Author: Morgan Matson
Published: May 4, 2010
Paperback, 344 pages
5 Gold Stars
(summary from Goodreads)
Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother decided to move across the country and now it's Amy's responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. The only problem is, since her father died in a car accident, she isn't ready to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger. An old family friend, he also has to make the cross-country trip - and has plenty of baggage of his own. The road home may be unfamiliar - especially with their friendship venturing into uncharted territory - but together, Amy and Roger will figure out how to map their way.
I took this book with me as a weekend read at my friend's cottage. Needless to say I ran out of reading two days in because I couldn't put this one down. This was the perfect dock read about a girl trying to get through a hardship and a guy trying to get back part of his past. Over the course of a few days as they drive from California to Connecticut, Amy and Roger find out they have more in common than they thought and find that they need each other. With each passing day and every new state, they get to know each other better and find out the real reasons they are both in that car. A wonderful story about moving on and finding love, Morgan Matson hit this one on the head.
Amy Curry hasn't driven since she was involved in the car accident that killed her father. Suddenly her life is being uprooted and she has to move to Connecticut where her mom is starting a new life. Unable to make the drive herself, Amy's mom recruits an old friend's son, Roger, to be the driver. Amy and Roger haven't seen each other in a long time and Amy has no idea how they'll survive the week in a car together. But when Amy starts taking detours to visit places that remind her of her father and Roger finally admits that he's doing this drive to try and see his ex-girlfriend, they both start to take the drive together, creating playlists and making stops that interest the both of them. Before long, Amy finds it hard to think about leaving Roger and envies the girl he's going to see. Amy is my kind of girl. She's scared, but soon she starts to dive into the car ride and the adventure that goes with it. Amy and Roger bond over the course of the trip and I love their story arc. They are so cute together and I wanted them to be together from the start. Their chemistry was realistic and Matson wrote them both so well. She is an expert at teenage love, first love, and everything else. The obstacles they both had to overcome were well written, broke my heart and repaired it all over again.
I read this book so quickly not only because I had a lot of time chilling by the water, but because it flowed so well and I couldn't wait to see where Amy and Roger would end up next. This was the perfect road trip story for those who love them (I'm definitely one of those people!) and I loved that they went from Yosemite Park to Graceland. Matson describes her own road trip at the back of the book with great pictures and she actually had real pictures throughout the novel that helped me to visualize where Amy and Roger were going. There were also receipts and other souvenirs throughout the novel that made this not only a novel but a scrapbook as well. This was a fantastic touch and really helped me get into the story. This was the perfect summer read and Matson has quickly become a favourite of mine. I'll have to read Second Chance Summer next!
“The best discoveries always happened to the people who weren't looking for them.”
“It’s not about the destination. It’s getting there that’s the good part."
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