Book Review of "Amy and Roger's Epic Detour" by Morgan Matson

Title: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour
Author: Morgan Matson
Classification: YA Fiction, Contemporary
Source: Borrowed

Overall Grade:

B-

Would I recommend it?
Maybe: An entertaining, yet exhausting, road trip novel.

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Summary (from Goodreads):

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.

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My Thoughts: 

I was on the fence with this review, barely able to decide between a C+ or a B- grade, because while Amy and Roger's Epic Detour was definitely entertaining, the characters were mostly shallow and forgettable, and I couldn't get past some of the over-done YA clichés in this book. 

It seems like so many Contemporary YA books these days start out with a premise that just does not seem very relateable to teens these days. What kind of parent would allow their teenage daughter to drive across the United States with an hot, older college guy? On their own? Staying in hotel rooms? 

Also, what kind of teenage girl would be opposed to this situation? I would love to read a book where the main character has the same motivations as an actual person, rather than acting against all common instincts of today's teenagers. Yes, this makes for an interesting situation, but no, it is not a teenage girl's natural reaction to sulk about being forced into a few days of road trip with a seriously hot older guy. 

Despite this natural aversion that I faced with this book, I was definitely drawn into the story. I liked the way that Amy and Roger were forced into a situation that made them get to know each other and develop a friendship fairly quickly. I liked the awkwardness and sexual tension between them. I liked most of the characters that they met along the way. I liked the inclusion of playlists for each chapter section, even if the lists of unknown artists was almost purposefully pretentious. 

Because the characters in this road-trip circumstance did not know each other previously, the author was tasked with developing their relationship as the plot moved along. I felt that this was done fairly well and the book was a very fast and fun read. However, when all is said and done, the relationship between Amy and Roger, as well as their individual characters, were mostly forgettable.

By the end of the novel, I felt that I had literally traveled with these characters across the United States. It was not a good feeling. I felt cramped and frustrated with the characters for not coming to terms with their individual problems sooner. I felt like the culmination of the relationship between Roger and Amy was disappointing.

Overall, an entertaining, but skip-able, YA Contemporary!

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Overall Grade:

B-

Would I recommend it?

Maybe: An entertaining, yet exhausting, road trip novel.

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