by Morgan Matson
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Published: 2010
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA
Hardback: 352 pages
Rating: 5
First sentence:
I sat on the front steps of my house and watched the beige Subaru station wagon swing too quickly around the cul-de-sac.
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.
My two-bits:
Road trip! Always love a good one and this one delivers.
This pair travels across country from California to Connecticut via the northern route. There are just the right amounts of sights, sounds, roadside attractions and food for that vicarious road trip experience.
Loved watching the growth of their friendship from acquaintance to couple by the end of the book. They both work through their individual issues with travel as a kind of therapy.
The book includes sprinklings of images of scrapbook-like memorabilia and music playlists that enhances the experience of this read.
Added a couple must-go places for foodies:
NuWay (crumbly burgers) - Wichita, KS
Brown Hotel (Kentucky hot brown and derby pie) - Louisville, KY
* added to my COYER challenge/scavenger hunt (details)
* part of my vvb32 reads book club (details)
