Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

From the flap:

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 a 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 Thoughts:

This book was fantastic. Amy and Roger were both very believable and likable characters, who do, as the flap says, have some baggage -- Amy more so than Roger. I thought that Amy’s character was spot-on: her grief, her anger, her uncertainty. Same thing with Roger, these characters were people I wanted to get to know. 
I'm a sucker for a "finding yourself" book and this definitely fit into that category.  Both Amy and Roger have to deal with situations that will make you grow-up.  They make mistakes, they learn to cope, and they find themselves.  I won't get into Roger's deal, because it's not really discusses on the flap.  However, I will talk about Amy's issue - her father's death.  I really liked how the book used flashbacks to tell the story of Amy's father's life and death.  It gave you perspective into her family life and also helped you to understand the emotions that she was dealing with on this trip.
The book also gives some great shout-outs to regional things in the states on their trip... yippee for MD's mention... Not as cool as CA or TN, but still -- MD beat out other (larger!) states for a mention!
Anyway, this was a great summer read – not too heavy, but not complete “brain candy” either. And there are some fun playlists from their trip!  Perfect for reading out on the road...y'know, as long as you aren't the driver.


Favorite Quotes:

#1 “ ‘No,’ Walcott said simply, rolling down his sleeve. ‘It’s my home, man. You’ve got to have pride in your home. You are where you’re from. Otherwise, you’re always going to be lost.’”

I agree and disagree at the same time (quite frankly because if I am where I grew up, God help us all). But I do think that no one will understand you – your good, your bad, your quirks, your funny accent – better than the people who live where you grew up. There’s something about your hometown that makes you feel…home.

#2 “The best discoveries always happened to the people who weren’t looking for them.”

What a fantastic quote, right? I couldn’t put the rest of the dialogue in because it would give stuff away, but trust me, it’s good.


Matson, Morgan.  Amy & Roger's Epic Detour. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2010.