Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

Title: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

Author: Morgan Matson

Pages: 344

Rating: ****1/2

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: Read this book. Right now. I'll wait.
Okay, this book, as its title states, is EPIC! I absolutely loved this book. I don't even know what to say. I finished this book at 2:00 this morning; I just couldn't put it down! It has also given me a huge desire to go on a cross country road trip. I've been to more of the country than Amy had before this trip, but I haven't seen enough!
This is the perfect summer book. Reading it at the beginning of the summer makes me feel like anything can happen in a single summer--something previously only Sarah Dessen books could promote. The characters were fantastic. Amy is a good protagonist; we are left wondering about some of her secrets, something that makes me want to keep reading. Roger is adorable. He is the perfect guy for this book, and I absolutely love him! The plot is also fabulous; there is obviously the overlying goal of reaching Connecticut, but there is enough going on during their "detour" that the trip is the best part. Of course, this is often the case in literature and life.
The only thing keeping this book from 5 stars is the predictability. I mean, you can probably guess what happens. But it isn't overly cheesy, which I appreciated.
What I really liked in this book was the scrapbook inserts, including pictures, receipts, playlists, etc.
So go read this book. You will not regret it!

Recommended for: everyone except anyone who hates romance.