sidenotes. Just, everything.
All I know is right now I have a hankering to go on a Roadtrip.
Care to join me, anyone?
Oh, and if you know any "Roger"'s, please don't hesitate to invite him, too. I am single, after all ;o)
June 15, 2016
It's not you, it's me. sorry to all, but this just wasn't the book for me.
November 24, 2011
So Amy and Roger's Epic Detour wasn't all that epic after all.
It starts off with Amy, living in a house alone in California. Her mother has already moved to Connecticut, her twin brother is in rehab and her father recently died in a car crash. She is the last one left behind, the house is about to be sold and she has to get the family car, a Liberty, from California to Connecticut, where her mother has decided to move after her husband's death. That's when Roger enters the scene. Amy doesn't want to drive across America or anywhere else and Roger, a family friend's son who has to go visit his father in Philadelphia, has been designated her chaffeur for the trip. The route is set, Amy's mom has planned it and booked the hotels. But. Neither Amy nor Roger intend to follow the plan, each for his/her own motives. The trip will turn out as a sort of catharsis for both of them, the first little (or huge, since it's across America) step toward moving on with their lives.
It sounds all pretty good, except my feelings for this book are.... tepid, to say the least.
The first part of the book was very underwhelming, I even got bored a little bit. The story is highly predictable and that would be ok, if I had felt the characters to be more real.
My main problem was Amy. I didn't buy her virginal prudery to sleep in the same bed with Roger because she is, in fact, not a virgin. I didn't buy her grief, it somehow felt contrived to me, her choking up, her chin-trembling and her sunglasses problem.
Roger was, of course, just too good to be true and even his change of heart along the trip didn't exactly come out as natural.
Fortunately, the story picked up quite nicely in the second part of the book and I have to say I was really charmed by all the little notes, pictures and addition to the story (a bit à la The Sky is Everywhere). They give a little something to the narration and certainly make the long trip more interesting for the reader.
I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending, which was also slightly underwhelming.... again, I was to say tepid. It was way more feasible than if it had ended with an unrealistic declarations of undying love, but still. It ended quite abruptly in my opinion, I wanted to see the conflict between Amy and her mom developed more.
All in all, a decent read but, as far as these "grief" books go, that deal with the death of a loved one OR/AND trips across America, I've read better this year. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour kind of felt like Saving June's ugly cousin.
For this review and more check out The Nocturnal Library
It starts off with Amy, living in a house alone in California. Her mother has already moved to Connecticut, her twin brother is in rehab and her father recently died in a car crash. She is the last one left behind, the house is about to be sold and she has to get the family car, a Liberty, from California to Connecticut, where her mother has decided to move after her husband's death. That's when Roger enters the scene. Amy doesn't want to drive across America or anywhere else and Roger, a family friend's son who has to go visit his father in Philadelphia, has been designated her chaffeur for the trip. The route is set, Amy's mom has planned it and booked the hotels. But. Neither Amy nor Roger intend to follow the plan, each for his/her own motives. The trip will turn out as a sort of catharsis for both of them, the first little (or huge, since it's across America) step toward moving on with their lives.
It sounds all pretty good, except my feelings for this book are.... tepid, to say the least.
The first part of the book was very underwhelming, I even got bored a little bit. The story is highly predictable and that would be ok, if I had felt the characters to be more real.
My main problem was Amy. I didn't buy her virginal prudery to sleep in the same bed with Roger because she is, in fact, not a virgin. I didn't buy her grief, it somehow felt contrived to me, her choking up, her chin-trembling and her sunglasses problem.
Roger was, of course, just too good to be true and even his change of heart along the trip didn't exactly come out as natural.
Fortunately, the story picked up quite nicely in the second part of the book and I have to say I was really charmed by all the little notes, pictures and addition to the story (a bit à la The Sky is Everywhere). They give a little something to the narration and certainly make the long trip more interesting for the reader.
I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending, which was also slightly underwhelming.... again, I was to say tepid. It was way more feasible than if it had ended with an unrealistic declarations of undying love, but still. It ended quite abruptly in my opinion, I wanted to see the conflict between Amy and her mom developed more.
All in all, a decent read but, as far as these "grief" books go, that deal with the death of a loved one OR/AND trips across America, I've read better this year. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour kind of felt like Saving June's ugly cousin.
For this review and more check out The Nocturnal Library
September 26, 2011
4.49 stars...
I loved this book it was really good, the characters were good, the writing was good, the plot was good. So why can’t I bring myself to give it five stars. I really don’t know. It is probably because there were a few small things that irked me, okay, this is going to sound really bad, but I think it dropped a star because of the romance. Actually, that doesn't sound so bad. Sure, the characters were good and they all had problems they were recovering from, but when I picked up this book I was expecting a real romance. Sure, it was there, but it didn’t really start until around the last 30 pages, sure we had Amy's hidden attraction to Roger, and we knew they would end up together, but not much more.
[image error]width="574" height="347" alt="description"/>
No nothing like that happened, but I liked the picture. It's so cute :)
In saying that, the book was still good, but it was more about a girl getting over the death of her father by travelling around the country. Yep that’s basically the book in a nutshell. A very basic nutshell, with no detail. At all.
Oooh yeah. This is what made this book different from other road trip books I have read. This book made you feel like you were on the trip, I think part of this was the fact that throughout the book we got pictures, receipts and playlists (of what was being played, all very interesting. I went and downloaded the music after reading it).
This really made me feel as if I were on the trip it also made me really want to go on a road trip. I think my friends wanted to kill me by the end of the day,
width="220" height="205" alt="description"/>
I was planning to hitchhike on a whale to America (I live in Australia, no where to road trip), and following the path Amy and Roger took. If I did it, I would name the trip ‘Sita + Tegan + Kaushalya’s un-epic followed detour of America, and their funny accents ;)’ Yes, the book was quite inspirational.
width="1024" height="768" alt="description"/>
[image error]width="468" height="311" alt="description"/>
I would recommend this book to any one looking for a good read, it is good. Very inspiring...Yep, hitchhiking to America on a whale to carry out a road trip. What books can make me do ;).
I loved this book it was really good, the characters were good, the writing was good, the plot was good. So why can’t I bring myself to give it five stars. I really don’t know. It is probably because there were a few small things that irked me, okay, this is going to sound really bad, but I think it dropped a star because of the romance. Actually, that doesn't sound so bad. Sure, the characters were good and they all had problems they were recovering from, but when I picked up this book I was expecting a real romance. Sure, it was there, but it didn’t really start until around the last 30 pages, sure we had Amy's hidden attraction to Roger, and we knew they would end up together, but not much more.
[image error]width="574" height="347" alt="description"/>
No nothing like that happened, but I liked the picture. It's so cute :)
In saying that, the book was still good, but it was more about a girl getting over the death of her father by travelling around the country. Yep that’s basically the book in a nutshell. A very basic nutshell, with no detail. At all.
Oooh yeah. This is what made this book different from other road trip books I have read. This book made you feel like you were on the trip, I think part of this was the fact that throughout the book we got pictures, receipts and playlists (of what was being played, all very interesting. I went and downloaded the music after reading it).
This really made me feel as if I were on the trip it also made me really want to go on a road trip. I think my friends wanted to kill me by the end of the day,
width="220" height="205" alt="description"/>I was planning to hitchhike on a whale to America (I live in Australia, no where to road trip), and following the path Amy and Roger took. If I did it, I would name the trip ‘Sita + Tegan + Kaushalya’s un-epic followed detour of America, and their funny accents ;)’ Yes, the book was quite inspirational.
width="1024" height="768" alt="description"/>[image error]width="468" height="311" alt="description"/>
I would recommend this book to any one looking for a good read, it is good. Very inspiring...Yep, hitchhiking to America on a whale to carry out a road trip. What books can make me do ;).
May 31, 2013
This book was amazing. If you take away anything from this review please take away how amazing it really was.
Needless to say this is a great summer book. It's fun & it shows a story of a girl figuring out how to go on with her life and embrace herself after tragedy hits.
Amy & Roger are amazing characters and I loved watching them progress in this book.
Please go read this book....right now.
Needless to say this is a great summer book. It's fun & it shows a story of a girl figuring out how to go on with her life and embrace herself after tragedy hits.
Amy & Roger are amazing characters and I loved watching them progress in this book.
Please go read this book....right now.
May 14, 2016
First read: May 2014
My first time rereading one of my favorite books and I am so happy right now. I love Amy & Roger's journey in this book. It's so unique, creative and fun. The personal things they are each walking through are relatable and so moving. It's fun, light and still poignant and heart-breaking at times. I haven't met another YA contemporary to date that has beat out A&R!
My first time rereading one of my favorite books and I am so happy right now. I love Amy & Roger's journey in this book. It's so unique, creative and fun. The personal things they are each walking through are relatable and so moving. It's fun, light and still poignant and heart-breaking at times. I haven't met another YA contemporary to date that has beat out A&R!
July 20, 2015
This is adorableeeee ❤
I looooove road trippin. I love to travel, period. It's that feeling of the unknown, of meeting places and people that are so different from you because they are from other culture, another place. I did three road trips already: one from Boston all the way to Miami, one in the beginning of this year from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and one from Brazil to Chile (those of you who think they are close, think again. We spent three days in a car almost non-stop, but it was amazing). This book brought me so many memories. I just wanted to go back. All over again. Especially to Yosemite.Well, enough of me.
This book tells us the story of Amy, a girl who lost her father. Her mom, then, decides to move to Connecticut, and Roger, the son of her mom's friend, will take her there. I thought this to be a bit crazy, but nobody in this family was acting normal, I think. We are shown some memories of Amy with her father and clearly her father was amazing, funny and a fantastic dad. It's so sad to think that good people can go away in a blink of an eye. But anyway, Amy is not okay, and she's going in this trip with this guy she doesn't know much about [yet], while her family is all messed up. Her mom had designed a route for them (Amy and Roger) to take to Connecticut but then they think: what if we change the route? And sure, that's what they do.
"I'd just always assumed those constants, so basic, would never change. I hadn't even realized they were anything special at the time. And now I would have given anything to be back there."
You know, you may think that this book is just about two kids who fall in love during a trip together. But it's so much more than that. First, there's no insta-love here. It's so real at the beginning, because it is so awkward. And they lie constantly to each other because, why would you tell a stranger your biggest secrets right on cue? Of course, they warm up toward each other (hehe) because they spend every living time together for about 7 days. And those of you who already did a road trip, you know how silent it can be at times. Almost reaching Chile, we couldn't find a hotel and it was very, very dark, and my dad (I traveled with my parents in this one), driving, would tell me and my brother: guys, keep talking to me because I am almost sleeping. And to find something to tell a person you were already two days in a car locked up with, oh boy. It was the hardest thing. So yes, you definitely get closer to the people you're traveling with. It's inevitable. So this book was very real because of that.
Another thing: this book is very focused on the emotional. Of starting again, especially after a loved one dies. It's very, very, very hard. There's blame involved, depression. And Amy shows that to us. The hardest thing, though, is to start looking forward again. Amy tries and I admired her for that. It's the little things: not wanting to hear that CD again because it reminds us of that person, or doing that thing. We even forget to take care of ourselves. And the little steps are what matter. Step by step, we try to get over it and live again.
- Roger is the cutest. Although, a bit love struck. And a very important part of this story, even if it is more focused on Amy.
- I loved Amy's brother. He's not there a lot, but I love someone that isn't perfect. Especially having a brother too. I know how hard it must have been to him, seeing how close Amy and her dad were. In my family, for example, I get along better with my mom but I am more alike my dad. And with my brother, is the opposite. I guess all families are like this.
All in all, I adored this book. It's not perfect, perfect, but it is imperfectly perfect. You know?
I have to tell you guys: when I was leaving Argentina, my mom asked me to go to the bathroom because the road to Chile wouldn't have so many bathrooms. And I was like 'nah, mom, you always exaggerate about this stuff.' And I didn't go. That's why, 7/8 hours later, we still couldn't find a bathroom. I thought I was going to die, seriously. All kinds of things happen in trips LOL
I looooove road trippin. I love to travel, period. It's that feeling of the unknown, of meeting places and people that are so different from you because they are from other culture, another place. I did three road trips already: one from Boston all the way to Miami, one in the beginning of this year from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and one from Brazil to Chile (those of you who think they are close, think again. We spent three days in a car almost non-stop, but it was amazing). This book brought me so many memories. I just wanted to go back. All over again. Especially to Yosemite.
This book tells us the story of Amy, a girl who lost her father. Her mom, then, decides to move to Connecticut, and Roger, the son of her mom's friend, will take her there. I thought this to be a bit crazy, but nobody in this family was acting normal, I think. We are shown some memories of Amy with her father and clearly her father was amazing, funny and a fantastic dad. It's so sad to think that good people can go away in a blink of an eye. But anyway, Amy is not okay, and she's going in this trip with this guy she doesn't know much about [yet], while her family is all messed up. Her mom had designed a route for them (Amy and Roger) to take to Connecticut but then they think: what if we change the route? And sure, that's what they do.
"I'd just always assumed those constants, so basic, would never change. I hadn't even realized they were anything special at the time. And now I would have given anything to be back there."
You know, you may think that this book is just about two kids who fall in love during a trip together. But it's so much more than that. First, there's no insta-love here. It's so real at the beginning, because it is so awkward. And they lie constantly to each other because, why would you tell a stranger your biggest secrets right on cue? Of course, they warm up toward each other (hehe) because they spend every living time together for about 7 days. And those of you who already did a road trip, you know how silent it can be at times. Almost reaching Chile, we couldn't find a hotel and it was very, very dark, and my dad (I traveled with my parents in this one), driving, would tell me and my brother: guys, keep talking to me because I am almost sleeping. And to find something to tell a person you were already two days in a car locked up with, oh boy. It was the hardest thing. So yes, you definitely get closer to the people you're traveling with. It's inevitable. So this book was very real because of that.
Another thing: this book is very focused on the emotional. Of starting again, especially after a loved one dies. It's very, very, very hard. There's blame involved, depression. And Amy shows that to us. The hardest thing, though, is to start looking forward again. Amy tries and I admired her for that. It's the little things: not wanting to hear that CD again because it reminds us of that person, or doing that thing. We even forget to take care of ourselves. And the little steps are what matter. Step by step, we try to get over it and live again.
- Roger is the cutest. Although, a bit love struck. And a very important part of this story, even if it is more focused on Amy.
- I loved Amy's brother. He's not there a lot, but I love someone that isn't perfect. Especially having a brother too. I know how hard it must have been to him, seeing how close Amy and her dad were. In my family, for example, I get along better with my mom but I am more alike my dad. And with my brother, is the opposite. I guess all families are like this.
All in all, I adored this book. It's not perfect, perfect, but it is imperfectly perfect. You know?
I have to tell you guys: when I was leaving Argentina, my mom asked me to go to the bathroom because the road to Chile wouldn't have so many bathrooms. And I was like 'nah, mom, you always exaggerate about this stuff.' And I didn't go. That's why, 7/8 hours later, we still couldn't find a bathroom. I thought I was going to die, seriously. All kinds of things happen in trips LOL
September 15, 2016
“The best discoveries always happened to the people who weren’t looking for them. Columbus and America. Pinzón, who stumbled on Brazil while looking for the West Indies. Stanley happening on Victoria Falls. And you. Amy Curry, when I was least expecting her.”
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour was a book I didn't have many expectations in. With Morgan Matson I have had both a hit (The Unexpected Everything) and a miss (Second Chance Summer) with her books. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the amount I smiled throughout the book as well as being like
This story of a road trip through America (I honestly have no idea the size of America or how long it would take to get anywhere) about two individuals who don't know each other at all - Amy and Roger. Amy's dad died three months previously in a car accident, her brother has been shipped off to rehab, and her mother has decided to sell their house and move to another state. So, basically everything is falling about Amy's life and there is in no way in hell she wants to go on a road trip with someone she knew when she was a baby.
“there are two things that are absolutely necessary if you’re going to be hitting the road.”
“And what are those?”
Roger smiled at me as he paused at a stoplight. “Snacks and tunes,” he said. “Not necessarily in that order.”
I thought this book was amazingly written, including receipts and interesting things about each palace. I found it interesting, as well as some of the conversations shared between the characters. However, I did have some problems. They mainly included the fact Amy got incredibly annoying, I found her beyond frustrating in some parts. I didn't how every character in this book was so cute or beautiful - it felt repetitive. I mean, not every character has to be attractive in a book. My other problem was the fact that the Roger was after another girl for 60% of the book and Amy kissed another guy? I don't know, it rubbed me the wrong way. It just seemed everything was too convenient as well for these characters - they never ran out of gas, they never ran out of money, the tires in the car never burst, they never hit traffic. I feel like something should have derailed their trip in any way.
However, it was beautifully written and a very fast read. I've heard characters appear in later books and I can maybe forgive Morgan for the open ending once I read Since You've Been Gone and re-read the other books. Anyway, a round of applause to this book for not following my DNF streak
Just a short and sweet review for a short and sweet book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 9,082 reviews