Best Road Trip Ever: ‘Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour’ by Morgan Matson
If you like any of the following things, chances are good that you’ll love Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour:
1. Road trips
2. Cheeseburgers
3. Scenarios where two characters have to share a bed and then there’s ROMANTIC TENSION
4. Mixes/Playlists
5. Topiary animals
I love all of those things (well, okay, I didn’t necessarily love topiary animals before I read the book, but now I do), so I really love Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour. I mean, I love it so much that I feel like Woody Allen in that scene in Annie Hall where he starts making up words to tell Diane Keaton that he loves her. In fact, I read the book in one sitting, and it’s not even a short book! And then when it was done, my husband found me crying on the couch and said, “Oh no. Did you just finish a book?”
So clearly this book will take you on an emotional rollercoaster. But you probably want to know what it’s actually about, right? Amy Curry is going through some rough stuff. Her father recently died, her brother’s in rehab and her mom’s all the way across the country. Amy’s in charge of getting the family car from her home in California to the new family home in Connecticut. But she’s not taking this road trip alone…Roger, the son of her mom’s friend, is joining her. Roger just so happens to be a way cute college dude who’s dealing with a recent breakup.
Even though Amy’s less than stoked to be stuck with Roger for the entirety of a cross-country road trip, they actually get along pretty well. They eat a ton of cheeseburgers at basically every burger chain in America, they visit friends and family members along the way and they both start to deal with the problems in their lives. Also, duh, they totally start falling in love. I mean, did you guys see the cover? They’re holding hands. Obviously this had to happen. There’s so much perfect romantic/sexual tension in this book. One of my absolute favorite romantic comedy devices is when two characters end up sharing a bed by accident, and that happens more than once in this book. Seriously, I was in heaven. I’m not sure if this ever happens to anyone in real life, but for the sake of my romance-loving heart, I hope so.
But don’t think that Amy and Roger is all shirtless sleepovers and honeymoon suites. There’s some very real emotion here, too. I cried more than once. Amy’s struggle to deal with her dad’s death is extremely affecting and her relationships with the rest of her family are pretty emotional, too.
If you’re a fan of Sarah Dessen, read Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour right now. I promise you’ll love it.
SOME HIGHLIGHTS:
-Guys, are road trip books the best books or what? I actually sort of hate road trips in real life (I have a fairly serious car phobia that means I spend most of my time in cars panicking…yes, I really am this fun in real life!), but in books? Bring ‘em on. Amy and Roger do so much fun/scary stuff, like traveling on the Loneliest Road in America and visiting state parks.
-The tracklists of Roger’s mixes are included in the book, and they are so good. You can actually listen to them online! If you’re into classic artists like R.E.M. and newer indie bands, you will love them. I’ve been listening to them while I work this week!
-The book also features postcards, travel journal excerpts, and receipts from fast food restaurants. Seriously, if you don’t want a burger by the end of this book, there’s something wrong with you.
-Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour is sort of like the movie Elizabethtown, if that movie made even a little bit of sense. I really do love Elizabethtown, but really, it makes no sense. Like, how did Kirsten Dunst finish that scrapbook/mix CD in one night? That’s not even possible! Anyway, if you like Elizabethtown, you’ll LOVE this book. It has the music, the roadtrip element and part of it takes place in Kentucky. Plus there’s actually chemistry between the main characters!
-Morgan Matson has another book out called Second Chance Summer, and next year she comes out with Since You’ve Been Gone. I’m already excited!
What about you guys? Have you read Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour? How much did you love it? Let me know in the comments! And, as always, I love to hear your suggestions for books to feature in Young Adult Education. Leave a comment, email me at [email protected] or find me on Twitter @KerryAnn.