Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

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Author(s)

Morgan Matson

Publisher

Simon & Schuster

Genre(s)

Young Adult

Age Range

12+

Release Date

May 04, 2010

ISBN

978-1416990659

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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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5 reviews

Overall rating

4.3

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4.4(5)

Characters

4.2(5)

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4.2(5)

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Interesting!

October 09, 2021

Overall rating

4.3

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4.5 Stars!
Amy and Roger's Epic Detour was an exciting road trip novel.
I liked the plot and reading about all the fascinating places Amy and Roger decided to go to, and the many interesting friends they met along the way.
It was also nice that part of book was designed like a scrapbook.

Fay Tannerr Top 50 Reviewer 243 reviews

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Hobbitsies Reviews: Wonderful story of loss, adventure, and growing up

December 21, 2012

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4.0

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Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour was awesome. It wasn’t my favourite book of 2010 (not that I could pick one, honestly), but it was great.

First off – if you’re going to get Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour, buy the actual copy! I didn’t buy a kindle version of this one because I knew there were pictures and stuff, and after reading it, I’m so glad I didn’t. The pictures and maps and doodles and playlists really add to the book. I think something would have definitely been missing without it.

Amy was a great protagonist. She lived through a horrifying event and acted as I would expect anyone in that position to act. I enjoyed reading from her point of view and she was actually pretty witty at times. But thing that makes Amy a great protagonist is that we really see her grow throughout the book. Because it takes place over just a few days, the changes are extremely noticeable and it really shows character development, in my opinion.

Roger, in my opinion, was the perfect guy for this story. He is by no means perfect, and I wanted to slap him multiple times throughout the novel for being so blind, but he fit perfectly into Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour.

I really love roadtrips. And I loved how Amy’s mom and brother fit into the story and their method for picking the places they went to see.

I don’t know, it all just really worked for me. Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour is a great story of loss, adventure, growing up, letting go, and moving on.

Review originally posted on my blog http://hobbitsies.net/2010/11/amy-rogers-epic-detour/

Tara Gonzalez Top 100 Reviewer 68 reviews

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Amy & Roger's Epic Detour (A Room with Books review)

August 25, 2012

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5.0

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Amy & Roger's Epic Detour was absolutely amazing. I loved every minute of it. I’m glad everyone was still buzzing about it this year so I heard about it and got a chance to read it. I feel like I need to go on a road trip now. That’s just how good it was.

Also, I don’t think I’ve ever actually wanted to own a book as badly as I do this one. I feel as if it would be my best friend on a road trip. All those playlists? Absolutely amazing. I mean Owl City alongside Guns ‘n Roses: where else are you going to see that? I was also happily surprised with the format. I wasn’t expecting all the extra little things, but they really made it fantastic.

I’ve read good books lately, but I haven’t read one in quite some time that actually made me laugh out loud. This one had me laughing in the middle of a bunch of people and alone in my bed late at night.

I went on a road trip across the country with my family a couple years ago and needless to say, I did not see all the things Amy did. Since I seemed to miss so much, I feel like I need to go back now and see everything with new (non-disgruntled at my family) eyes.

And of course, the characters. They were all amazing. I loved every last one we met along the way, but Roger was definitely my favorite. It felt like Matson had simply turned my personality into a guy most of the time. I’m terrible with directions and take the same philosophy as him, neither of us can whistle, and we have similar taste in music.

To summarize, I will definitely be trying to get a hold of Amy & Roger's Epic Detour to keep. I loved it and want it to have a permanent spot on my bookshelf. Definitely check this out as a summer read. And then maybe take a little road trip ;)

Jasmine Top 50 Reviewer 326 reviews

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Love it!

August 25, 2012

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5.0

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This is one of the first road trip books I ever read. It got me hooked on them ever since.
It is also the first book I have read that pretty much comes with its own soundtrack. I would write down the names of songs that looked interesting and download them. And this book is full of some really great music. I recommend that to anyone.
Music is my first love, so adding that to this already awesome book made it a five star read for me.
Amy and Roger are such expressive and lovable characters. The story has stuck with me, even after 2 years.
I laughed, I cried, and I swooned over this book.

Emily Savant, Staff Reviewer Top 50 Reviewer 300 reviews

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It was okay

August 13, 2012

Overall rating

3.0

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Okay, what can I say? First, it wasn't as epic as I thought it would be. There wasn't really a climatic moment. It was a smooth journey - not many bumps along the way. Very easy to get into. The atmosphere was consistent throughout the entire book, which at times made it slightly boring, as it seemed to drag along. Some scenes and stops they made on the way seemed pointless and didn't add much in terms of propelling the story forward. They could have easily been edited out and would have had no impact on the story.

There were many cliches that made it seem corny at times. The relationship between Roger and Amy, albeit adorable, didn't have me jumping up and down. I didn't sense that great chemistry I was longing for. Two teenagers stuck together for a few days ... There should have been a Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On.

Nonetheless, it was still a good read.