Review: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

From Inside Jacket: 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 dad 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. 

My Rating: 4.5 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: While touching on some heavy topics, Morgan Matson’s wonderful debut novel, Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour, is mostly a fun read and will make you want to go on your own road trip!

There are so many settings in this book, and each affects Amy and Roger in different ways while allowing the reader to get to know them better. What I absolutely loved about Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour though was that it was filled with receipts, photos, doodles, playlists of songs and notes from the trip, which made reading the novel more enjoyable and also made me feel like I was experiencing the journey with Amy and Roger.

The story is told from Amy’s perspective and Matson does a great job allowing the reader to understand Amy’s thoughts and actions. Although Amy is distant and isolated initially, she never seemed unappealing to me because I could see how much she was struggling with to come to terms with what had happened to her and feel the burden of guilt that she was carrying. Then, as time goes on, the reader can see Amy start to slowly heal and her true personality really begins to shine through.

With his own problem and motivation for coming on the road trip, Roger is also a realistic character; and much like Amy, has his life changed by their journey. I liked Roger not only because he has an awesome taste in music, but is genuinely nice and honest. Plus, he has an adorable quirk of refusing to say goodbye.

As well, Matson does a good job of developing the romance in the novel. Having to spend so much time together, both Roger and Amy help each other deal with their past and therefore get to know each other very well. So, it wasn’t hard to understand why they would fall in love with each other. As someone who doesn’t believe in love at first sight, it’s refreshing to have a novel where I wasn’t wondering what does so-and-so see in this other character.

Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour was released in May 2010 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.

Comments About the Cover: It’s cute and conveys the point that the story involves a road trip and some romance. However, I feel like it gives off the feeling that the novel will be a fluffy read which isn’t true because there are emotional moments.