How My Summer Went Up in Flames

I was checking out the new release section at our library, hoping to find some YA featuring a male protagonist. Of course, this was not to be. So I decided to read this recently-published book since I love cross-country drives. The story was cute, but I could not get myself to believe that a teenage girl would be allowed to drive 3,000 miles with three teenage guys. Still, I loved the scenic descriptions and the wide-eyed point of view of the protagonist who had never traveled away from the East Coast. And I will give credit to the author for writing a nice read that is heavy on emotion, without resorting to R-rated prose. I liked how the protagonist was able to negotiate through a tangled web of personal problems, and elevate herself at the end. Mark Lichtenfeld---Author of LINE CHANGE.

I went into this book thinking it would be the perfect summer read. Not only because summer is directly in the title, but this book sounds like a light, fluffy, summery, beach read. And that it was.

This book was about a road trip with some light drama and light romance thrown in. I kept wanting a little more out of it, a little more romance, a little more drama, just a little more of something happening in the story. With that being said, let me clarify that this was not a boring read nor was it dull at parts, but I just felt like there was more potential at times for the story to deepen when it didn't do so.

Rosie, our MC, was comical and lovable, I found myself just wanting things to go right for her. I found myself getting annoyed with her at times in the way she complained too much and was stubborn in her ways. I felt that she should just get over her ex boyfriend when she consistently was pining for him. I was also annoyed that she couldn't decide who she wanted to be with and her feelings were floating around from guy-to-guy at times. However, I think that Rosie was a realistic character, she seemed like an average teenage girl and I liked that about her.

I love road trip books!! As it so happens, this book also adds in four characters that make the road trip that much better. I loved all the characters, the three boys and Rosie, together had fun adventures and brought out some fun bantering throughout their adventures. I love the people they meet along the way and I love the places they go.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It is the perfect summer read. It's light, entertaining and fun to read. I would recommend this one, especially if you enjoy road trip books!